NEGRIL, Westmoreland — Hotelier and former president of Negril Chamber of Commerce Daniel Grizzle is calling on the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) to put to an end to its commercial contracts and focus instead on improving the service it provides to residents of the resort town.

“What I want you to do tomorrow when you go to your office [is] send out a note cancelling all the commercial entities that you have contracts with so that in Negril you can concentrate on taking up residential garbage,” urged Grizzle.

He was addressing an NSWMA town hall meeting at Negril Community Centre in Westmoreland on Tuesday.

According to Grizzle, this change in the agency’s focus would reduce the unsightly pile-up of garbage all over the town.

“It is a filthy, horrible, disgusting state — and you can do better,” charged Grizzle.

In substantiating his point the hotelier said he was recently in a bank when he observed an NSWMA crew dedicate almost half-hour to picking up the waste of a fast food restaurant.

“Your truck was in Burger King [for] 20 minutes taking up garbage [while] the people who are paying their land taxes, garbage were rotting in their houses. Please do something about that. Cancel the contracts,” urged Grizzle.

NSWMA Executive Director Audley Gordon, who was fielding questions from the public, did not immediately respond to the suggestion.

Established in 2001, the NSWMA is responsible for the collection, storage, transportation, and disposal of residential and commercial waste.

Garbage collection is funded through revenue the Government earns from property taxes. The collection of commercial waste is made possible through a contract with NSWMA or licensed, private, waste removal entities.

During Tuesday’s heated meeting another Negril resident, Rosa Young who owns Wavz Beach Club, expressed frustration that the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation grants permits to vendors without ensuring that they properly dispose of their garbage.

Young argued that whenever there are activities in the area, vendors from across the island are given permits to sell. However, she noted that following an event the outside of her property is littered with garbage.

“It is not the promoters’ fault. They leave their garbage inside the venue but [the problem] is the vendors who sell their jerk chicken. I am left cleaning up maggots outside of my driveway,” groused Young who noted that vendors are also using bins on her property.

“I use the green [recyclable] bags but your trucks don’t come on time and the bags disintegrate and the garbage pops out of the bags; the dogs pull them out of the bags and the mad people rip up the bags. So we, again, have to go and repay staff to clean up back in front every time there is an event,” she added.

She questioned why existing fines for improper garbage disposal are not being imposed.

“What you are saying to us right now doesn’t resonate with us because if you can’t enforce what is already on the books and manage or get enough trucks here, you will have those people thinking that we are not bagging our garbage properly,” stated Young.

“You want us to conform to what it is you are doing but you are not supporting the residents. You are only saying that we don’t have this…, but where are our tax dollars going?” questioned the business owner who insisted that residents are doing their part.

However, Gordon said there is a need for all stakeholders to get involved in solving the problem.

“You can’t buy enough trucks if people decide to dutty up the place,” the NSWMA head said.

“We have to change the conversation. For example, management of waste would take in the vendors who sell in front of your yard. They would have to manage the waste that their business generates and keep it either with them in their cars, vans or whatever, or make proper arrangements for it to be removed,” Gordon suggested.

And even as those in the audience insisted that the NSWMA shoulder some responsibility for what is happening in the area, Gordon pointed to the importance of a culture change.

“I am telling you, we will change management, we will change executive director, we will change everybody and we will still have the problem because a lot of what you are talking about is cultural,” he said, eliciting loud shouts of “No!” from the audience.