ST. MARY MUNICIPAL CORPORATION CONTINUING MONTHLY TOWN HALLS THIS YEAR

Posted on February 25, 2026February 25, 2026

JIS:

Residents of St. Mary can expect continued dialogue with the parish’s Municipal Corporation through its monthly town hall meetings.

Mayor of Port Maria and Municipal Corporation Chairman, Councillor Fitzroy Wilson, told JIS News that a commitment was made to give a “listening ear” to the community at least once per month.

Councillor Wilson stated that through these undertakings, “We will go into a different division, and everyone is invited. They can come, make their suggestions, query whatever they are unsure of, and we will have that communication.”

He added that State agencies are invited to these consultations, which are normally chaired by the Social Development Commission (SDC). The sitting Councillor of the respective division will also be in attendance.

“It’s mandatory that they (councillors) attend these consultations, so we can iron out whatever issues there are. A lot of the citizens don’t know the difference between what the roles and responsibilities of the councillor are, [compared to those] of other agencies and also the Member of Parliament. So, we use this as a forum for them to know, understand exactly where we are, how we can assist them, and by what means,” the Mayor said.

Councillor Wilson noted that around 10 of the 13 Divisions hosted town hall meetings last year, “and we will be continuing with them, going around, again, to those we have already started with.”

For February, the Retreat Division has been selected for the undertaking. The proceedings typically begin at 5:00 p.m. or later.

“So we would give persons the opportunity who are leaving work… to be a part of these meetings,” the Mayor pointed out.

CLEAN UP EXERCISE PLANNED FOR ST ANN INFIRMARY

Posted on February 3, 2026March 9, 2026

Saturday February 28, 2026

Following a tour of the St Ann Infirmary on Friday January 30, 2026, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie announced that his team will organize a workday exercise at the Infirmary.

The facility was heavily impacted by hurricane Melissa last October, and the remedial works that have been undertaken on the property has resulted in a buildup of debris.

“We were planning, for next month to have a clean up of the facility, we will be binging in the National Works Agency, along with the SDC, and the councillors, and solid waste to have a clean up of the facility to remove a lot of the debris that is here.” said Minister McKenzie.

Last November, the Minister led a team compromising of officers from the Ministry, the Jamaica Fire Brigade, the Social Development Commission and the National Solid Waste Management Authority to conduct an extensive clean up initiative at the St Elizabeth Infirmary that was also severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

The Matron of the Infirmary, Ms. Alicia Drummond, noted that staff were recuperating from the effects of hurricane Melissa.

“We are getting back on our feet, after six weeks in a shelter, we are pretty much getting back into our normal settings here… it was a rough period during the relocation… so, the staff they are coming around now, there was a bit of burn out before, but they are doing well, they are coming along”, said Drummond.

The St Ann Infirmary provides care for 71 residents, all of whom were relocated to a temporary facility prior to Melissa making landfall in Jamaica and were housed at that location for six weeks while the Infirmary underwent repairs.

The Workday is scheduled for Saturday February 28, 2026, at 10am.

SDC LEADING THE CHARGE IN RE-IMAGINING EMERGENCY SHELTERS

Posted on January 26, 2026February 17, 2026

During a visit to Falmouth Trelawny, on Thursday (January 15), Minister of Local Government and Community Development, who is also the Deputy Chairman of the Disaster Risk Management Committee, Hon. Desmond McKenzie announced that the Social Development Commission (SDC) has been spearheading surveys of the existing community centres across the island that can be retrofitted and used as emergency shelters in preparation for the upcoming 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

He emphasized the necessity of reassessing emergency shelters given that many of them were compromised during the passage of the category five hurricane.

“A lot of the shelters have been compromised because of Melissa, and in another four months, we will be launching the hurricane season… we will now have to be looking seriously at some of our shelters, the SDC would have completed a survey island wide of community centres and we are going to be looking at community centres that can be converted, that we can remodel to turn those into shelters”, Minister McKenzie said.

“We have to change a lot of what was in place previously as it relates to the shelters… we cannot go forward using the same sort of system that we have been using” he disclosed.

He also added that other facilities under the purview of the local government ministry, such as markets and cemeteries, have been adversely affected by the hurricane, and those infrastructures will also be assessed.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of the Social Development Commission, Omar Frith, while speaking to staff of the Trelawny Infirmary during a social intervention session, revealed that the agency has received more than 100 applications from church groups looking to benefit from the $75 million grant allocation made available by the government to assist churches in their recovery efforts.

“We have received 176 applications to date…our next step really is to do the verification, that is a part of the important step for us. Not a technical verification on our own, we know that the major work is going to be clean up, for those minor repairs that will help, we have the support of the municipal corporations the various parishes, just to help us verify that the damage that they report and the costings for the damage they are seeking assistance, minor damages, those are verified” he said.

The SDC has been instrumental in the data collection and damage assessment process since the passage of the hurricane Melissa last October.

PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTION FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT STAFF

Posted on January 20, 2026March 9, 2026

The Ministry of Local Government and Community Development and the Board of Supervision through a partnership with Transform Life Church has been providing counselling sessions for staff members in western Jamaica, following the devastating effect of Hurricane Melissa. On Thursday (January 15), the group met with the staff of the Trelawny Infirmary for one-on-one and group sessions to help them navigate the trauma that might have been onset by the passage of the hurricane.

During the session, Local Government Minister, Hon. Desmond McKenzie lauded the staff for their hard work and dedication to service even in the face of adversity.

“I just want to say to you all, there is not enough words to express gratitude and thanks and appreciation on behalf of the government for the work that you have been doing and continue to do under trying and difficult circumstances” he said.

He also thanked the members of the church for coming to the rescue and offering help during this critical time.

“They have been good to us, because this is not the first time, that they have [left] the comfort of Kingston coming out in the country to meet people in the Ministry of Local Government and I want to say to you, how grateful I am, on behalf of the Ministry of Local Government and the government. I want to thank you for the work that you have been doing… I hope that this relationship continues,” he added.

Across the spectrum of local government, many staff remain resilient and continue to work, despite losing their homes and other personal belongings during the hurricane.

Carolyn Bolt Nicholas, from Transform Life Church expressed her gratitude for the collaboration.

“ We are just grateful to have the opportunity to do this, less about evangelizing but more about ministering to hearts… we are delighted to be here…It really is our honour to come and spend time with you and to be your sounding board, we are happy to be your sounding board to just sit and listen and allow you to offload as you do the work you do… you serve while you are bleeding,” she said.

Matron of the Trelawny Infirmary, Tracey-Ann Bell, welcomed the intervention of the church and the Ministry of Local Government for their swift action in addressing their needs.

“Thank you for Minister McKenzie, and his team in the Ministry of Local Government who worked so speedily to identify a new location for the infirmary, and who is keeping abreast of the process to ensure that as soon as possible, the residents can be relocated into the facility…Thanks to the Transform Life Church who came out today to provide psychological support, we appreciate it so much” she said.

In addition to listening ears and sound encouragement, the group from Transform Life brought along care packages for staff members to help lessen the burden brought on by the hurricane.

The church has been travelling across Jamaica to host counselling sessions. So far, they have met with the staff from the St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation and intend to expand the initiative to other parishes that were ravaged by the Hurricane Melissa.

ST. JAMES MUNICIPAL CORPORATION EXPEDITING APPROVALS FOR TOURISM RECOVERY

Posted on January 14, 2026February 10, 2026

MONTEGO BAY, January 14 (JIS):

The St. James Municipal Corporation is taking steps to expedite the permits and approvals system to accelerate the restoration of tourism operations in the parish.

Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, said that the measures include streamlining the permitting process, prioritising inspections and facilitating inter-agency collaboration to reduce administrative delays.

He said that the objective is to shorten rebuilding timelines, enable earlier reopening of rooms and facilities, and quickly restore hotel capacity.

“The implications for Montego Bay’s economy are significant. Faster hotel reconstruction supports employment in construction, hospitality and related industries, helping to preserve livelihoods for workers and contractors,” he said.

The Mayor, who was addressing the Corporation’s monthly meeting in Montego Bay on Thursday (January 8), pointed out that increased hotel capacity also boosts demand for local suppliers, including food and beverage providers, maintenance services and transportation operators, thereby strengthening the supply chains that support daily commercial activity.

“Increased occupancy and renewed activity contribute to tourism… which, in turn, boosts municipal revenues and tax collections that fund public services and infrastructure repairs,” he pointed out.

Mayor Vernon said that the tourism sector is rebounding strongly, with data from the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) indicating that approximately 55 per cent of hotels in Montego Bay are operational, with occupancy rates of between 55 and 60 per cent.

In addition, there have been 16 cruise-ship calls since the hurricane, compared with 27 calls during the same period last year.

“These figures, recorded two months after a category-five hurricane, underscore both ongoing disruption and notable recovery momentum across accommodation and port operations,” Mayor Vernon said.

While noting that overall activity remains below pre-hurricane levels, the Mayor said that the combination of operational hotels, ongoing cruise calls and fast-tracked approvals signals a coordinated effort to revive Montego Bay’s tourism-driven economy.

“The data reflects resilience among operators and communities, and ongoing monitoring of reopenings and visitor patterns will inform stakeholders as recovery processes actively progress over the coming months,” he said.

NSWMA RECEIVES MORE FUNDS TO CLEAR HURRICANE MELISSA DEBRIS

Posted on January 13, 2026February 10, 2026

KINGSTON, (JIS):

The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) has received $1 billion from the Government to begin clearing the approximately 500,000 truckloads of debris that resulted from the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

Executive Director of  the NSWMA, Audley Gordon, noted that the sum is in addition to an initial $500 million that the Authority received shortly after the category-five hurricane devastated much of the island.

