The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE government is looking at several alternatives to help speed up the process of debris removal in Abaco this year, according to Chairman of Disaster and Reconstruction Authority John-Michael Clarke.

"We want to speed up the (clean-up) process this year…(so) we are working out a mechanism where we could have the owners of private homes and businesses expedite the debris removal because a lot of it is actually on private property," he told The Tribune yesterday.

"And (because) the government can't enter property without permission, we're trying to put the structure in place now so we could have the rest of the businesses clean up faster…. (so) it could improve the morale of the place and the look of the place."

After Hurricane Dorian ravaged Abaco and Grand Bahama in early September, the government awarded contracts to several companies to assist with the clean-up process on the storm-impacted islands.

However, in recent weeks, many residents of Abaco have expressed disappointment with the process, noting they are not pleased with the work done thus far.

In an effort "to improve the efficiency of the process", Mr Clarke said officials are currently in the process of reviewing those clean-up contracts.

"We're evaluating contractors who are doing the collection to view and improve the efficiency of the process," he said.

"…There were 27 companies that were contracted for debris collection and lots of those are still working and some have completed the work that they have been doing," he said.

".. And (what we) want to do is just make sure that everybody is working to the terms that they agreed to the government in a manner that is as economically feasible as possible...we want to be responsible in the way those contracts are being executed."

While debris removal in the shanty town communities in Abaco has progressed, officials have noted that operations to clean up the residential communities on the island are still underway.

Speaking to The Tribune on the matter last month, Works Director Melanie Roach said: "The Mudd is 85 percent cleared. The Pigeon Peas is 100 percent cleared and Sand Banks 1 is completely cleared. The contractors are currently working on Sand Banks 2.

"We have now completed all of the scopes of works for the school repairs…and we have seven contractors working in various sections of Dundas Town, Murphy Town, Central Pines, Marsh Harbour, Spring City, Treasure Cay and Blackwood.

"The smaller contractors, they are doing residential debris removal."

She wrote in a comment under a previous article on the The Tribune's website, that "as of 16th December 2019, the Ministry of Public Works had prepared payment certificates totaling $6,606,363.19 for various contractors in Grand Bahama and Abaco."