SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — Thursday’s monthly meeting of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation descended into chaos as representatives from the two major political parties blamed each other for shortcomings in the country’s waste management system.

It all began with Councillor Devon Thomas (People’s National Party, Savanna-la-Mar Division) chiding the acting regional operations manager of Western Parks and Markets (WPM) Waste Management Limited Dramaine Jones for describing residents who incorrectly dispose of their garbage as “nasty”.

“Yuh out of order,” Thomas told Jones. “[Residents] have no choice dan fi carry it outta road guh throw it. So put the nastiness aside.”

Councillor Rudolph Uter (Jamaica Labour Party, Frome Division) immediately intervened.

“And yuh need to understand, my colleague, that some of the problems that we’re experiencing now is because you [PNP], while you were there, never did what was necessary,” he shouted.

“For the years you spent there, if things were put in the right perspective, we would not be experiencing these problems today,” Uter added.

As his fellow PNP councillors laughed, Mayor Bertel Moore attempted to restore order by vigorously banging his gavel. Uter refused to yield.

“Wait a minute, wait a minute, give me a chance,” he said.

He urged his fellow councillors to take responsibility for the inadequacies in garbage collection. It has been an issue of concern at the meeting for months.

“Why every council meeting come and we make noise, let us be responsible, man,” Uter begged.

Mayor Moore again tried to regain control, pounding his gavel as he loudly asked Uter to give him a chance to speak.

“Sit down for a minute, I say sit! Let me stand up and let you understand! You must give me the chance to speak and when I finish you’re free to go ahead once more,” the mayor shouted as he struggled to maintain order.

But Councillor Danree Delancy (PNP, Bethel Town Division) interjected, telling the mayor that the JLP had been in power long enough to address the inadequacies in the solid waste management system.

“How long now has this Administration been in power? It’s not about fixing a problem in a year or two years. If you can’t use six years, Your Worship, to get garbage collection straightened out, then you should not be at the head,” he said.

As the room quieted down, Councillor Dawnette Foster (JLP, Cornwall Mountain Division) suggested a solution.

“We speak about contractors not getting paid, trucks downtime, all of this, but if we have the transport station here — it was supposed to be here and we didn’t get it, but we’re looking forward for it. That’s the only solution we have right now to move us forward,” she said.

The State-run National Solid Waste Management Authority and its regional arms have been plagued with problems ranging from an insufficient fleet, vehicles in need of repair, and residents’ failure to properly bag their waste material. For months there have been complaints about a pile-up of garbage islandwide.