SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — NCB Financial Group Limited Chairman Michael Lee-Chin has promised Westmoreland Municipal Corporation that if it stages a fund-raiser to bankroll needed projects he will throw his full support behind the initiative.

Lee-Chin’s suggestion followed mayor of Savanna-la-Mar Danree Delancy’s declaration that he would like to leave behind three priority projects as part of his legacy but his hands are tied in generating the funds needed.

“Mr Mayor, why don’t you do a fund-raiser; and not a fund-raiser down here?” Lee-Chin asked as he pointed downwards.

“We want a fund-raiser that is up here so — loud, big and impactful. That is what we want because that is when you get attention. If you do it down here, nobody will be interested in that but if you do it up here — loud, big and impactful — and it is affecting everybody, everybody will join you. And guess what, I will come down here and help you.”

He stressed that it is part of NCB’s DNA, as “the people’s bank”, to live up to its “responsibility to build a better Jamaica”.

The billionaire banker’s comments were met with a round of applause by members of the municipal corporation. They came during a stop at the local authority as part of the Westmoreland leg of a the bank’s customer blitz.

During the meeting Delancy, who is a first-term mayor, explained that issues he wants to address include preventing flooding of the coastal capital town whenever it rains, the creation of a central sewage system, and addressing a chronic shortage of space at the infirmary.

Delancy noted that one of the initiatives being mulled is a fund-raiser to defray expenses and possibly expand the parish infirmary, which has space constraints and a $2-million monthly food bill for residents.

“You know what the needs are so what is the plan to solve these problems? Because if you beat your head against the wall every day, it will become swollen. So, you have to say, ‘Is there another avenue because this way is not working? It is bureaucratic. They keep telling me that they don’t have any money,’ ” reasoned Lee-Chin.

Delancy said several options are being explored, including approaching Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) for assistance.

That’s when Lee-Chin raised the possibility of staging fund-raisers. When the mayor explained that the existing financial framework and rules of governance do not facilitate such a move, Lee-Chin urged him to think outside the box. The banker told the politician to find a creative way to get the fund-raiser done within the ambit of the law.

Lee-Chin also had advice on how to address flooding in a section of the town that is said to be below sea level. He suggested that Delancy visit New Orleans in the US, which is built below sea level, to get a better understanding and ideas on how to address such an issue.

In response, the mayor said a development plan is currently being put in place for a central sewage system.

The bank’s customer blitz series is aimed at strengthening client relationships, providing customers with an opportunity to directly interact with the chairman and senior executives as NCB continues to focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences. Towards the end of the meeting Delancy indicated that consideration is being given to the possibility of giving more of the corporation’s financial business to NCB.

There were also stops, on Thursday, at the Westmoreland Divisional Headquarters of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF); a meeting with operators of H & J Batteries and Accessories, Hubert and Josephine Williams who have been customers of the bank for the past 70 years; and Manning’s School.