We don’t find nearly enough occasions to commend political party constituency caretakers for their approach to discontentment involving their constituents, especially over poor amenities or lame responses from State agencies.

The majority of these caretakers, unfortunately, use every dissatisfaction as fodder for stirring up more anger in their constituents in order to score political points against the sitting Member of Parliament or councillor.

It is therefore refreshing to note that People’s National Party caretaker for St Andrew North Eastern, Ms Stacey Knight is encouraging residents of Mountain Spring, St Andrew, who have taken matters into their own hands to repair the embankment of the main road which was on the brink of total collapse, and over which there has been a dispute between two State agencies.

Ms Knight, in a press statement Sunday, publicly praised the community for its resilience, even while chiding National Works Agency (NWA) and National Water Commission (NWC) for, like Pontius Pilate, washing their hands of responsibility.

According to Ms Knight, in early December 2024, residents of Mountain Spring discovered a leak in an NWC main pipe. The free flowing water eroded the soft earth along the road’s verge, creating a precarious situation.

Ms Knight tells us that the residents promptly reported the issue to the NWC and alerted the NWA about the urgent need for restoration and preventative maintenance. Weeks after, there was still no response from either of the State agencies.

“By December 22, the inevitable happened — the hillside gave way, leaving the road dangerously compromised. It wasn’t until after the collapse that the NWC finally shut off the water,” Ms Knight bemoaned, saying that the NWC had passed the buck to the NWA.

Subsequent to our publication of the issue we were told that the road is actually the responsibility of the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation.

If that is true, Ms Knight erred in her news release. However, that doesn’t change the fact that the approximately 120 residents of Mountain Spring Close, fearing that no Government action would be forthcoming, acted to prevent further disaster to their 13 homes.

They constructed a makeshift barrier using trees and tarpaulin to stabilise the crumbling road edge. But it was clear that more robust action was required, Ms Knight contended. On December 30 they contracted private workmen to begin construction of a 30-foot retaining wall to secure the road and prevent further erosion.

“It’s not a disaster waiting to happen — the disaster already happened when the hillside washed away, nearly taking the road with it,” one astute resident observed.

Instead of organising the residents to stage protest demonstrations to embarrass her opponents, as we are well accustomed to in this country, Ms Knight supported the affected homeowners in their action, saying that spending their own funds to build a retaining wall highlighted the community’s resilience.

Of course, she also underscored the systemic failures in public infrastructure management, and continues to advocate for the people of Mountain Spring. But the light that she shone was about encouraging people not to just wait on Government to act on their own behalf, even if they have a right as tax-paying citizens.

Bravo, Mountain Spring and Ms Knight. There are many who believe that the Government must do everything. Keep setting these good examples.