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Applying Modern Technology to Keeping Streets Clean

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Minister Noel Arscott was on hand as the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) launched its Love Clean Street Application at the Mandela Park in Kingston on Tuesday August 27, 2013.
Speaking at the function Minister Arscott congratulates the KSAC on the keen interest they were taking in the environment as demonstrated by their use of technology to aid in their bid to have cleaner streets in the capital city. The love clean street appis a free smartphone application and website that allows people anywhere in the world to report environmental issues to their local authority. The report can be made in less than forty seconds.
The Local Government Minister highlighted the fact that the success of the venture is dependent our citizens. “I therefore, want to encourage citizens of this beautiful island to be vigilant in reporting environmental issues and work closely with your local authorities to help resolve these issues as quickly as possible” he said.
The issue that can be reported using the Love Clean Street Application are; graffiti, fly-tipping, fly posting, pot holes, broken paving slabs and abandoned vehicles.
The use of the application should benefit everyone; local authorities should see a reduction in cost of casework associated with the Love Clean Streets application, which will generate a healthy return on investment. For everyone else, the benefit is simply a better, cleaner place to live and work.
Minister Arscott closed his presentation by stating that he was excited about the prospects of the application and encouraging everyone to make use of it.

Minister Arscott Marks Rehabilitation of Lincoln Ave Road as Property Tax Dollars at Work

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In declaring the Lincoln Avenue Road open, Minister of Local Government & Community Development, the Honourable Noel Arscott told citizens that work done was made possible by citizens honouring their property tax obligations.
 The Lincoln Avenue Road in May Pen, Clarendon was opened on Tuesday, August 20, 2013 with a small group of residents gathered to witness the occasion.   The 500m of roadway which has been in disrepair for several years was rehabilitated by the Clarendon Parish Council at a cost of $2m. Chairman of the Clarendon Parish Council Mayor Scean Barnswell,  said that the repairs came about as a result of a new approach being taken by the Council in which $2m is allocated for repairs to a road in each division and selection of the road way is done by way of a priority listing.
In pointing out the number of roadways that have been repaired by the council over the past year and a half Mayor Barsnwell gave the assurance that Ministry allocations to the Council were being well spent. “Let me say to the Minister and his team, that with the monies sent to the parish from the PRF, (Parochial Revenue Fund) we ensure that the people of the parish has seen results; value for money”, he said.
In his response Minister Arscott congratulated the Council on a job well done and told the gathering of the Ministry’s intention to address infrastructural issues islandwide, despite budgetary limitations. He pointed out that a vast majority of the country’s roadways are Parish Council roads nevertheless he said, “We are trying to use creative means to see how best we can upgrade the roads for our citizens”.
 Minister Arscott was also in St. Thomas on August 22, 2013, where he toured a number of roadways and praised the work that was done on a bridge in Hamstead.

Minister Arscott Tours Road in Westmoreland

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On Friday, August 16, 2013 Minister on Local Government and Community Development, Honourable Noel Arscott toured a number of parochial roads in the Parish of Westmoreland.
The Minister was accompanied by a technical team from the Ministry along with the Executive Director of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA). The tour was concentrated in the Grange Hill Division ending in King’s Valley were the team inspected the work being done on that road.  Along the way the Minister and his team look at several road ways, drains, community centres and other areas of concern to the citizens.
During his address to persons on site in the different communities Minister Arscott gave the commitment that the Ministry’s Technical team would examine ways of addressing  the issues relating to the flooding of the Peggy Barry, Kings Valley and Herring Peak playfields  and community centres, as well as, the Church Lincoln Road.
The tour was organized by the Westmoreland Parish Council and led by Councillor for the Grange Hill Division Mr. McKenzie. Minister Arscott continues his road tours in Clarendon on August 21st and St Thomas on the 22nd.

Local Government Minister Endorses Consultation Forum for the Community Renewal Programme

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Speaking during the opening ceremony of the Community Renewal Programme’s mass Consultation Forum held at the Jamaica Conference Centre on Wednesday, August 14, 2013, Minister Noel Arscott applauded the consultative approach being taken to the implementation of the programme.
The Local Government Minister congratulated the implementing partners, PIOJ and SDC, for spearheading the stakeholders’ consultation; adding that the PIOJ should be  commended for taking bold steps in developing programs that will render assistance to communities that are often neglected because they are seen as ‘violent and beyond help’.
The Community Renewal Programme (CRP) he said must be seen as a game-changer as it has been conceptualized on the premise that security, justice and community economic well-being are pre-requisites for the sustainable development of Jamaica’s communities and for the country as a whole. The Community Renewal Project targets 100 of the most volatile and vulnerable communities in five parishes. The CPR seeks to empower residents to achieve their fullest potential and contribute to the attainment of a secure, cohesive and just Jamaican society as outlined in Goals 1 and 2 of Vision 2030 Jamaica by providing a coordinating framework for the implementation of a holistic range of interventions.
The consultation marked the beginning of the implementation process for phase 1 of the programme which is currently being piloted the Majesty Gardens community. Participants in the forum included Parliamentarians, Local Government Representatives and most importantly community members. The meeting sought to elicit feedback and to assess community assets as well as your needs and priorities.
Pointing to the important role played by the Social Development Commission, an agency of the Ministry of Local Government & Community Development, Minister Arscott promised the continued commitment of the Ministry to facilitating the implementation of the CRP.  “I pledge the Ministry’s support to monitor the implementation and provide the necessary policy support as needed” he said.
He also committed to playing a leading role in the development of the Kingston Lifestyle Centre which will be a catalyst for the redevelopment of downtown Kingston and its surrounding communities.

