YESTERDAY’S meeting of the Roads and Traffic Committee of the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) descended into a shouting match as councillors questioned which agency should be responsible for repairing footbridges in rural St Andrew.

Mayor Desmond McKenzie, who had to intervene to bring order to the noisy debate, asked Councillor Angella Brown-Burke (PNP, Norman Gardens Division) to apologise to JLP councillor John Myers (Lawrence Tavern Division) for a remark she made about him, but which she said was done in jest.

During the debate to approve an estimate of $903,000 for repairs to the Star Apple pedestrian bridge in Cavaliers, St Andrew, Brown-Burke asked how it would be determined whether the KSAC should do the repairs or refer them to the National Works Agency.

JLP councillor Joel Levy (Chancery Hall Division), who first informed city engineer Norman Shand about the state of disrepair of the Star Apple and Plum Tree foot bridges in Cavalier, on March 14, 2006, again wrote to him on November 22, 2006.

In the November letter, Levy told Shand:

“Two of your officers have visited the locations; I am yet to see their recommendations tabled at a Road and Traffic Committee meeting.

“In case of an accident, are you prepared to accept liabilities?”

Shand, in a memorandum to yesterday’s Road and Traffic Committee meeting, said the structure of the Star Apple bridge was in a state of disrepair and that the handrails of the bridge were falling apart. He also said that the reinforced concrete decking and the columns support needed to be refurbished.

Shand told the meeting yesterday that because more extensive work is needed on the Plum Tree bridge, the KSAC would refer it to the NWA.

However, in wake of the debate taking place over whether the St Mary Parish Council or the NWA was responsible for fixing the Broadgate Bridge/Mahoe Hall swing bridge in St Mary which collapsed last week, Brown-Burke questioned whether the KSAC should do the repairs to a bridge or refer it to the NWA.

“One of the issues local government is wrestling with and needs to address are the responsibilities that are ours and that we are taking care of and what are ours but that we can’t take care of,” Brown-Burke said.

She later voted to approve the estimate for fixing the Star Apple bridge and emphasised that it was her belief that the bridges should be fixed by the KSAC.

Chairman of the Roads and Traffic Committee Councillor Audley Gordon (Hughenden Division) said that in light of the Broadgate/Mahoe Hill bridge collapsing, Brown-Burke’s questions were legitimate.

“It is important that we iron out the responsibilities so that the blame game cannot be played. However, while we pursue your concerns at the same time we need to treat with emergencies,” Gordon said.

Myers, who intervened, said all the bridges islandwide were the responsibility of central government.

“The PNP government is responsible for all the bridges in the island,” he shouted.

Myers then commented about the $9 million which was recently allocated for the fixing of roads in Brown-Burke’s Norman Gardens Division for the Cricket World Cup tournament.

“What about the $9 million to come here?” Myers said

“You want money to come here so you can thief it,” Brown-Burke replied.

Myers then heatedly objected to Brown-Burke’s remark.

JLP Councillor Joyce Young (Duhaney Park division) also raised objections to Brown-Burke’s remarks.

“I’m not sitting here and let them call my colleague thief. As vice-president of the PNP (People’s National Party) I am ashamed of you,” she said.

However, Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillor Winston Ennis (Waterloo Division) said Brown-Burke’s remark was made in jest and “wasn’t meant to hurt him”. He nonetheless suggested that she withdrew the remark, and apologise.

The mayor, who intervened, said: “Whether it was a joke or not the press is here. For a peaceful life could you retract it,” the mayor said.

“I am not withdrawing it for a peaceful life. It was said in jest but since Councillor Myers is upset I want to withdraw the remark,” Brown-Burke said.

At last week’s council meeting McKenzie said that the spending of $28.5 million was approved to repair roads in the divisions of Allman Town, Trafalgar Park, Norman Gardens, Vineyard Town, Rae Town and Tivoli to beautify the city for Cricket World Cup. He said the $28.5 million was a two- month advance to the KSAC by the Ministry of Local Government from the Parochial Revenue Fund.