Seasonal clean-up opens beach access
An area of beach access after it was cleared during the 2016 Christmas clean-up
(CNS): Government officials have said that the seasonal clean-up project, which was accomplished under budget, resulted in significant improvements to the physical appearance and functionality of dozens of public spaces across the Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac. But as well as the extensive roadside clean-ups, beautification and refurbishment work, the teams also cleared over 30 beach access points that were overgrown and blocked.
Almost 600 people were involved in this year’s National Community Enhancement Project (NiCE), where unemployed locals did three weeks paid work with the Public Works Department (PWD), the Department of Environmental Health (DEH) and the National Roads Authority (NRA).
The PWD Parks, Cemeteries and Beaches Unit, under the management of Mark Bothwell, employed 174 people in five district teams. These groups were tasked principally with sprucing up crown lands, facilities and several overgrown or obscured beach accesses.
The NRA, under the management of Brian Chin Yee, also had 174 workers that focussed on roadside clean-ups and road marking but they also worked with PWD teams on the beach access clearing.
The DEH under the management of Mark Rowlands employed 201 workers at the landfill and dispatch area, as well as assisting with clearing beach accesses. Work undertaken at the islands’ two solid waste facilities, run by the DEH, included painting, landscaping and improving drainage systems.
“Clearing over 32 beach accesses was a particularly satisfying outcome of this project, and addressed something that has been an issue of concern to me for some time now,” said Kurt Tibbetts, the minister with responsibility for PWD and the NRA. He said it was a “successful initiative aimed at enhancing public access to Cayman’s beautiful beaches”.
The project was coordinated by the employment ministry, and Tara Rivers, the minister responsible, said the work assignments were completed on time and to a high standard, which she described as a testament to the hard work of the people who joined the project.
“It also speaks volumes as to the ingenuity of departmental managers and staff who had to co-ordinate the project while maintaining their existing workforces and schedules,” she added.
Programme organisers have compiled costs of the initiative for Cabinet and participants’ performance indicators for the National Workforce Development Agency. At least seven people who signed up will be given three-month contracts to work in the government’s new recycling facility, which may lead to longer term jobs.
District Administration also employed 44 unemployed people on Cayman Brac as part of the project.
Category: Jobs, Local News
I’d like to see the beaches of EE and NS included is this clean up initiative, and not just Rum Point.
Job well done by all of those involved with Brac cleanup – our island looks a lot better right now. Would like to recognize team leader Mr. Frederick for his efforts – knowing how to direct traffic, organizing work crew and getting plenty of work done.These initiatives should be done more often – Cabinet can find money when they want to!
Alan, I agree with you 100%. I wonder how many of those Ministers etc, could make it on $400.00 one week a year if they were unemployed??? They had less people sign up but most persons were given only one week, depending on your connections you got all three weeks, that was disgraceful!!!! They’re only concerned with saving money when Caymanians are losing their homes and have to seek assistance from NAU. Govt save on this project but then they still have to give it to NAU to assist these same persons who would be happy to work. Does that make sense?? Tell me.
Has anyone noticed the amount of litter that is now on our roadsides??!! We use to have pride in the fact that our streets were not littered like the streets of other Caribbean destinations. Now we are starting to look just as bad.
Every weekend I am filling garbage bags with trash along my route. Went to Rum Point over the weekend, my God!, the Frank Sound stretch is deplorable. What in the hell is going on?????
I can’t seem to get a straight answer from the DEH, as to whether they schedule cleanups, or is that a part of their responsibility (which I thought it was).
Sad fact is, we now have nasty people who feel no way about littering.
3:27, we Caymanians are by no means faultless in this regard, but I regret to say the main culprits are the class of Jamaicans we have to have here to do jobs our own lazy Caymanians won’t do and who are not used to litter control back in Jamaica. I live in a development that has become jamaican in the last 15 years and you can watch them throw the KFC etc out of their car windows into people’s land all the time. The Hondurans are bad too.
I live in WB and observe the habits of the locals and many if not most island people will use the bush as a local garbage dump.When was the last time a local or anyone was given a large fine for littering? I am thankful for the recently placed 55 gal. barrels on the wall. They are a great help but are always overflowing. The attitude is one, from Gov. who are representative of the public to the public it serves. No problem man. Blame someone else.
Many workers only got one weeks work, for sure not all 600 got 3 weeks, it depended on who you knew, not who really needed it.
Tarded the idea wasn’t to save $$$ It was to create employment for those that needed it Cant fix stupid
It’s great that a long overdue clean up took place, especially along the beach access points, however, what is the long term plan to keep this up all year round rather than those band aids being applied once a year?
Littering is out of control and there is no responsibility enforced on property owners who have their hedges, brushes and trees growing into the sidewalks and roads, so NRA has to come behind and cut them.
Government needs to work on preventative measures rather than the knee jerk reactions.
I know where you are coming from but the major issue here is the local residents. It would be really hard for the gov’t to constantly be cleaning up and also difficult to have eyes everywhere to see the litterers. Maybe they can accept community video as evidence and start fining people but I assume that would need some law changes and would need some extra protections. I’ve seen so many times someone just throw a burger king bag or some other garbage out of their car window. I don’t understand why they think this is acceptable. But I think the community can also play a part and make sure to point this out to their friends, neighbours, family members or anyone else when they see them doing it.
I agree with the littering side of this, but when it comes to people having trees, hedges and bushes growing into the road, NRA should give the landowners notice that if they do not maintain their vegetation, NRA will come and cut it down, and I mean all the way down.
Look at the East-West Arterial – NRA constantly has to cut back the hedge by the Frank Hall developments. Some home owners maintain their hedge, some let it grow out of control. Give those lazy ones who can’t be bothered notice, if they don’t maintain it, NRA will cut it – and I mean down to the ground!!! Maybe then they learn to maintain their hedge or they will just have to accept to do without one.
The way NRA and DOEH operate they are often making more work for themselves. If antiquated laws need to be changed, then that’s what needs to happen.
All tourists and locals should be careful where they walk or stand, however if there is rebarb at any public properties it should be removed asap.
Where are the beach access points in Cayman Brac?
Where are the beaches on Cayman Brac?
All my beeches are in the CYB
There are several beaches in Cayman Brac. If you were to visit you may even discover where the beaches are.
Developers have built walls on the Brac to keep locals out. Also there are a number of old and new ‘Private Property Keep Out’ signs blocking the right of Caymanians to walk the Queen’s property — i.e. the shore to the high water mark.
The lawsuit when a tourist gets impaled on the rusty rebar on the steps to the blowholes will ensure no funds are available for future cleanups.