New Building Act Passed

Posted on February 22, 2018July 2, 2019

More than 100 local government practitioners inclusive of directors of planning and building officers from across the island were exposed to rudiments of new Building Act in an effort to enhance work performance in the execution of their duties.

 

Honourable Desmond McKenzie, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, along with a team from the Ministry hosted the officers at a recently-held sensitization workshop in Kingston

 

“The new Building Act provides for modern standards for the built environment, as well as modern methods of protecting and enforcing those standards, which include the National Building Code,” Minister McKenzie stressed.

“The municipal corporations are to be the local building authorities and will be responsible for inspecting, certifying and taking the actions necessary to approve new structures, change existing buildings or destroy dangerous structures.”

The Building Bill 2017, approved by the Senate with 30 amendments in January, institutes a modern legislative framework that will serve to reduce the vulnerability of Jamaica’s built environment and ensure public safety.

The legislation also seeks to streamline the permit application system to eliminate unnecessary referrals and expedite responses; enable the introduction of special express as well as safeguard the rights of persons with disabilities in terms of accessibility, safety and user-friendliness.

Minister McKenzie also underscored the importance of the Act during his address at the February 8, 2018 Jamaica Fire Brigade graduation exercise for106 recruits, whom he said are integral to the continued development of Jamaica.

“The Local Authorities across the island are primarily responsible for implementing this Act. However, the Jamaica Fire Brigade will have a critical role to play, as one of the Agencies that is involved in development approvals before construction happens, and building inspections during and after the construction process” he explained.

 

“Therefore, you are not only critical to ensuring that we protect our national assets from fire, but also to creating the new architecture that we all will benefit from: the new houses, hotels, schools, hospitals, churches…all the structures that are critical to the expansion and development of a modern society.”

JFB graduates 106 new firefighters

Posted on February 12, 2018July 2, 2019

KINGSTON, JAMAICA: Some 106 recruits were officially presented as the newest members during a recent graduation exercise of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) in Tower Isle, St. Mary.

Honourable Desmond McKenzie, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, reminded the new firefighters that their role is critical to the nation’s road map in becoming a developed country.

“The men and women who will officially join the ranks today, are entering public service in a very special way. Just like our doctors and nurses, you will be on the frontline of human interaction,” he charged. “That is why the placement of the Jamaica Fire Brigade as an Agency of the Ministry is highly appropriate. My Ministry, through the Local Authorities and Agencies, is indeed the first point of government’s service delivery to the Jamaican people, and you have a vital role to play as we build a developed country for all our citizens.”

Minister McKenzie gave the keynote address at the ceremony on February 8, 2018 at the Madge Saunders Conference Centre. He also impressed on the recruits to always remember the sacrifices made by their parents and relatives in order to afford them the opportunities for a higher quality of life.

“Despite the challenges of crime and violence; there is a greater number of constituents who are prepared to take the high road. The 106 of you here today have not gone down the path of taking up the M16 or AK-47,” added the Minister.

“I want to thank you for choosing a career in the Jamaica Fire Brigade. There are exciting times ahead for all of you…As the latest intake into the Jamaica Fire Brigade, you have the unique opportunity of responding to people’s needs, and also, of teaching them valuable life skills.”

Minister McKenzie also announced a purse of $250,000 to the outstanding graduates who copped special awards. Each individual awardee will be gifted $15,000 while the runners-up get $10,000. The seven females in the new batch of the firefighters will each receive $10,000.

Lamar Brown, who was adjudged the best recruit, will receive $30,000 and $20,000 to second-place Fabian Williams. Williams also copped three other individual awards.

‘Drop…Cover…Roll’ – Earthquake Awareness Week 2018 launched

Posted on January 10, 2018July 2, 2019

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Jamaicans are being urged to demonstrate personal responsibility and exercise more proactive measures to mitigate the effects of natural disasters- particularly earthquakes.

“We need to rid ourselves of the national attitude that ‘It can’t happen to me’, and accept that earthquakes and other disasters can happen anytime and anywhere,” says Local Government and Community Development Minister, Honourable Desmond McKenzie.

“The reality is that no form of meaningful change occurs unless the people of a community or country accept or desire that change.”

Minister McKenzie’s charge came in his message for Earthquake Awareness Week that was read by Mrs. Marsha Henry Martin, the Ministry’s Senior Director for Urban and Regional Planning.

The Week is being observed from January 7 to 13, 2018 and was officially launched on Monday at the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) headquarters in Kingston. This year’s theme is ‘Preparing for the quake, helps reduce damage after the shakes’.

