SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — Chairman of the Westmoreland Parish Council Bertel Moore says the construction of a $130 million municipal building to house members of the council and administrative staff will be his main focus for this year.

” We will have to get our building this year. It is a must, we have been waiting too long for it to be constructed, ” said Moore, who is also the mayor of Savanna-la-Mar.

For more than 10 years councillors have been complaining bitterly about the absence of a municipal building to house the 14- member council and its administrative staff.

The absence of the facility they say, have been preventing the local authority from effectively carrying out its functions.

For roughly nine years, the council has been using the Anglican Church Hall in the town to hold their regular monthly meetings due to the lack of space at the existing parish council building, which also houses the Savanna-la-Mar Resident Magistrate’s Court.

In an interview with the Observer West more than a year ago Moore said that the designs for the facility have been approved and “the works should be put to tender soon,” for the building, which is to be constructed in several phases.

He added then that the department of local government had already approved $33.5 million towards the much- needed facility.

Phase One of the facility is expected to include a mayor’s parlour, accounts department, secretary/manager’s office and a meeting or conference room.

Earlier this week, Moore told the Observer West that he was promised by Minister of Local Government and Community Development Noel Arscott late last year that the building will be constructed in 2013.

“The minister (Arscott) has made the promise and so I am expecting that within the first six months of this year, we will have our building,” Moore stressed.

Meanwhile, Moore disclosed that over the next twelve months a number of parochial roads in Westmoreland, will also get priority attention.

” We also want to look at the supply of water in the parish as well because residents in a number of communities are not getting any in their pipes,” he added.