Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon Noel Arscott is encouraging teamwork as one way of addressing service deficiencies in Local Authorities.

The Minister made the proposition during meetings at the Trelawny and St. James Parish Councils on Wednesday, February 15, 2012, where he sought to address a number of issues being faced by the Local Authorities. Minister Arscott also encouraged the Councils to develop good working relationships with other Councils in order to share ideas ‘.. look at their best practices and see how these can be applied to your situation’, Minister urged.

Minister Arscott told Councils that he will be utilizing teamwork and partnerships as much as possible in his administration. He disclosed that the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development is working with the Ministry, Science, Technology Energy and Mining to explore alternate sources of energy particularly for use in street lighting, as well as, with the Ministry of Water Environment and Climate Change to implement more effective means of tackling the perennial problem of water shortages in areas not serviced by the National Water Commission.

The Minister also expressed his commitment to working with the Councils to solve the problems being experienced even while suggesting that they have it within their power to work out most of the issues they have been facing themselves. This point was endorsed by Minister of State Colin Fagan, who also attended the meetings. ‘It is important as we continue to move the reform process forward that you apply a level of creativity in sourcing funding to meet the needs of your constituents’, Minister Fagan said.

The Local Government Ministers have been conducting a familiarization tour of councils and have already visited the St Ann, St Catherine and Clarendon Parish Councils; next stops will be the Hanover and Westmoreland Parish Councils on Thursday, February 16, 2012.