Ministry Establishes Street Light Hotline

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The Ministry of Local Government and Community Development wishes to advise the public that the Street Light Hotline has been established effective since July 1, 2013. The Honorable Minister, Noel Arscott announced in Parliament on June 10, 2013 that his Ministry would establish a hotline for the public to call and report non-functioning or mal-functioning street lights.
Information gathered by the street light audit team, suggests that The Ministry of Local Government and Community Development is making payments for lights that are not functional and as such we are now working more closely with the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) to ensure concurrence between the number of operational streetlights and the amounts being paid for. Once the report is taken by the hotline operator, it is then compiled and sent to the Jamaica Public Service Company, who should effect repairs to these street lights within fourteen (14) days.
The hotline has been in existence for less than three weeks and the line has already been flooded with calls of complaints and as well as commendations. Citizens who wish to report defective street lights should call 1-888-991-4617 and provide the operator with the pole number, pole location and the duration for which the street light has been defective.

Application Management And Data Analysis Training -Enhancing the Development Approval Process

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The Ministry of Local Government & Community Development is deepening its efforts to improve the Development Approval process by strengthening the capacity of Local Authorities to work with the Application Management and Data Analysis (AMANDA) software.
Speaking at the official opening ceremony for the month-long training exercise which began on Monday July 8, 2013, Minister of Local Government & Community Development, the Honourable Noel Arscott said that “the implementation of the AMANDA software is a major stepping stone in helping to improve Jamaica’s development application process”. The Minister applauded the Cabinet Office for their role in sponsoring the training exercise to support the implementation of the software which will be implemented in all Local Authorities and commenting agencies on a phased basis; AMANDA is currently being utilized in eight Local Authorities (LAs).
The Minister explained that the AMANDA will reduce inconsistencies, end bottleneck in task assignment and processes, enhance accountability and increase customer satisfaction. In using the AMANDA software LAs have implemented a Development Application Help Desk where there is consultation to determine correctness and completeness of application before the information is logged into the database from which an acceptance letter and unique reference number if generated.
With the development application process already integrated into AMANDA setting out each task as well as the responsible persons and timeline, once a task is completed and is indicated the programme then prompts the person responsible for performing the next task in the process flow. Applicants are able to view the status of their application via any web portal.
The “Training of the Trainers’ exercise, as it is being dubbed, is being conducted by CSDS Inc. developers of the AMANDA software; ten (10) IT developers and 30 end users from NMLG&CD and Local Authorities and commenting agencies (NEPA) that have already been using the AMANDA system, will be trained and certified.
Other referral agencies to benefit from training are:National Works Agency (NWA), Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), Rural Physical Planning Unit (RPPU) of Ministry of Agriculture, Environmental Health Unit (EHU) of Ministry of Health.
The Local Authorities that have already using AMAND in the processing of development Approvals for nine lots and under (in the first instance) are: Kingston & St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC), St. Catherine Parish Council, Manchester Parish Council, St. Elizabeth Parish Council, Hanover Parish Council, St. James Parish Council, Trelawny Parish Council and Clarendon.

Community Empowerment & Involvement: Key to successful local governance – excerpt from Minister of State Hon Colin Fagan’s Sectoral presentation 2013/2014

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The Presentation was concluded with a reminder that citizen involvment is “at the very heart of the democratic process”.

Excerpt:

Consequently, while we push the legislative process to conclusion and vigorously pursue avenues for local economic development, as you heard from Minister Arscott two weeks ago, we are deeply conscious that these efforts will be futile unless the citizens whose lives we seek to better through such initiatives are empowered to actively and effectively participate in the process to transform their own lives and that of their communities. In essence Mr Speaker our approach is firmly grounded in that well known adage:  “It is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish”.

That Mr Speaker, is the fundamental goal that we seek to achieve through the initiatives, and programmes that we have developed, are developing and are in the process of implementing; and which I have sought to highlight in this Presentation:

  1. The review of and consultation on the Portmore experience, as well as implementation of the subsequent recommendations, all being pursued through citizen participation and involvement.
  2. Taking advantage of the renewed interest of our corporate citizens to bolster our efforts to upgrade our fire services.
  3. Extending application of the principle of local self-governance, through the concepts of Town Centres and Town Managers, and in which citizen participation constitute an essential element in the management of Urban Centres.
  4. Our ambitious plan for fire stations which incorporates teamwork, leadership development and community and empowerment.

See full presentation in the quick Download section of this website, bottom left.

