Poinciana price tag rises to almost $23M and counting
(CNS): Health Minister Sabrina Turner, under pressure to answer questions in parliament on Thursday about the new residential mental health facility in East End, said the cost so far had surpassed the original price tag by well over $6 million. Turner denied that she or her ministry team were responsible for the problems and delays that have plagued the Poinciana facility, pointing the finger at the Public Works Department, which falls under the planning ministry and Minister Jay Ebanks.
In a submitted parliamentary question, Deputy Opposition Leader Barbara Conolly had asked Turner to “update the House on the building and fit-out costs to date for the Poinciana Mental Health facility”.
In response, Turner said the price tag was now more than CI$22.9 million, though the original budget had been about $16.2 million. The increase had been largely due to the expansion of the facility, including an increase in the size and number of residential cottages from seven to nine and the size of the administration building.
As she answered the question, Turner also spoke about the lengthy delay in the delivery of this long-awaited facility. She repeatedly suggested that the problems that have plagued its development had nothing to do with her or her ministry, even though the project manager answers to the chief officer in the health ministry.
Turner blamed the COVID pandemic, delays in supply chains, the use of multiple contractors, PWD, the Department of Planning, the Building Control Unit and others for the delay.
Some of the buildings have repeatedly failed inspections, indicating that the problem is largely poor and inconsistent construction standards. Turner said there were a number of factors at play, as the project began under a different government and involved other ministries. She said the project was not the responsibility of her ministry, which was the end user.
“The elephant in the room… is who has the responsibility for the overall oversight of the entire project… It is not the Ministry of Health and Wellness,” she said and implied it was the project manager and PWD who is responsible for completing the building.
“The crux is where and why it has taken so long,” Turner added, stating that she had done her best to pass on the information and she was also concerned about how long it has taken.
The main buildings and cottages are now complete but are all still undergoing inspections. The full certificate of occupancy has not been issued as there are still problems with the structures, and Turner said they have to be rectified to get the buildings through the inspection. She said the cottages are going to be handed over in phases, with three to be opened shortly to allow some residents in overseas facilities to be repatriated.
With no clear answers on offer as to who is responsible, Turner accepted that the project manager “updated” the chief officer in her ministry. After COVID, the ministry began ramping up asking for updates, Turner said, noting that in the early hours of that morning, she had received a lengthy chronological outline with the answers she had been asking for over the last three years.
Turner repeatedly stated that the problems related to the “hand that she was dealt with” but accepted that it is her ministry that holds the budget. She said she could not be sure there was sufficient money budgeted to complete the project as “it looks as though every time there is an inspection, there is something else that is needed”, suggesting that more cash would likely be needed.
Moses Kirkconnell MP (CBWLC), saying he was trying to understand what was happening, asked how the project was still being funded by her ministry, which holds the budget for it, if the project manager, who reports to her ministry, had not been doing so in a timely manner.
Turner said that “accountability has been a huge topic”, and all she could do was trust the reports. Although she holds the budget, she, as minister, could not be responsible for the operational arm. She can only work alongside civil service and hope they deliver projects in a timely manner.
Opposition Leader Joey Hew said the opposition was “drowning in search of answers” to inquiries from constituents, and that he was struggling to understand whether or not the project manager was updating the ministry on a regular basis.
Turner said that getting information had been “challenging” and while communications had improved, the ministry had been focused on COVID for first couple of years of this administration.
Wrapping up her answers, Turber gave her word to the people of the Cayman Islands that she would provide a date when the facility would received a full certificate of occupancy as soon as possible.
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Category: Health, Mental Health
I want to know why the contractors that are being given OUR money can’t be named and shamed. they should never get another government contract.
And the finger pointing goes on as the pigs continue to scoff at the trough. One only has to look at the names behind cowboy contractor firms who did shoddy work on this project and their connections to corrupt cabinet MPs taking kickbacks. No wonder Lockhart stepped away, he knew full well what was to come. This crew of abject corrupt politicians continue to bleed the life out of Cayman. It’s not hard to fathom why Cayman is in this mess when most of the electorate are themselves poorly educated, either corrupt or corruptible and gullible as fools.
Graft. Theft.
Incompetence.
Where are the Million$$$$
Bellveu patients must be running it.
PWD and or Chief Officer s MUST be help accountable.
Cayman has a Pirate Government??!!!
I do not understand the Minister at all. After three years of delays, she should have taken this project over completely and and assumed the responsibility for the project completion. Why is it still with Public Works if there is a project Manager? That project manager should be reporting to her Ministry. She can point fingers at everyone in every direction, but we elect people based on their business acumen and management skills, which clearly shows in her case, somehow people made a huge mistake.
Hot Potato game! Keep blaming someone until its dropped.
