ESHER, Hanover — The Hanover Parish Council has been given a mandate to employ two engineers to oversee construction being undertaken by two major hotel developers within the parish, the Jamaica Observer understands.

The directive came from Minister of Local Government Desmond McKenzie, yesterday, during a meeting with entities such as the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), the National Works Agency (NWA), a technical team from Kingston, and the Hanover Parish Council.

It was held at Global Villa Hotel located at Esher, Hanover.

The meeting follows Tuesday’s collapse of a section of the third floor of the Royalton Negril hotel which is currently under construction.

During the incident, five construction workers were hurt, one of whom had serious injury to the eye.

Following the meeting, the minister told the media during a press conference that there were weaknesses within the present system.

“I must confess that there are weaknesses within the present system within the Hanover Parish Council. I am only prepared to speak to that this afternoon, because the team will be going back to Kingston and they will sit now, and they will look at all the reports and they are going to put the reports together. And I am hoping that by late next week, I will have the full report, the findings and recommendations that have been put forward,” stated McKenzie.

“It is important that we stay away from public comments on this matter. I have advised the parish council and all the persons involved to ensure that we work within the guidelines that have been set,” he went on.

However, an official source has told the Sunday Observer that the minister has suggested that the council employs two engineers to oversee construction work on the Royalton Negril and Karisma Hotel in Negril, Hanover.

The engineers will be placed on each hotel site and will oversee the projects each day.

It is understood that the council will be heading into a two-day retreat this week where the matter will be discussed.

During the meeting, the minister pointed out that the council was also having issues [building compliance] with Karisma.

Yesterday’s meeting follows Friday’s visit of the Royalton Hotel construction site in Hanover by McKenzie, personnel from the hotel, the Hanover Parish Council, and a technical team from Kingston.

A follow-up test on the concrete being used was also conducted Friday on sight.

Seven tests have been conducted on the collapsed building and surrounding areas, of which one of the columns in the vicinity of the collapsed building failed.

The pressure per square inch test of a column is 3,000 PSI of which six returned a measurement of over 3,000 PSI, and the one that failed showed a measurement of a little over 2,000 PSI.

McKenzie said that he will be returning to the parish this week to make his findings known.