The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter 

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

CHIEF Councillor Frazette Gibson has fired back at Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey, rejecting claims she made in the House of Assembly that the Local Government Freeport District Council has been “obstructive” and that its Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) was not properly approved.

“It is most unfortunate that we would have persons in the honourable House telling untruths, and I cry shame on the Minister for Grand Bahama,” Ms Gibson said on Monday, responding to the minister’s comments last Thursday.

During her contributions in the House of Assembly, Ginger Moxey, the MP for Pineridge, raised concerns about neglect and insufficient maintenance in several parks within her constituency.

“Many parks are going untouched while others are maintained, or become obstructionist in some instances to Wi-Fi in the Parks when this is a central government initiative,” she said.

Ms Moxey said the Pineridge constituency often appears overlooked, mentioning a recent conversation with former Governor-General Cornelius A Smith, who raised concerns about the state of the CA Smith Park in the ‘Back of Town’ community. She described the park as being in dire need of maintenance.

She pointed to the Neko Grant Park in Regency and the CL Griffin Park in Trip Circle as additional areas requiring attention.

Addressing the Susan J Wallace Community Park, which has reverted to the Grand Bahama Port Authority’s control, Ms Moxey said: “The park no longer has infrastructure required for the community. As the MP for this area, I have reached out to the Port Authority to address the matter as a matter of importance to provide kids and families access to a well-equipped community park.”

Ms Moxey also stressed the importance of adhering to the new Local Government Bill, which defines the roles of districts and councils.

“It is hoped in moving forward, funds are used for what it is intended to be

used for as specified in the bill with checks and balances,” she said.

In defending the council, Ms Gibson said it has never obstructed the central government’s wi-fi initiative.

She said: “In 2022, the local government practitioners attended a conclave in Nassau, and the prime minister, along with Minister Wayne Watson, announced the initiative ‘Wi-Fi on the Parks’ throughout the country. We were very excited because we have 21 parks in our carriage. We have more parks in the City of Freeport than in the country.”

She said the council was initially unaware of the initiative’s start.

“When the initiative began, we had no knowledge,” she added. “Chains to the park were cut, and we did not know who cut them and why it was cut. So, whatever was being done had to be halted to get some clarification. That is where the discrepancy came in. And I think that we should have been informed about what was happening.”

She said the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry for Grand Bahama, Melvin Seymour, later contacted the council, resolving the matter.

“We attended a meeting at the ministry for GB with PS Melvin Seymour and the administrator, and the matter was sorted. Letters were sent to Cable Bahamas and GB Power allowing them permission to continue the initiative,” she said.

The council also made recommendations regarding which parks should be prioritised for the wi-fi rollout.

“We sent a correspondence to the PS suggesting that the parks most widely used, as opposed to putting them in the Pineridge constituency, should have wi-fi. The CA Smith Park is rarely used at all,” Ms Gibson said.

She noted that despite efforts to move the project forward, “only two parks have wi-fi to this day.”

Ms Moxey had also critcised the Freeport Council for creating an EOC without proper approval.

“The Freeport Council took it upon themselves to create an EOC that they did not have approval to create,” she said in the House.

Ms Gibson rejected this, asserting that the council does not require approval from the minister for Grand Bahama to implement an EOC.

“I believe the minister is somewhat confused about the role of local government and the role of councillors because we are elected, not appointed. This means we do not answer to the minister for Grand Bahama,” she said.

“There is nowhere in the Act that says the minister for Grand Bahama. The council has the right to grant contracts and lease property. Why do we have to ask the minister for any kind of permission?”

Ms Gibson said the nine elected councillors unanimously decided to establish an EOC because many hurricanes have hit Grand Bahama.

The EOC is located on the second floor of the Southern Ridge Building, near KFC downtown, and was officially commissioned in January.

According to Ms Gibson, Minister for Local Government Clay Sweeting was informed about the EOC, and Permanent Secretary Neil Campbell and former Minister for Disaster Management Myles Laroda had toured the facility. She noted that Minister for Disaster Management Leon Lundy has also toured the facility.

Ms Gibson said she has dedicated many years to public service and called for better cooperation between the council and central government.

“My entire life has been about service to the residents of the city of Freeport and by extension Grand Bahama, and this is something I have been doing for the last two decades. I am not new to public service or public life,” she said.

“If we work together more can be achieved. I really thought that as women we should work together for the common good and not try to tear each other down.”