LUCEA, Hanover — Lucea Deputy Mayor Andria Dehaney Grant is calling on Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie to release funding for the cleaning of drains as part of preparations for the hurricane season.

Dehaney Grant, who made the call during the monthly general meeting of the Hanover Municipal Corporation on Thursday, argued that while much is expected of councillors, they simply do not have the resources and are in need of assistance.

Residents, the deputy mayor said, “keep calling on us for anywhere that is flooding. They keep calling on us and we don’t have the money as councillors to do it. So I am calling on the local government minister to assist us. I am tired of being beaten for things that I don’t have control over”, stated Dehaney Grant.

She was supported by Lucea Mayor Sheridan Samuels who said he has heard of a municipal corporation in another parish that has received hurricane preparation funding.

“We are wondering why it is that Hanover has not received any at all,” Samuels said and urged the ministry to look into the matter.

Minority leader in the Jamaica Labour Party caucus of councillors, Devon Brown, suggested that an advance payment be requested due to the fact that the funds are overdue.

“I want to add to the deputy’s call… because we as councillors feel the same thing, Mr chairman. I know that May and June [parochial revenue fund] is normally used for drain cleaning purposes. So I am asking, chairman, if you are crying out for the minister… could we ask him to advance this month so that we can have these drains cleaned,” stated Councillor Brown, who noted that the corporation is responsible for the mitigation programme.

Following the meeting, Dehaney Grant explained to the Jamaica Observer that when funds are being distributed from the ministry, a programme would normally be requested to show how the money will be spent. However, this was reportedly not done by the ministry.

Recently, McKenzie stated on Nationwide News Network that funds are available for municipal corporations to undertake drain cleaning and other mitigation work.

“There are funds which are made available from the parochial revenue fund that they use in the month of June for mitigation purposes, and there are about two other drawdowns that will come during the period that they put them in a position for drain cleaning,” stated McKenzie.

“I know a number of municipalities have been concentrating on drains that they know are problematic drains in their respective municipality. So the drain cleaning exercise is ongoing,” added the minister.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted a “near normal” hurricane season with 12 to 17 named storms packing winds of at least 39 mph (63 kph). Of those, five to nine could become hurricanes, with one to four developing into major hurricanes.