OCG invited to probe St Elizabeth land sale

Monday, July 18, 2011

BLACK RIVER, St Elizabeth — Chairman of the St Elizabeth Parish Council Jeremy Palmer said yesterday that he would be inviting Contractor General Greg Christie to examine the procedures the local authority followed in attempting to sell a multimillion dollar property at Bellevue in South East St Elizabeth.

Palmer's decision followed allegations by Richard Parchment, councillor for the Myersville Division representing the minority People's National Party (PNP), that 40 acres of land slated for housing development was being sold below market value to a well-known Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) "supporter and contributor". Parchment appeared to suggest that the transaction was meant to serve partisan political ends.

Palmer (JLP — Pedro Plains Division), who is the Mayor of Black River, told the Observer by telephone yesterday that under the circumstances it was very important to establish that the deal was being carried out properly and lawfully.

"I believe that since we are satisfied that we have done this in a transparent and proper manner, following guidelines laid down by government's divestment protocol, we would only serve the public interest by asking the Contractor General to look at what we have done," Palmer said.

At Thursday's monthly meeting of the parish council, Parchment who is the PNP's selected candidate to challenge the ruling Jamaica Labour Party's Frank Witter for the SE St Elizabeth seat in the next parliamentary elections, objected vehemently to plans as outlined for the land sale. He was supported by another PNP councillor, Everton Fisher (Balaclava Division). Both voted against a resolution authorising the land transaction.

Their position raised eyebrows since the resolution was seconded by minority leader Donovan Pagon (PNP — Braes River Division) who is a member of a divestment committee which developed the plans.

In the actual vote, Pagon and four other PNP councillors abstained, while the seven JLP representatives voted in favour of the resolution for a 7-2 majority. The JLP controls the St Elizabeth Parish Council 8-7.

Pagon declined to comment after the meeting, but Parchment suggested that the abstentions were a result of "new information" arising from objections raised by himself and Fisher.

As explained to journalists, the original plan was to sell 70 acres of land, referred to as Manning's Field, adjacent to Manning's Children's Home at Bellevue, to a single bidder who was the only respondent to advertisements for a housing development. The overall price was reportedly set at just over $30 million.

According to Palmer, that plan was reviewed when a "re-survey" showed that only 40 acres was ideal for conventional housing development with the remaining 30 acres being mostly steep limestone hillsides.

On that basis, he said a decision was taken to sell 40 acres to the sole bidder on a prorated basis with the remaining 30 acres to be held by the Council as a forest reserve in the public's interest. Palmer said the development was to be a partnership between the developer and the Ministry of Housing.

But Parchment told journalists that while he was not opposed to the land being sold, "since the council needs the money", he objected to it being done below "fair market value". He suggested partisan political bias as a motive for the way the sale was being structured.

"A per acre price was established, now what has happened is that the better part of the land has been cut off to facilitate the housing development. The developer who is getting the land is a known JLP supporter and contributor," said Parchment.

"He is getting the portion of the land that has been cherry-picked for him at the same price per acre that included the not-so-good or valuable part of the land..." he added.

Parchment charged that "even before it (land transaction) came to the Council, and we as councillors knew about it, it was being (discussed) in political circles as something that is going to happen for the JLP. So this has resulted in my objection to how the valuation is done, because I don't think that the council is getting a fair market value based on how it is being done".

During the meeting, journalists and other observers paid scant attention to what appeared a purely procedural matter as Councillor Derrick Sangster formally read the relevant resolution co-authored by Pagon to authorise the transaction.

But attention peaked when Parchment rose to object, insisting that the matter had become "political football" and that the "goalposts had been shifted". He urged that a decision on the issue be deferred. Fisher, who became embroiled in a shouting contest with Ernest Hendriks (JLP - New Market Division) provided support.

Palmer insisted during the meeting and in a follow-up discussion with journalists that the matter had been long in the making and had received bipartisan input and support. He claimed there could be no question of political bias since the successful bidder had been the only one.

He insisted that the decision not to sell the 30 acres of steeply sloping limestone land was sound since it would prevent environmentally hazardous developments including "marl pits" and "high-end" housing construction on hill tops.

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OCG invited to probe St Elizabeth land sale