Excerpts from Hon Noel Arscott’s contribution to the 2013/2014 Sectoral Debate

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Excerpts:
Mr. Speaker, this debate comes against the background of a recognition that Jamaica is at a tipping point. A point where we must make difficult decisions. A point where bold and visionary political leadership is required from all stakeholders. A point where the private sector must become more involved and raise themselves to the highest standards of ethics and compliance, and become a part of the solution. A point at which the Jamaican people must understand that for every right we enjoy, there are corresponding responsibilities. …pg 9
The key plank of the reform agenda is the promulgation of three (3) strategic laws – The Local Governance Act, The Local Government Financing and Financial Act, and The Local Government (Unified Services and Employment) Act.  The draft Cabinet Submission in respect of these three Laws was circulated and reviewed, and adjusted based on comments from the Attorney General (AG), the Legal Reform Department, the Ministry of National Security, the Ministry of Finance and Planning, and the Police High command.  Mr. Speaker, after seventeen years, hundreds of consultations, and the hopes and aspirations of thousands of people, I am pleased to report that a Submission relating to these laws has been sent to Cabinet requesting approval for the issuing of drafting instructions to the Chief Parliamentary Counsel. …pg 14

Our commitment is to ensure improved quality of service in terms of consistency, effectiveness and efficiency of delivery. Mr. Speaker there are no two ways about it, despite the challenging times we face we must make the effort to improve our local services as our consumers are far more discerning and demanding of quality. Nothing is wrong with that; we all want a Jamaica that is comparable to the best places to which we have travelled. We want Jamaica to be the place of choice to live, work, raise families and do business. But, Mr. Speaker, the stark reality is that it cannot be done without the necessary revenues…. Mr. Speaker, we have worked closely with the Ministry of Finance and Planning along with other stakeholders to develop a combination of measures aimed at improving the compliance rate for property tax collections…  pg 45

click to read full presentation Www.Localgovjamaica.Gov.Jm/Loaddocument.Aspx
or see Quick Download section of this website – bottom left

Solid Waste Management & Public Cleansing, top priority for Local Government.

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Addressing a group of thirty one graduating environmental wardens during a ceremony held on Wednesday June 5, 2013, Minister of State in the Ministry of Local Government & Community Development, the Honourable Colin Fagan affirmed the importance of safeguarding the environment by adhering to proper waste management and public cleansing practises.
The State Minister told the graduates that he was pleased that they had taken the decision to lead the charge of protecting the environment by choosing to be properly educated on the subject. He said that while the onus has been placed on the environmental wardens to apply the expertise they now have to taking care of their environs and entreating others to follow suit, they were not alone in their quest. “The Ministry of Local Government and Community Development have embarked on a number of initiatives to deal with the proper disposal of solid waste and public cleansing”, he told the audience at the function.
He addressed the number of environment issues faced by Jamaica and the impact of improper waste disposal stating that “a contaminated environment can be very hazardous, especially to an individual’s health; causing several diseases and ailments”. He said it was for this reason that that the Ministry has made Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing, one of its top priorities for the 2013-2016 period.
Minister of State Fagan encouraged the wardens to persevere against the many challenges they will face in performing their duties and to seek to get as many communities as possible involved in practising appropriate environmental safety such as recycling and reusing, “I am sure with a little more education on the subject, we will see an increase in the number of persons adhering to these practices” he added.
He also implored members of the public to support the efforts of the Ministry and the environmental wardens pointing out that community participation was very important in ensuring the success in these endeavours.
The environmental warden training programme was developed by the National Solid Waste Management Authority in conjunction with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund.

Enforcement of Municipal Regulations Boosted – New municipal police officers encouraged to be fair and impartial

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With the certification of 35 new Municipal Police Officers on May 31, 2013 the capacity of Local Authorities to enforce municipal laws and regulations, maintain law and order in and around town centres, improve revenue generation and manage disaster relief efforts have increased.
The graduates of the eleventh (11th) training session since the re-establishment of the municipal police training programme in 2008 were reminded of the important role they play by guest speaker Mr Robert Rainford, Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Local Government & Community Development. “Your duties are important to the success of your Local Authority and your parish” he stated adding that the functions outlined above impact the live and development of the community.
PS Rainford told the graduates that they were an important part of the local government system and that in performing their functions effectively they would be contributing to the improvement of community governance. “It is only by everyone playing their part, participating in the governance of their communities that we can achieve true and lasting growth” he said.
Mr Rainford implored the graduates to be steadfast in their duties, ignore the aggression of the persons they will encounter and resist the temptation to look the other way.   He also reminded them that graduation does not signal the end of learning and there is much to be learnt on the job, “..take what you have learnt apply it in your daily lives, apply your innate intelligence when executing your duties and serve with humility not brute force”.
Candidates for the Municipal Police training programme, conducted in collaboration with the Jamaica Constabulary Force at the JCF training college, are recommended by the local authorities and deployed to those jurisdictions once their training is completed.  Municipal police officers are trained over a four-six weeks period in areas such as
·         Roles and Responsibilities of the Local Authority
·         Code of Ethics
·         Building Act and Compliance
·         Property Tax Act and Compliance
·         National Solid Waste Management (NSWMA) and Compliance
·         Powers of Arrest and Safe Encounter
·         Statement Writing
·         Conflict Management
·         Stress Management

Among other topics.