MEMBERS of the St Elizabeth Homecoming Foundation (SEHF) are stepping up their efforts to push the Government to consult with the residents of the parish about its rebuilding following the devastation brought by Hurricane Melissa last October.

Speaking at this week’s Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange, chairwoman of the SEHF board Donna Parchment Brown argued that there is need for improved communication involving representatives of the Government and the residents.

“And for us [the SEHF] the first part of that is listening to the people of the parish, because we believe that consultation must be the basis of any forward action. We have learnt that the residents want information about what is going on and what is likely to happen, and they want to have a say in it,” said Parchment Brown, Jamaica’s former political ombudsman.

She was supported by SEHF director, former deputy secretary general of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Ambassador Byron Blake, who told Observer editors and reporters that the uncertainty created by Hurricane Melissa can only be addressed through open communication with the people of St Elizabeth.

“One of my major concerns is the fact that you have persons outside of the disaster area planning for the disaster area without any discussion with persons in the disaster area, and worse than that, without giving them any information as to what the plan is,” said Blake.

The St Elizabeth stakeholders recommended a direct line of communication between the Government and the people with a dedicated customer service or communication team for the parish and SEHF Manager Doreen O’Connor argued that this is necessary because the people — including those in public offices — who should be providing information to residents of St Elizabeth, have not done so.

“There’s nowhere you can go to, or call upon, to get current information on what is being planned, what is currently the situation, and so on. So I think that is going to be very, very important as we aim to rebuild and resuscitate this place,” said O’Connor.

She pointed out that crisis management studies have shown that stakeholder identification and communication are at the centre of all crises, and argued that the Government should take the same approach when dealing with St Elizabeth.

O’Connor also voiced concerns about the impact of the lack of communication on businesses in the parish’s capital, Black River.

According to O’Connor, the reopening of many businesses damaged by Melissa has been delayed because business owners are reluctant to rebuild and restart, uncertain of the future of the town.

“In Black River, because there have been a lot of major utterances by leaders of the Government in spaces around Jamaica, there is anxiety. There is anxiety because people don’t know if they rebuild their buildings on High Street, whether they are going to get an order in 14 months’ time that those buildings have been taken over by the Government and will be hit down to create South Beach,” said O’Connor.

That was a position shared by attorney-at-law and president of the Black River Chamber of Commerce Kadian Myers Brown, who told the forum that the anxiety being felt by business owners could be lessened if there was open communication to provide reassurance and reduce uncertainty.

“We will know from that communication that if it is that we were to rebuild, we are not going to be told in the short term, or in a six-month or a one-year basis, that we will have to either relocate or the building or the space will be taken over to facilitate this new development that is coming for this space. So, bottom line, give us the communication,” added Myers Brown.

She also raised concerns that Black River was one of the communities most impacted by Hurricane Melissa, “but is the least communicated with”.

According to Myers Brown, the lack of communication has left residents and business owners feeling disrespected.

“It cannot be that we are hearing of things that are to happen for the space of Black River, and we are hearing it on the media, or in different forums that the Government is having. The community, not only the business community, but the residential community of Black River are fighting, they’re finding it very disrespectful. They want real-time communication,” said Myers Brown.