By LEANDRA ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net
DISASTER Reconstruction Authority executive chairman Alex Storr said the authority no longer supports using domes as temporary homes, finding the structures unsuitable for “human occupation”.
The Minnis administration spent more than $6m on nearly 200 domes after Hurricane Dorian in 2019.
However, not all domes were erected, and some were demolished after officials found them a safety hazard.
“After doing a further audit inventory of the domes, we find that all of the parts are not there and so what we have been doing is people have been writing in, asking for domes for certain purposes and we have approved these on a case by case basis,” Mr Storr said yesterday.
“One of the examples I’ll give you is during the recent CARIFTA games, they asked for some 15 domes to use for storage during the games, and we complied with that. They were able to use those for storage.”
“People want to use them for chicken coops and other things and as we get those requests, we approve them so on some cases depending on the request, they may give some financial contribution in return for the domes.”
Mr Storr also said vehicles, building materials and other donated supplies remain missing after Hurricane Dorian though some items have been retrieved.
“We were able to locate some two forklifts and other equipment about a month ago in a warehouse in Cooper’s Town and so we’re still actively looking, trying to locate these materials and as we find them, we take them back,” he said.
He added that the DRA recently signed contracts with local Abaco and Grand Bahama contractors to conduct repairs through the Homeowners Assistance and Relief Programme.
“I think we have some 40 repairs on both islands that are ongoing, and we’re getting ready to launch into phase two, where we’ll sign additional contracts,” he said.
He said audits into the DRA operations were conducted, and some matters were sent to the police for investigation about three months ago.
“We had two audits ongoing, a forensic audit as well as the financial audit,” he said. “We’ve received both of those. The forensic audit, we have looked over it and we have turned that over to police, who are now investigating. There were things that we saw that made us uncomfortable and we thought it was best to put it in the hands of the police instead of us doing the investigations. Let the police determine and may the rocks fall where they may.”
Police officials could not be reached for comment up to press time yesterday.
“They told us that they had a list of persons that they wished to question and so they were about to begin that process,” Mr Storr claimed.
Free National Movement leader Michael Pintard said he was unaware of any investigation.
“Under my leadership, we have no difficulty with audited reports of the function of any arm of government,” he said. “I only wish that he would extend that audited report to cover the last 22 plus months under the Progressive Liberal Party as we understand that there might be some concerns with respect to DRA.”
Comments
ThisIsOurs 1 year, 2 months ago
Do we understand the full import of what happened here?
"people have been writing in, asking for domes for certain purposes and we have approved these on a case by case basis.....People want to use them for chicken coops..."
We spent 6 MILLION dollars for 100 repurposed chicken coups.
And that een the problem. The real problem happen when Minnis announce he'd found some new housing technology that could withstand 200mph winds. The 1st day the tribune posted the photo I said, "but thats an igloo, are they designed for tropical climates"?
Where was the cabinet minister out of 39 ministers asking, why we buying igloos in the Bahamas?? Ask DAguilar or Iram Lewis if anyone ask that question. Cause if 39 men at the head of the country could approve 6m dollars without asking it, and we have a pastor erecting roofs at schools that crumble like London bridge, what are we doing??.
Let's just have a fire sale one time. Sell us to Saudi Arabia, our men and women could benefit from their summer dress wear, we dont need all this wool and spandex. Ain't someone say our flag design belong to them? That solve that problem, we dont need a flag anymore either. Just shut everything down. I tired.
bahamianson 1 year, 2 months ago
Total waste of money for unappreciated Bahamians. Someone gives me and my family a place to stay through hard times , and I destroy it because I didn't have to pay. Wow, this is disgusting. That is the thanks we get for helping our own. We need to bring the belt out and give them a good cut......
ThisIsOurs 1 year, 2 months ago
Nobody destroyed them. They were designed for temperatures below 0 degrees. That fact by itself should have given someone pause. The Tribune has detailed accounts of issues with mold
TalRussell 1 year, 2 months ago
A Popoulaces' Body, should be put in place to sue the RedPartyMovement to initiate a goat pepper strength recovery of the outrages $35+ million was dumped into the Dome Project. --- With the members of the Red cabinet, collectively added as Dependents'.--- For abusing the Popoulaces'Purse. --- This is far larger in scope than just those alleged to be involved with the missing $250,000.. --- Yes?
ThisIsOurs 1 year, 2 months ago
Do you know who's getting the washes presses em dries em contract for the RCI PI beach club towels?
TalRussell 1 year, 2 months ago
Thinking' --- Comrade Toby and Em's Dog,--- Yes?
ThisIsOurs 1 year, 2 months ago
Why you dont love Toby dog alone. Lol. I dont remember seeing a pic with a dog...
John 1 year, 2 months ago
Politicians are not the brightest crayons in the box, and this coupled with the fact that they are not always the most honest people and they are prone to taking bribes and also hoodwinked and bamboozled they can make. Costly, wasteful and reckless spending that is of ni benefits to the voters
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