“In total… so far, the Government has dedicated over $1.5 billion to the Debris Management Programme. That early phase, for us here, just for NSWMA, the Government put in $500 million, and they have since put in another $1 billion,”                      Mr. Gordon said.

He was speaking at a press briefing at the NSWMA head office in Kingston, on Monday (January 12).

The Authority also announced that a Debris Management Committee has been established to provide the operational and administrative oversight necessary to clear the debris in parishes that were substantially impacted by the powerful storm.

Mr. Gordon explained that the temporary operational Unit, made up of a director, two managers, and other staff members, will focus solely on the daily management of employees and local contractors who are working on clearing the debris.

Commenting on the rationale for the committee, Mr. Gordon said “it is absolutely necessary because the scope of this particular Debris Management Project requires a kind of administrative and operational focus that would be very distracting and, in fact, destabilising of the regular domestic garbage collection operation”.

“We could not do the two things at once with the same leadership, focusing on both and doing them successfully,” the Executive Director added.

The Committee will utilise the 10 tipper trucks that were recently handed over to the NSWMA, in addition to engaging with private trucks, local labourers, and heavy-duty equipment operators to clear debris from the various areas.

Additionally, the NSWMA plans to collaborate with scrap metal dealers to salvage and repurpose materials from the debris taken from hurricane-damaged communities.

“A meeting was held with some players in that industry, and we are also asking other players to contact us because we believe that a huge percentage of what is out there could be taken up by that sector. And those discussions will continue as we seek to build partnerships and move as expeditiously as possible to clean the country of all the debris from Hurricane Melissa,” Mr. Gordon said.

The Executive Director disclosed that 27,000 truckloads of debris have already been cleared. However, noting the scale of the remaining work, he urged the public to remain patient as the NSWMA completes the recovery process.

 

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CONTACT: VANESSA JAMES

SDC STAGES ACTIVITIES TO REIGNITE LOCAL ECONOMIES

Posted on December 11, 2025February 10, 2026

KINGSTON, December 10 (JIS):

In a vibrant push to reignite local economies and strengthen community bonds following the impact of Hurricane Melissa, the Social Development Commission (SDC) will host a full slate of Economic Villages and Business Opportunity Events (BOEs) throughout December 2025.

The month-long activation underscores the Commission’s steadfast commitment to rebuilding grassroots economic resilience and providing vital platforms for micro and small entrepreneurs during the Christmas season.

Executive Director of the SDC, Omar Frith, informed JIS News of the strategic value of December’s activities in the national recovery drive.

“Part of our mandate is to foster sustainable development from the ground up. This December, we are strategically deploying our Economic Villages and Business Opportunity Events to stimulate local commerce, accelerate community-led recovery, and ensure that the festive season brings tangible economic benefits to our entrepreneurs and parishes affected by the hurricane,” he said.

The events begin today, December 10, with the return of the Trelawny Economic Village at the Falmouth Market, which will be staged again on December 17.

December 12 will see the hosting of the Portland Economic Village at the SDC Parish Office at 5 Smatt Road.

The festivities will heighten on December 16 with the hosting of the Clarendon SDC’s Cherry Tree Lane Christmas Tree-Lighting ceremony, while Kingston simultaneously comes alive with the Kingston Night Market on Hillcrest Avenue, which will also return on December 23.

Momentum builds further on December 19 as the Commission activates simultaneous Economic Villages across several parishes. These will be held at the SDC Parish Office in Duhaney Pen, St. Thomas; Highgate Square in St. Mary; the Puerto Seco Car Park in Discovery Bay, St. Ann; Cecil Charlton Park in Mandeville; and the SDC Parish Office in Spanish Town, St. Catherine.

These activities set the stage for a major islandwide highlight on December 20 – the Multi-Stakeholder Business and Social Services Fair at Harmony Beach Park in Montego Bay, St. James. This large-scale event will merge commerce with essential services from various ministries, departments, and agencies, creating a holistic support ecosystem for residents and businesses.

The celebrations will continue on December 21 with the Longville Annual Tree Lighting and Business Expo, followed on December 23 by a Local Economic Initiative (LEI) Pop-up Fair at the SDC Office Car Park in Clarendon.

Throughout the month, the SDC’s calendar will feature a series of BOEs blending community celebration with economic opportunity, before closing out the month’s activities with the final Trelawny Economic Village on December 24.

Mr. Frith noted that the SDC’s packed December schedule promises meaningful economic opportunities for local entrepreneurs and encouraged all Jamaicans and visitors to participate and support the national recovery.

For her part, Director of Local Economic Development at the SDC, Avril Ranger, extended appreciation to partners, such as the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, Municipal Corporations, and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) for their ongoing support.

“Collaboration has been the bedrock of our recovery efforts. We continue to invite corporate Jamaica to partner with us. Together, we can rebuild stronger and ensure a prosperous, resilient future for every community,” she said.

Ms. Ranger added that “with these villages collectively open for business, we are not just celebrating our recovery but our culture”.