On March 20, I was among 20 members of the Second District United Development Council who met in the community centre in Cane Garden Bay to report on their latest projects: three clean-up sessions; two restoration jobs; and meetings with the BVI Tourist Board, the Solid Waste Department, and Town and Country Planning. We also discussed support for the Ivan Dawson Primary School Sports Day.
A presentation by Deril “Lion” McLean and Garrett Wheeler for the Green VI glass-blowing project directed by Charlotte McDevitt was presented, and it proved to be very informative. The group’s problems with the cost of energy are a constant deterrent to a profitable venture.
From my perspective, the most meaningful portion of the meeting was the police report on our community assets and needs. Officers who contributed to the presentation were Superintendent Roy Stoutt, Chief Inspector Michael Donovan, Inspector Patrick Harewood, Inspector Irena Rivera and Constable Jean Avril. They praised the efforts of the council and offered support for our common goals.
The only negative to the meeting was attendees’ failure to spell out a clear plan of action to make the beach a safer, more enjoyable place for all the public. The park and the beach are public property; thus, only the government can protect and preserve their value.
Four principles are needed:
• The Department of Trade and Consumer Affairs should base its licence fees on the amount of public land that a business may use for profit.
• The National Parks Trust must regulate the use of public parks for the benefit of all the users.
• Elected officials must be accountable for fair laws and regulations, plus enforcement.
• All regulations should be submitted to public hearings before legislative enactment.
Our hope is that the current government will be accountable and protect all the public property under its control. If the Council will support these basic principles, our greatest asset, public property, will prosper.