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Ministry Launches Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative for Montego Bay

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The Honourable Noel Arscott yesterday launched the Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative (ESCI) for the city of Montego Bay.
The initiative, which is an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) venture, is designed to aid the sustainable development of Montego Bay; speaking at the ceremony Minister Arscott lauded the quality research and analysis that led to the production of documents pointing to the in-depth requirements to ensure that the City of Montego Bay is set on a path of progress and sustainability.
The Minister opened his presentation by thanking the IDB team and local agencies for the intensive and deliberate strategies that led to the launch of a very worthwhile initiative which he said not only complements the strides made in the local government reform process “but offers concrete long-term developmental tools for broader national development”.
While stating that he was particularly pleased to see that the project has a distinct focus on the effects of climate change to include sea level rise, water resource management etc. Minister Arscott suggested that greater focus be placed on Citizen Safety and Security, Public Order and Citizens’ Participation in the governance process in light of the peculiar issues negatively impacting the city of Montego Bay. He added that it was “critical that collaborative methods be sought under this project to assist in dealing with these issues.”
The ESCI employs a multidisciplinary approach to addressing the challenges facing the urban areas of Latin America and the Caribbean by integrating Environmental Sustainability & Climate Change, Urban Sustainability and Fiscal Sustainability & Governance. In 2011 the IDB launched a pilot test to develop the ESCI’s methodology in five cities, Montego Bay is among 11 cities added in 2012 following a field mission by the Bank to Jamaica in June 2012.
After various stakeholder consultations, the IDB team has identified the following as key priorities to be addressed in Montego Bay:
·                    Crime and security
·                    Coastal zone resilience including the preservation of ecosystems
·                    Urban planning and renewal
·                    Public spaces
·                    Waste management and sanitation
·                    Equitable/Balanced Development
·                    Other important topics such as risk management, broadband connectivity and fiscal sustainability
At the end of the IDB project the St James Parish Council will be presented with a sustainability plan that addresses these priorities.

Earthquake Unit gets US$30,000 from ODPEM

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The work of the Earthquake Unit at the University of the West Indies, Mona, in monitoring the country’s seismic activities, has been enhanced with a donation of US$30,000 by the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM).

The money, which will be used to facilitate the installation of four motion seismographs (accelerometers), was handed over on Monday (January 14), during a press conference to launch Earthquake Awareness Week 2013, at the ODPEM headquarters in Kingston.

Designed to measure high seismic activity, the motion seismographs will be located on buildings to help monitor the response of the building and other structures during major earthquakes, as well as provide ground motion information that can be used in site characterisation in major development projects. The devices will also provide pertinent information that can help to improve the characterisation of seismic vulnerability across the island.

According to an ODPEM press release, the installation of the device will complement the organisation’s mandate, along with its partners, towards achieving a high standard of readiness to high magnitude earthquakes.

Director General of ODPEM, Ronald Jackson, said the organisation’s assistance “will reap maximum benefit as these devices will build a network for improved data on the site specific behaviour of buildings, further informing the revision of the building codes.”

“That information will also go into the process of the contingency plans that the first responders develop from time-to-time to fully understand what is likely to happen in specific areas – what buildings will stand up, what buildings will fail, how many persons we will have to plan for in terms of casualties,” he said.

Head of the Unit, Dr. Lyndon Brown, said the equipment is important as “when earthquakes happen, we need instruments that can measure the whole event so that in the long term, we can have improved data for future research.”

“These are instruments that can measure the whole range of an earthquake – the very small to the very large earthquake – and these are very important for measuring the activity of faults, measuring the intensity and magnitude of earthquakes and help us in terms of understanding as much as we can, earthquakes and earthquake activity in Jamaica,” he said.

Dr. Brown thanked ODPEM for supporting “this movement towards improvement in terms of our earthquake resistance, helping us to understand more about earthquakes, helping us to improve our research, so that this can help future development in the country.”

Earthquake Awareness Week is being observed from January 20 to 26 under the theme: ‘7.8 Wi ready…Yuh Ready?’. – JIS

Local Government commences its energy saving initiative

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The Ministry’s energy management initiative which Minister Noel Arscott has consitently touted has began with the installation of ten (10) solar light emitting diode (LED) fixtures  in the community of Osbourne Store Clarendon on Tuesday January 8, 2013.

The installation of these lights forms part of a larger project resulting from an Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Ministry and Green Energy RG LLC, a US based energy management company, to test alternate energy mechanisms within the Ministry’s offices and other Local Government facilities.

Addressing the media on location in Clarendon, Minister Arcott stated that the installtion of 5,000 LED lights should be completed by mid year after which an evaluation of the results would be done; the expectation is a twenty percent (20%) reduction in the Government’s streetlight bills. Areas to benefit from these LED lights are sections of Kingston and St. Andrew, St. Catherine and Clarendon.

