No let up on rubbish collection troubles
Overflowing recycling bins at Kirk Supermarket on 27 December 2018
(CNS): The Department of Environmental Health issued notices over the holidays apologising to residents in parts of Bodden Town, East End and West Bay for delays in collection. The beleaguered department ended 2018 rather as it did 2017, with more challenges over the domestic pick-up, raising further concerns that 2019 is not going to be any better for the DEH, despite promises from the ministry that things are now under control. DEH officials said that they were hoping to have garbage collection back on the regular schedule by the end of this week.
Recycling also became a problem following the Christmas break. Despite adding new skips, mountains of trash, plastic in particular, piled up in plain sight at all of the supermarket drop-off spots.
Anyone with garbage collection issues is encouraged to call DEH on 949-6696, or email dehcustomerservice@gov.ky.
Category: Environmental Health, Health
jon-jon…the rubbish minister.
so far out of his depth it is unbelievable……
cayman mla’s are a joke …..
Caymanians getting the government they voted for.
It is embarrassing for us to have our country looking like a third world nation with garbage piled up so high during peak tourist season.
We criticize and want our garbage picked up on time but we fail to realize that this is a service we do NOT pay for. We have no respect for the men who ride on the backs of these trucks and bear the smell of our rotting refuse as well as having to pick up the garbage which so many people fail to ensure is bagged properly.
Yet we want to encourage thousands more tourists per day at the Port…….more garbage. I believe this situation needs to be resolved promptly and maybe just maybe this is why the previous Director of Environmemtal Health spent so much money on overtime. I don’t remember having these issues when he sat behind the desk. However this is just my opinion.
THANK YOU guys for your work throughout the year. To the Ministry……..start paying the necessary overtime/salary and purchase enough vehicles. Every District should have their own assigned dump truck (West bay and George Town maybe even two). While our MLA’s are relaxing in their airconditioned offices and making a damn good salary, the employees who deal with our shite everyday are critized, unappreciated and paid nothing compared to what they worth.
Please spare me the lecture that these guys are to blame for not getting a better job because they lack education. The fact is the ‘someone’ needs to do this job.
I could care less who thumbs up or thumbs down me. I would gladly sign my name to this comment but as I know there will be repercussions for doin. sSo will instead sign it…………
Tired of the crap
P.S. No I do not work for Environmental Health nor any other Govermental Department falling under its Ministry.
Oh yes we do pay for it in the for of TAXES or should I say Duty as its called rund ya. You think money grows on trees or wah? I’ll let you off the hook if you’re just out of High School but don’t you remember CIG alleviating direct payments for garbage pickup and putting up duty rates some time ago?
Here read this: https://caymannewsservice.com/2017/08/public-purse-owed-nearly-9m-rubbish-fees/
I, and thousands of others who live in apartments, including because we cannot afford to live in homes, certainly pay for it. We also all pay for it anyway. Whose money do you think it is that is spent on the operations?
Speak for yourself. In our 18 unit strata in Prospect, we pay 160$ annually PER UNIT/OWNER for twice a week collection (that doesnt happen) and another CI$2342 annually for a 4cy dumpster rental that all the surrounding houses (which dont pay for collection) fill up!!!
Oh shut up. If you own 18 units, money is the least of your worries compared to 99% of us.
While you sleep you’re collecting rent while others go to bed hungry.
Annnnd this is why we have a bunch of incompetents running the country. The voting pool is getting dumber and dumber all the time!
Boy, you read or wha? The poster probably only owns one and like most of us, with a mortgage and strata fees. Costs less than owning your own home. Yet homeowners are exempt from garbage fees and small apartment owners are not. Make sense to you?
You might go to bed hungry because you simply can’t read basic English. The fact you are rude, angry and basic probably doesn’t help either.
Cruise ships do not land rubbish or even garbage ashore in the Cayman Islands. There are strict maritime regulations governing the disposal of ship-board refuse which, in such cases, has to be properly packaged, stored aboard and landed at a port with suitable facilities to receive it, usually the port from which the voyage commenced.
I have seen plenty of trash coming off certain cruise lines.
Correction, customs duties were increased to cover the cost of collection years ago, we are paying for it.
So what you are saying is that those who live in complexes required to pay for collection are in fact paying twice? Or does the supermarket deduct that duty increase from their gallon of milk each time?
