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| Rains make part of Coconut Drive
impassable
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It
should be obvious to anyone who travels Coconut Drive during rainy days that
some serious drainage is needed between The Palms and Island Supermarket. At
best, this road is barely passable when it rains and the constant downpours the
island has been experiencing lately have only added to an already abhorrent
problem. Having contacted the Permanent Secretary's office at the Ministry of
Works this week, it was learned what needs to be done to get anywhere with this
situation. The budget for the Ministry of Works is
prepared around this time every year in preparation for the beginning of the
next fiscal year which begins April 1st. The Permanent Secretary and a
financial officer consult with the Minister of Works before decisions are made
on where to allocate funding. Ultimately, it is the local
Town Council who must solicit funds from the Ministry of Works. It was confirmed
by a source at the Ministry of Works that a letter was received in the past week
from the San Pedro Town Council requesting assistance from a hurricane
reconstruction fund, monies that have been set aside or received specifically
for these type of infrastructure emergencies. It is hoped that if this money is indeed approved,
that the section of Coconut Drive that residents have endured through the rains
for the past few years will finally have, at minimum, the needed repairs to its
drainage problems. If this does not happen, it is possible money may be
allocated in the budget for next year to aid in this dilemma. Anyone wishing to
do their part in assuring that existing government funds are made available may
write to the Minister of Works, Honorable Henry Canton, at the Ministry of
Works, Transport, Citrus & Banana Industries, Belmopan, Belize; or e-mail
[email protected].
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