Minister Arscott also announced that Green RG will be setting up a factory here in Jamaica to manufacture these light panels, thus providing jobs for the country.

Staff Changes Implemented to Improve Operations at the National Solid Waste Management Authority

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The National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) wishes to advise that effective 01stJanuary 2013, the following changes will take effect:
·         Mr. Percival Stewart will assume the position of Director of Operations. He will replace Colonel Allan Douglas who has proceeded on retirement.
·         Mr. Adrian Grant will be transferred to MPM Waste Management Limited as the Regional Operations Manager (ROM).
·         Mr. Washington Grant will be transferred to the NSWMA Enforcement and Compliance Division.
In addition, the Minister of Local Government and Community Development Honourable Noel Arscott has commenced discussion with the Ministry of Finance in an effort to secure funding for the deployment of additional trucks to collect and dispose of solid waste from various communities.
 The Minister has also instructed the MPM Waste Management Limited to have the Kingston Metropolitan Region and sections of Portmore that are in backlog cleaned and cleared within fourteen (14) days

NSWMA implements revised plan to clear garbabge pile up in Corporate Area and Portmore

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The MPM Waste Management Limited wishes to apologize for the delay in the collection of solid waste from some communities in the Kingston Metropolitan Region and sections of Portmore over the past week. This delay is caused by our inability to complete the collection cycle due to various reasons including mechanical problems being experienced by units from our hired fleet. The situation is further compounded by the increased volume of solid waste generated at social functions and family gatherings at this time of the year.
We have since reassessed the situation and have now implemented a revised plan that will include additional trips per unit, assigning new units and night collection. We anticipate that the backlog communities will be cleared in the coming days.
We are asking residents to ensure that their solid waste is placed on the outside of their premises for collection and also to contact the Community Relations Department toll free at 1 888 253 2652 or 448 3220 to get information on their scheduled collection day.

Local Government Minister Urges End to Littering- reminds public that littering is an offence

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Minister of Local Government & Community Development Hon Noel Arscott, has appealed to the public to dispose of their waste properly, and to be mindful of the environmental impact of improper garbage disposal.
Minister Arscott was speaking at a ceremony for the handing over of a donation of drums to the National Solid Waste Management Authority, on Thursday, December 20, 2012.
The Minister said that the act of littering was a thoughtless one in which too many indulged,   “the tossing of trash in the gullies, on the streets and out the windows of our cars, seems like a matter of reflex for most people” he said.
He purported that improper garbage disposal contributes to the extensive flooding often experienced during the rainy season. He added that the sums spent annually on drain cleaning could be significantly less if people did not litter.
The Minister also used the opportunity to appeal to citizens to be particularly conscious about the amount of waste they produce during the festive season. “It is a time of increased consumption and consequently increased waste generation” he said, pointing out that approximately 50% of all waste handled by the island’s landfills is bio-degradable.
“By compositing much of our household waste we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint and the demands on solid waste disposal services.” He added.
The Local Government Minister reminded the public that it was an offence to litter public spaces, break bottle or glass in a public space and to deposit litter in a private place without the consent of the owner and that persons who commit such offences will face penalties.
The National Solid Waste Management Authority received a total of 2000 drums from Jamaica bedding/Ojay Koolers for placement in Old Harbour, Spanish Town and May Pen.

Trench Town Fire Station Reopens: Task force formed to look at needs of Fire Stations Islandwide

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Minister of State Hon Colin Fagan announced the formation of a Task Force to look at addressing the needs of the Jamaica Brigade. The Honourable Minister made this announcement, at the re-opening of the Jamaica Fire Brigade station at Trench Town on December 20, 2012.
The Trench Town Fire station was closed after it was discovered that the roof contained asbestos.   With the Ministry of Local Government leading the way on this collaborative effort between the Jamaica Fire Brigade and civil society, the Trench Town Fire Station also underwent electrical, plumbing, floor and window repairs before it was reopened after being closed for several months.
In his address Minister Fagan highlighted the vital service that firefighters give to the nation and commended their efforts to do so under undesirable conditions.   As a result, he voiced the Ministry’s commitment to improving the working conditions of firefighters.
The Minister also acknowledged the contribution of Quality Dealers Ltd. who assisted by providing materials to refurbish the Fire Station and Mr. Gregory Cato who volunteered his roofing expertise. The Minister also commended the Brigade’s building officers for their keen oversight of the project.   The Minister revealed that this collaborative effort seen at Trench Town was also replicated in the refurbishing process of the Santa Cruz Fire Station, thus signaling the success of Local Governance at the local level.

