By Erica James-King, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
THE TRELAWNY Parish Council will need to effect approximately J$2 million in repairs at the Clarks Town and Wakefield markets within 16 days if it hopes to prevent the parish's health authorities from carrying out threats to close down both facilities.
In a letter to the Parish Council, dated June 29, the health department expressed dissatisfaction with the unhygienic conditions at both markets and issued a 30-day warning notice, stating that both facilities will be closed if the requisite repairs are not done before the warning notice expires.
Brian Silvera, the Council's Superintendent of Works, told The Gleaner last Wednesday that the Council's assessment of the facilities reveals that refurbishing will cost an estimated J$2 million.
BASIC REPAIRS
"For the basic repairs that will be needed at the two markets, we estimate that the combined work is about $2 million. Although the estimates have been completed, they have not yet been officially presented to the Council," said Mr. Silvera, who noted that the repairs would not include a costing for fencing at the two facilities. "The estimates we have would entail only basic repairs, general cleaning of the two sites and the removal of debris."
According to Mr. Silvera, if the markets are to be brought in line with the standards stipulated by the Health Ministry, repairs would have to be done to the meat units, the drains repaired, fly netting installed in the meat sections, the sanitary facilities overhauled and electrical wiring improved. The Council is now trying to identify funding to carry out the renovation work as soon as possible.
UNSATISFACTORY CONDITIONS
In a letter to Council dated October 22 last year, the health department outlined to the Council its concerns about the 'unsatisfactory conditions' at the Wakefield and Clarks Town markets. However, in subsequent revisits on May 7, 2004 and June 25, 2004 , it was discovered that the situation had not been remedied.
The latest threat of closure at the Wakefield and Clarks Town markets come on the heels of a market closure in Trelawny just over four months ago. At that time, the Falmouth Market, which is the largest market in the parish, was shut down after the Parish Council failed to make significant improvement at that facility following a similar 30-day warning notice.
The Falmouth market remained closed for just under two months while repairs were effected to the tune of $2.5 million.