Jamaica last major earthquake was in 1907 with a death toll of more than 1000 persons.

According to Minister McKenzie, the Building Bill 2017 was created to address a wide range of construction and spatial issues.  The Bill was passed by the House of Representatives late last year and is being debated in the Senate.

He noted that some thirty thousand households can be found in 700 informal settlements islandwide and the housing stock in many, is vulnerable to tremors.

“If half of the provisions of the Building Act, inclusive of the Building Code, are obeyed by ordinary citizens, developers and construction industry practitioners, then I can assure you that Earthquake Awareness Week will have real meaning, and confidence in national preparedness and infrastructural resilience will rapidly rise,” the Minister added.

“My message is that Jamaica will achieve all its commitments to disaster management and resilience, if the national will is demonstrated. It is not beyond us at any level.

Meanwhile, ODPEM and its stakeholder partners have been training volunteers as part of the National Disaster Risk Management Volunteer Programme.  Under the Programme, financed by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), 100 volunteers were trained as first responders at the community level in disciplines including light search and rescue; shelter management; initial damage assessment and telecommunications.

A total of 1, 159 persons are registered to the National Disaster Risk Management Volunteer Programme database.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT MINISTER LAUDS OUTSTANDING LIFE AND SERVICE OF COUNCILLOR MELVIN JONES

Posted on January 8, 2018July 2, 2019

KINGSTON, JAMAICA: Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Honourable Desmond McKenzie, is hailing the life of work of the late Melvin Jones, Councillor for the May Pen North Division of the Clarendon Municipal Corporation. Mr. Jones passed away in December after ailing for some time.

Minister McKenzie says Councillor Jones’ strong work ethic, passion for people and engaging personality all combined to endear him to all who knew him and worked with him.

“His stature and influence went beyond the May Pen North Division. His devotion to the development of Clarendon through Local Government was without question. Even during his illness, he communicated to me his unswerving support for the work that, as a Ministry, we are doing to transform the system of Local Government. It is no surprise to me that for the over the many years of service he gave as a Councillor, the electors kept returning him with overwhelming majorities, irrespective of national voting trends. This pattern continued right into the 2016 Local Government elections, where he obtained over 84% of the ballots cast.”

The Local Government Minister says Councillor Jones has made a valuable contribution to local governance, and has left behind a blueprint of effective service for his successor.

“Even as we mourn his passing and acknowledge the void that it leaves in the Clarendon Municipal Corporation and in Local Government in general, we are also happy for the proud legacy he has created. He lived a life worthy of emulation, and on behalf of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, and of the Government of Jamaica, I embrace Councillor Jones’ family and friends with every comforting wish and blessing.”

EMERGENCY FUNDING GRANTED FOR RESTORATIVE WORKS IN RAIN-DAMAGED PARISHES

Posted on January 8, 2018July 2, 2019

Minister of Local Government and Community Development Hon. Desmond McKenzie, has approved J$10 million in emergency allocations in the aftermath of heavy rain, flooding and landslides in Portland, St. Ann, St. Mary and Trelawny.

“I have directed that funds are to be immediately released, to clear roads blocked by land slippages and any other debris that has made them impassable, and to implement any emergency road works as are necessary. Accordingly, J$3 million will be allocated to each Municipal Corporation of the two worst affected parishes, while the Local Authorities of the other two less affected parishes will receive J$2 million each. We want to minimize the trauma and disruption to our citizens, and ensure that they can get back to work and to school as quickly as possible.”

The Local Government and Community Development Minister, has also given approval for Municipal Corporations to use their Special Grant for Repairs (SGR) to take care of emergencies in their jurisdictions as necessary.

“These are all critical interim actions that we are taking now. We will await the damage assessment reports of the Chief Engineering Officers of the affected Municipal Corporations, and thereafter develop a comprehensive road repair and rehabilitation programme.”

Road to be renamed in honour of Davina Bennett

Posted on December 14, 2017July 2, 2019

KINGSTON, JAMAICA:

The Clarendon Municipal Corporation has passed a resolution to rename a roadway in Mitchell Town in honour of Miss Jamaica Universe 2017, Davina Bennett.

The motion to rename Middle Street as Davina Bennett Street was moved by Mayor of May Pen, Councillor Winston Maragh and seconded by Minority Leader Scean Barnswell during the regular monthly meeting of the Municipal Corporation today (December 14, 2017).

Miss Bennett copped third place at the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant in Las Vegas, United States last month.

The decision to rename the thoroughfare was recommended by Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Honourable Desmond McKenzie, on Tuesday evening during the Municipal Tree Lighting Ceremony where Miss Bennett was presented with The Key to the Town of May Pen.