This project was carefully monitored by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development to ensure that it was, kept in budget, completed in accordance to the Brigades Standards, Government of Jamaica Procurement Guidelines, and the regulations of the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC), and the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA).

Local Government marks International Human Rights Day with a Conference in Kingston.

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The main community development arm of the Ministry, the Social Development Commission, recognized Monday December 10, 2012 as International Human Rights Day by hosting its first conference on International Human Rights at the Jamaica Conference Center.   The objective of the conference was to educate community based organizations and citizens of their human rights as stipulated in the Jamaica Charter of Rights, Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Freedom.

 

Minister Colin Fagan, Minister of State in the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development supported the efforts of the Social Development Commission, in developing community based organizations (CBOs) awareness of human rights so that they can better advocate and protect citizens’ rights.

 

In his opening address Minister Fagan stated that the “treatment and preservation of basic human rights” is indicative to the progress of any nation.  He alluded to the society’s need to assess its progress towards goal 2 of Jamaica’s Vision 2030 program which seeks to ensure that the “Jamaican Society is secure, cohesive and just.”   He called for greater collaboration by the Jamaican society and greater effort by government to improve its ranking as it relates to our commitments under various international treaties to which we are signatories.

 

The Honourable Minister of State gave an overview of the Ministry’s efforts to improve human rights by providing equitable and quality community services such as Emergency Management; Disaster Relief; care to the poor and destitute.  He added that the Ministry is working to implement rules to facilitate social justice by ensuring equitable and holistic participatory governance through the Parish Development Committees, Community Development and other civil society groups.

 

Other presenters at the conference were Hon. Mark Golding, Minister of Justice and Opposition Spokesman on Justice Mr. Delroy Chuck.  Mrs. Jacqueline Samuels Brown, Attorney at   Law was guest speaker.   

Jamaica Host Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management

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Jamaica hosted the 7th conference of the Caribbean Disaster Emergancy Management Agency (CDEMA) chaired by Hon Noel Arscott Minister of Local Government & Community Development, at the Hilton Rose Hall Hotel in Montego Bay from December 3-7, 2012.

This annual conference is used by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to facilitate discussions of ideas between disaster risk management professionals and policy makers on ways to “achieve sustainable loss reduction”.

The 7th annual Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) which focused on the theme “Building Disaster Resilience; a shared responsibility”, was facilitated by the Ministry through the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management.  The forum sought to bring member states together to share success stories and highlight what needs to be done to achieve minimal risk in the midst of regional climate changes.During this three day event a number of disaster risk practitioners shared ideas and raised issues in various sessions on the Caribbean’s propensity to risk and resilience to disaster.   Evolving from these discussions was the need for countries to promote a Disaster Resilience Agenda through increased collaboration among stakeholders, government and countries; increasing the utilization of Information and Communication Technology; monitoring and sharing best practices, addressing human and response deficits.

In his closing remarks Minister Noel Arscott commented that what he has learnt from the risk reduction practitioners will have’ far reaching impact’ on how he views this protion of the portfolio which he manages.  He then aptly articulated the way forward with the statement; “We must engage in a meaningful way, international discourse on Risk Management, development and resilience and the impact that this could have on our Regional goals.”

Ministry Undertakes POINT IN TIME SURVEY for the Homeless

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The Board of Supervision 2012 Point in Time Survey for the Homeless, the nation’s only and largest count of homeless individuals and families, took place across the island in the early mornings from November 18-24, 2012. The count was supported by the Parish Councils-Poor Relief Departments in collaboration with the invaluable assistance of Volunteers islandwide.
Volunteers included homeless service providers, NGOs, businesses, faith based groups, government agencies and academic organizations throughout the island. The Survey was organised to cover the 4,213 square miles which covers all cities and towns on the island, reaching individuals residing in shelter (Sheltered Count) and those residing in places not meant for human habitation (Unsheltered Count).
As the lead agency for addressing Homelessness, the Board of Supervision under the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, coordinated the Homeless Count as part of a national effort to provide a current and accurate picture of Jamaica’s Homeless population.  This will provide data to support the need for funding and other resources to better identify appropriate service needs for the Homeless and thus fulfil the recommendations of the Commission of Enquiry Act into the force removal of street persons. This information also helps the government better understand the character and scale of homelessness nationally. Locally, the count provides valuable information to guide the allocation of limited resources for housing and services. It is also essential for future planning to prevent and end homelessness in Jamaica.
The Board of Supervision is presently collecting the data from the respective parishes for uploading to the Information Identification Homeless System (IIHS) which will form the homeless database for information to use for analysis of findings.
The homeless count was originally scheduled to take place from November 4-10, 2012 but was delayed due to hurricane Sandy.