Fallout continues from Falmouth courthouse roof collapse
FALMOUTH, Trelawny – Mayor of Falmouth and Chairman of the Trelawny Municipal Corporation, Councillor C Junior Gager is looking to temporarily remove the municipal corporation’s offices from the Falmouth courthouse building.
It follows last month’s collapse of the Falmouth courthouse roof, and the temporary move will facilitate a comprehensive repair of the roof and floors.
The courthouse and town hall are located on the building’s upper floor while the mayor’s parlour and other administrative offices of the corporation are housed on the ground floor of the Georgian structure. It was built in 1815, then rebuilt in 1926 after being destroyed by fire.
Gager noted that in addition to the ceiling, the wooden floor of the second storey is now in need of repair because of a termite infestation that has so far thwarted all efforts to eradicate the pests.
“Eventually what it might come to is that we have to move out [of] that building to get it refurbished because if the flooring is going to be removed, we can’t stay there,” he explained.
He said even though temporary measures have been taken to reinforce the roof of the building, he does not want to compromise the safety of the staff and members of the public who visit the facility to access services provided by the municipal corporation.
“We aren’t comfortable staying in there, even though we have done a lot of ‘jacking up’ so that what happened in the courthouse doesn’t happen in other sections. But we have to remember, too, that also the flooring is affected,” the mayor stressed.
Since the caving in of the courthouse roof, matters from the Falmouth courthouse have been moved to Duncans.
On Thursday the regular monthly meeting of the corporation was held inside a recently completed building which is slated to be used as a night shelter at the Falmouth Drop-In Centre. This will be the venue for the “next few meetings”, the mayor said.
Monthly meetings are customarily held at the Falmouth Town Hall, upstairs the building that houses the Falmouth courthouse.
Gager, who was speaking with reporters following the regular monthly meeting of the TMC, emphasised the urgency with which the local body wants the issue resolved.
“That is number one on our agenda right now because, of course, you know that the town hall is very important. It has such significant history and it can’t stay in that position for too long,” he said.
Gager also used the opportunity to express relief that there were no reports of physical harm to anyone after the roof collapse last month.
“We are happy that disaster did not raise its ugly head because it would be so sad. I believe that building has outlived its time,” he said.
It appears to be a view shared by Justice Minister Delroy Chuck who recently commented that the collapse of the roof has highlighted the need for the planned construction of the courthouse on the grounds of the Trelawny Justice Centre.