“I believe that her outstanding achievement at the recent competition is one of the best Christmas presents that we could ask for as a country. I am going to ask Mayor (Maragh) and Scean (Barnswell) to take a non-partisan approach and move the resolution at the next sitting of Council to have Middle Street renamed in honour of Davina,” said Minister McKenzie.

“I am also giving my commitment that once this is done, we will provide the necessary resources so that the road can live up to the standard that is befitting of our beauty queen.”

The 21-year-old Marketing student rose in popularity during the international pageant for wearing an Afro. She gained a huge social media following for her natural attractiveness and was lauded for what many describe as shattering the beauty stereotype on the global stage.

Miss Bennett, who is also a past student of Clarendon College, said she was humbled by the recognition by her home parish.

“A road named after me?” she asked coyly after Minister McKenzie’s pronouncement.

Added Miss Bennett: “I can truly assure you that this means a great deal and this is a moment that I will treasure…I will continue to champion the town of May Pen and the entire Clarendon so don’t hesitate to call on me”.

Shaney Byfield robed new Junior Mayor of Black River

Posted on November 20, 2017July 2, 2019

KINGSTON, Jamaica: Shaney Byfield of Bethlehem All Age School in Malvern, St. Elizabeth is the 2017/2018 Junior Mayor of Black River.

She was officially robed by Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Honourable Desmond McKenzie, during a ceremony at the St. Elizabeth Municipal Corporation Chambers on Friday, November 10, 2017.

Junior Mayor Byfield was selected from among 14 other Junior Councillors who will make up the St. Elizabeth Junior Council.

“Early exposure to the political process is one that should be cherished and we should look to improve the process,” Minister McKenzie said in his main address.

“If we want to harness the talents of these young people and encourage them to become leaders of tomorrow, then we must start to demonstrate that we are setting the right standards for them.”

The Minister also charged his senior political colleagues to remove political divisiveness, and strive for credibility and transparency.

Junior Mayor Byfield in her maiden presentation thanked her teachers for their support. She also identified the construction of a music room at her school as her divisional project.

According to the youngster, the new area will provide storage for some new musical equipment – currently being housed in the school library – that was donated by past students. She explained that music forms part of the curriculum at Bethlehem All Age and is also used as a learning aid by her teachers.

The Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, for the second consecutive year, has committed a grant of J$500,000 to each Junior Council to undertake a major project within their respective municipality across the island.  The Ministry is also observing the month of November as Local Government and Community Month under the theme ‘Local Governance…The Pathway to Securing Better Communities’.

Floyd Green, State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information and Member of Parliament for South Western St. Elizabeth, lauded the Junior Mayor initiative. He noted that he will be meeting with the Junior Councillors in his constituency to see how he can partner with them on community projects.
“This programme gives children a voice and allows them to take charge,” he stated. “Senior Councillors should not only mentor them but allow the young ones to mentor them as well because they can also teach us a lot.”

Portmore gets Emergency Medical Service

Posted on September 15, 2017July 2, 2019

PORTMORE, St. Catherine: The municipality of Portmore in St. Catherine now boasts an Emergency Medical Service (EMS), sited at the Waterford Fire Station.

“I am confident that we will deliver the kind of service that will meet the needs of the people. What we have here today is a continuation of a collective approach by this administration for local governance,” said Local Government and Community Development Minister, Honourable Desmond McKenzie.

Minister McKenzie was speaking at the official launch of the Portmore EMS on Friday (September 15, 2017).

The EMS, which will have the use of two ambulances that were acquired at a cost of $17.2 million through funding from the National Health Fund (NHF) and the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports, Education (CHASE) Fund. It will be staffed by members of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, who received special training at the University of the West Indies Mona Faculty of Medicine.

“The Government is committed to providing the requisite services so that our firefighters can respond to calls of emergency,” he said in thanking the partners for their involvement in the project.

Health Minister, Dr. the Honourable Christopher Tufton, described the launch as “a momentous occasion”.

According to him, the Portmore EMS represents coordination, collaboration and cooperation between agencies of Government, and creating more mobile firs

“This service underscores how critical it is for partnerships to cooperate to achieving national development. By creating more mobile first responders, we are improving point of care to communities.”

Deputy Mayor of Portmore, Councillor Alrick Campbell, in his greetings expressed gratitude on behalf of the residents of the municipality.

“The general public can now call on the services of an ambulance and for that we are grateful.”

An Emergency Medical Services is also known as an ambulance service or paramedic service. It provides out-of-hospital medical care; transport to healthcare facilities and other medical transport to patients.