The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

There is “absolutely no excuse” for further delaying the Contractors Bill’s passage into law, an ex-Bahamian Contractors Association (BCA) president said yesterday, arguing that regulation was needed more than ever in Hurricane Matthew’s wake.

Stephen Wrinkle told Tribune Business that a construction industry that was properly licensed, and accountable, was essential if Bahamian taxpayers were to receive ‘value for money’ in Matthew-related home repairs.

Without the regulation promised by the Contractors Bill, which has already been brought to Parliament for its first reading, Mr Wrinkle said “anyone” could obtain government contracts to fix/build homes.

This, he added, created the possibility that many reconstructed homes, especially in the Family Islands and rural areas of Grand Bahama, would again not be built to Bahamas Building Code standards.

And when they failed in the next powerful storm to tear through the Bahamas, the Government and taxpayer would again be saddled with a multi-million dollar repair bill that was entirely avoidable.

“It’s really going to take some effort and accountability,” Mr Wrinkle told Tribune Business of the post-Matthew rebuilding required in north Andros and west Grand Bahama.

“If it’s the taxpayers’ money they’re spending to fix these homes, they have an obligation to ensure the money is well spent, and a significant portion of that has to be code compliance.

“If someone is going to receive assistance from the disaster fund, the relief monies, they need to ensure they’re Building Code compliant to be able to withstand the next storm,” he added.

“In many cases, people could not afford to build to Code. One of the criteria for assistance must be Building Code Compliance.”

It is generally acknowledged that Bahamas Building Code compliance, and enforcement, becomes more lax the greater the distance from Nassau.

Mr Wrinkle called on the Ministry of Works to “send building inspectors down to Lowe Sound and have them there for the duration of the rebuilding”, implying that their presence would ensure reconstructed homes adhered to the Code.

“I think this is a wake-up call for adherence to the Building Code,” he said of the devastation inflicted by Matthew.

“Most structures that were compliant, and had a good roof, withstood the storm quite well. Most of the structures that were damaged did not appear to be built to Code.”

Agreeing that Building Code compliance needed to be assessed, “especially in the Family Islands”, Mr Wrinkle said the Category Three/Four storm was “what the Prime Minister calls a teachable moment”.

Mr Wrinkle suggested that all new and reconstructed homes had to be built with hurricane clips and “proper anchors”, which tied roofs to the actual structure and foundation, giving them a chance to withstand 150 mile per hour winds.

“You have continuity from the ground to the ridge,” he added. Mr Wrinkle said contractors also needed to employ “proper fastenings” for windows, not just use screws, and follow manufacturer instructions properly when installing.

The ex-BCA president also called for “extra effort” to make sure government buildings, hurricane shelters and schools were properly constructed to withstand powerful storms.

“Buildings that we say are safe for people in a hurricane must be thoroughly inspected and have a designation that they are code compliant,” Mr Wrinkle told Tribune Business.

“There needs to be some protocols in place to say they have passed inspection. Some of my buildings were destroyed by the church roof next door falling on them.

“That church was supposed to be a hurricane shelter. It’s a classic example of buildings that were supposed to be shelters, and the roof came off.”

Mr Wrinkle said Code compliance and construction that can withstand major storms is directly linked to regulation, and passage of the Contractors Bill, as the sector is one of the few trades without its own legislation.

“We certainly can’t afford to go through this again socially, economically, emotionally,” Mr Wrinkle said of Matthew.

“In some cases, people paid the contractor to build to code and it wasn’t done. That’s the disappointing part, yet they still got the occupancy certificate.

“This is another reason why the BCA is continually calling for the passage of the Contractors Bill to bring licensing, regulation and standards.”

He added: “That’s the only way we will see accountability in the industry. Or otherwise many homes will keep getting damaged, and the taxpayer will pick up the bill once again.

“The BCA has the solution. There is absolutely no excuse why the Government does not pass that Bill at this time. Enforcement of the Building Code and regulations can be done if contractors are licensed. You can’t do it if anyone goes into fix those homes. That’s what’s going to happen.”