What are you talking about 5:17? We damn well do pay for the pick up twice a week at our 8 unit strata and many times over the past year we had no pick up at all or only once a week. On top of that the DEH refuses to give us a refund for services not received. Tired of people like you putting forth false crap about what is going on regarding garbage collection.
FIRE people who do not show up for work or regularly call in sick.
Fed up with this nonsense which has been going on for the past five years.
Exactly what the wealthiest among wealth need to see to convince them to move to the Cayman Islands.
Showing up on time and on a weekly / daily basis. Very difficult for Caymanians.
Actually, a particular other nationality is prevalent in some aspects of the civil service.
Ja Rule!
With the police daring to investigate internal corruption in the civil service, their audacity has removed much of the incentive for turning up at work.
Franz! Where is the accountability and transparency we have been told to expect from the civil service? Many of these guys are harming, not serving, the good people of these Islands. Given the amount of public funds being spent, we not only deserve, but demand better.
Frank is a major part of the problem. He has sucked up to the civil service unions time and time again.
In South Sound we’re lucky to get garbage picked up once every 2 weeks. No consistency with the day of pickup either. I remember when it was twice per week pickup. How did they manage twice a week in the past when they can’t even handle once a week pickup?! Pathetic
new year…same old incompetence at the civil service.
Imagine how much uncollected garbage a 50 floor sky scraper will produce.
Not to mention the garbage that might live in it.
We have the NICE program before Christmas holidays. When there are problems with garbage collection why not ask for persons with trucks to sign up as surplus garbage collectors and pay them for their time… just as we do with NICE.
Also, the next time the NICE program is in action it would be nice if they could repaint some of the blue (handicapped) spots around the island. Some of them are so faded they are nearly impossible to make out.
Working together we can improve lots of little things in 2019… and maybe a few big ones too!
I’d have to say… If I went to drop off my recycling and saw that, why would I add more to it!?!?!?!?!?!? That’s ridiculous and GROSS!!
Use a bit of consideration and common sense. Take it back home with you and bring it back when the skips have been cleared.
Might be an unpopular opinion but come on!!
You’re right. Every Monday morning the recycling bins are overflowing because they weren’t picked up over the weekend but people seem to find it surprising that after a long weekend (which is essentially what Christmas was this year) its really overflowing? Wow. Next news report will be that the wind is kicking up waves and small craft should exercise caution.
Note: The above does not excuse the need for better waste collection, just pillories the idea that the recycling back-up after Christmas was news.
This is absolutely ridiculous. Our strata pays a lot of money in the Seven Mile Beach Corridor for garbage pick up and we are fortunate if we get it twice a month. The time has come for the privatization of garbage collection on Grand Cayman NOW. We can no longer go on like this. For 5 years we have had these problems with no end in sight.
Why are we talking about a new port when we cannot even get regular garbage pick up?
Your strata should have switched to a private skip rental and clearing service long ago. The company I work for did that almost 3 years ago. No regrets. Great service.
Now if your strata is still using individuals bins, shame on you & the strata.
You cannot switch to private collection unless approved by DEH. Otherwise you get a yellow slip in the mail advising you of legal action. Our strata has been begging DEH for 7 years to be released!!! If you have DEH dumpster removed and replaced with IWC one, immediate legal action from govt!!!
2:42 The difference is that you work for a company that can afford a private skip. We are just a small strata that can not afford to pay the very high costs for a private skip. We are also not a multi million dollar complex. Shame on you for thinking everyone on island is a millionaire.
Private skip rental and collection is actually the same price as from DEH. Cheaper if you pay the full year in advance because the private company gives you a discount. The only catch is you need a written exemption from DEH to go private.
Unless you have the right political connections the DEH will not let you have private pick up. Been there, done that.
They blamed poor Roydell and later made him the scapegoat. They then blamed the staff themselves and threatened them with disciplinary action. They then put it two experts” to fix the problem. So where are we now? Absolutely no better off but in fact worse than ever.
When will they fix the real problem? Get rid of XXXX the Chief Officer. She is the one who tries to control everything and doesn’t know what she’s doing. Couldn’t organise a one-car funeral!
Roydell will be just fine. He didn’t walk without a little something.