Firstly, any moron could figure out that it cost more cause they expanded the size of the buildings and built more buildings. So where is the proof that the alterations to the project were approved in the budget or did PWD under Jay’s ministry just said build it and to heck with what it cost???
Secondly, why didn’t government hire a quantity surveyor to quantify the drawdowns and inspect the site periodically??
Thirdly, due to above it failed inspection!!!
Sabrina and Jay you are jointly liable here!
A leader takes ownership and you both failed miserably. If this was the private sector you would both be fired!
‘Turner blamed the COVID pandemic, delays in supply chains, the use of multiple contractors, PWD, the Department of Planning, the Building Control Unit and others for the delay.’
Usual CIG….wasn’t us!
‘Turner said that “accountability has been a huge topic”,..’
LMAO! Accountability…wha dst CIG???
This is exactly what will happen with the new port project – IF ever approved by the refferendum to move forward with – RUN AWAY COSTS CARREEERING OFF A CLIFF EDGE, can you imagine the:
* change orders
* inflation
* vanity “King Kenny” projects (wishing well, as an example
* additioanl works
* wastage
* incompetence
* delays and
* WORSE…
the inflation on the final port cost (IF APPROVED) will break these islands’ economy for years to come……
CIG and #WorldClass CI Civil Service consistently demonestrate that they CANNOT “manage” large projects (to the benefit of the public, that is!) …and MUST NOT be trusted with a port project, with this as a template for cost inflation and mismanagement…
It is US, our CHILDREN, our GRANDCHILDREN and our GREAT GRANDCHILDREN who will end up paying for such a fiasco.
Wait for the final/known bill for the school on the Brac to manifest itself, eventually.
Yikes. There’s a lot to unpack here. Firstly, as is always the case, there is scope creep where they decide to do 9 instead of 7 units which is a 28% increase in the number of units, and then they made the admin building bigger. That’s par for the course.
What’s not acceptable, and shouldn’t be normal is the number of failed inspections. BCU moves their goalposts pretty much every day without telling people. So, either the posts have been moved which isn’t ok (but happens regularly) or the contractor can’t pass and inspection, which is also not ok.
The PWD is not, to my knowledge, capable of managing a project like this. I’m not aware of anyone on their staff that has true and proper project management background of the caliber that would be required to get this thing done in a timely fashion.
Lastly, and certainly not least, the health ministry and Minister can’t just sit there and say “I have no idea what’s happening but it’s not my fault.” If you were a client having a house built with your money, the delays and budget over runs might not be your fault but you would damn sure know exactly what they were, and how they happened. And if you were a homeowner you would not have an endless supply of cash to keep throwing at unknown problems; you would stand your ground and get your builder to finish for the price he/she quoted and you’d take them to court if they didn’t.
The minister may be playing with cards she was dealt but that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable for her to have no idea what’s happening and be completely absolved of responsibility. That’s one (of the many) signs of piss-poor leadership that we’ve become so complacent with.
Contractors laughing all the way to the bank.
Minister! You cannot work alongside any members of a civil service which are guilty of maladministration. You must stand up to them and confront them. Challenge them. Expose them. Ultimately call for their dismissal!
Instead you just gave these same characters a pay rise (and a blank check on a school in the Brac)! Please make it stop!
Curious, to whom are you addressing that you hold in such high regard on personal integrity and accountability? Is there someone still answering those calls in our backwater Parliament? Who is that?
Outline business case was in 2015, nine years ago. Budgeted at KYD$15mln when it broke ground in 2019. It will house just 54 Caymanians with serious mental health files that were sent overseas. There will be no vacancies, the day it opens, whenever that is. We will still need to build more capacity almost immediately. The health ministry hired and transplanted the CEO of Bellevue Hospital in Jamaica in July 2023…over a year on full grade salary and perks. Nice work if you can get it. Hiring her can’t be blamed on PWD.
Unbelievable, you can’t make this stuff up, nobody responsible
PWD is a group of civil servants who are not answerable to anyone…no one can get fired or sanctioned for inefficiency or professional incompetence.Their salaries and benefits are guaranteed. GT “upgrades” another example.
If these projects are put out to competitive tender to be managed by the private sector , responsibility can at least be attached to those in charge, who will be hurt by consequences .
Another glorious day for the civil service……time for more awards franz!
That’s just plain nuts
This sums up the lack of accountability in government.
Have the contractors been blacklisted? Or already signed contracts to build the pier.
Is they messed up a relatively simple project, imagine the overruns with a multi hundred million dollar port (or school in the brac)
Sorry dear Sabrina, but if your Ministry holds the budget the buck stops on your desk!
Oh it’s not her fault she can’t really see the budget with her sunglasses on can she now?