St Catherine municipal body backs national push to recover costs for damaged public assets

Members of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation (StCMC) have unanimously approved a resolution designed to shield public infrastructure and secure compensation for local authorities when roads, drains, and other assets are harmed by motor vehicle collisions, vandalism, or heavy-duty traffic.

Independence City Councillor Courtney Edwards brought the measure before Thursday’s corporation meeting.

“The time has come for a coordinated national response to the growing cost of repairing roads, drains, sidewalks, street signs, utility poles, fire hydrants, and other public assets damaged across communities,” Edwards stated in the resolution.

A key element of the plan asks the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Traffic Department to issue formal reports whenever government property is damaged in a road accident. Municipal engineers could then use those documents to calculate repair costs and file compensation claims against liable parties and their motor insurers.

The resolution further urges insurance firms to pay municipalities for the repair or replacement of damaged parochial infrastructure, easing the financial strain now carried by local government bodies.

Spanish Town Mayor Norman Scott, who backed the proposal, said weak enforcement remained the main obstacle.

“The laws are on the books. They just need to be enforced,” Scott said.

He pointed to the overhead bridge at Central Village, damaged 16 years ago and still awaiting repair, as an example of gaps in the enforcement framework.

The corporation is also pressing for tighter working ties among agencies such as the National Works Agency, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, the Jamaica Public Service, and the National Water Commission to align repair efforts and craft longer-term plans for protecting public assets.

Additional measures include producing a full damage-and-restoration assessment, launching a Community Infrastructure Protection Programme, strengthening rules on heavy-duty vehicles operating in residential areas, and setting up a structured channel for residents to report damaged infrastructure without delay.

Quarterly reviews are also recommended to track repair progress and judge how well mitigation efforts are working.

The resolution will go to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the Ministry of Finance and Planning, insurance companies, concrete suppliers, and other municipal corporations, with a request for backing in rolling out the measures and protecting Jamaica’s public infrastructure.