With all the pain and suffering that Hurricane Melissa has heaped upon Jamaica it has also offered an opportunity that might never come our way again — to create a spanking new country. If only we can grasp the vision.

In a way, the Government of Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness can consider itself unfortunate to be saddled with such an enormous task for recovery and reconstruction that will determine its political fate sooner or later.

On the other hand, what a historical gift it has presented — to lead the journey to redesign, recreate, re-purpose, reconstruct, and re-brand Jamaica into the nation we have talked so much about, certainly since achieving Independence.

While much of what will be said belongs in file 13, the Administration must encourage every voice, because there is absolutely no way we will reach this promised land without taking all of Jamaica along.

This is not a time for those who would shut down the views of others or be quick to attribute political or nefarious motives to positions that disagree with theirs, perhaps in the hope of curry-favouring or fooling a vulnerable Government for their own selfish pork-barrel purposes.

In this context, there is one voice, for example, that should be heard at this early phase of the recovery project, that of Kingston Mayor Councillor Andrew Swaby — even if the two parishes under his charge, Kingston and St Andrew, were spared the worst.

In the immediate aftermath of the passage of Melissa, the mayor spoke, not in lofty terms about the new Jamaica, but of the critical need for more resilient construction standards, using lessons from the Category 5 storm.

At a sitting of his Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), Mayor Swaby suggested that a good place to start to strengthen national and municipal resilience is updating Jamaica’s Small Building Code to promote more sustainable construction. We agree.

Mayor Swaby pointed to the current code that allows for structures designed to withstand sustained winds of at least 155 miles per hour (mph), as against the 185 mph of Melissa, stressing: “This is a clear signal that we must update and enforce the regulation under the Building Act without delay.”

The Building Act of 2018 provides for environmentally friendly and energy-efficient construction, while the Jamaica Small Building/Residential Code sets minimum standards for one-family and two-family dwellings, townhouses, and small general-purpose buildings of up to 3,232 square feet. It encourages reinforced concrete designs capable of withstanding hurricane-force winds and earthquakes measuring up to 6.5 on the Richter Scale.

The City Father also called for an assessment of critical facilities, such as municipal buildings, infirmaries, and fire stations, noting that some are located in vulnerable areas and should be relocated to higher, more stable ground.

He further proposed structured emergency drills coordinated among key agencies to test movement of people and traffic in crisis situations.

Jamaica’s planners and environmental experts must be central to the rebuilding process, and local authorities must be properly equipped and empowered to carry out their responsibilities effectively, he urged.

Mayor Swaby should talk because he and his KSAMC have a key role to play in this arduous but noble endeavour.