We've all heard of disputes with neighbors over land filling which cause flooding in adjoining yards. Well, today, one city resident had enough of it - with his neighbor. That's Edward Broaster, retired cop and aspiring politician. In an act of something approximating civil disobedience, he went to block the sand trucks entering his neighbor's yard. Here's more:
Having exhausted all his options, Edward Broaster, the UDP Caretaker for Belize Rural central, and a resident of the Northern Estates subdivision found himself in a disagreeable position this morning, and turned to direct action. Broaster says his concerns started in early September when the lot beside his house was being filled, blocking the drains. He was told a culvert would have been placed to correct this, but quickly realized that instead they left the drains backed up with clay causing his property to flood.
Edward Broaster, UDP Caretaker, Belize Rural Central
"When all those rains came and so forth the whole street and the drains started to overflow, our driveway covered with water, I view it and sent a message. I got a number for the owner, allegedly the owner, I sent him videos, pictures and I asked if he can come and place a culvert and I got no response. I called the city council, I called Ramon Menjivar and he told me he was going to send a backhoe, the backhoe came and dug a little bit but not good enough for the water to flow because what happened the clay congested the culvert, because the culvert runs across this street. Lo and Behold this morning I see them filling again, they filled back what the city council dug, and I said I will not allow them to put another load in there until they put down a culvert. I called Mr Menjivar again this morning and he said he would have sent somebody out here from city council, they have not arrived yet, but my vehicle will stay right there until we resolve this matter because I know what they are doing right here is illegal."
And so today a furious Broaster parked his truck at the entrance of the lot blocking the way for the dumptrucks to come in and deliver landfill. And he made it known to the workers that he would not move until they placed a culvert.
Edward Broaster, UDP Caretaker, Belize Rural Central
"I can stay here until 3:00 this evening so if it will take up until that I will stay right here until city council comes and ensure that they put a culvert down here because when they come and they do this affect not only me but all the residents that live on this street down there and we pay out taxes. Come March, April, City Council is calling us asking us to come in and pay our property taxes and so forth and we don't own no property tax so the least city council can do is enforce the law and do their jobs."
And with a stoppage in movement and heavy equipment idling at a cost, it didn't take long for them to respond to Broaster's demands and he ended up moving, under the condition that he would supervise them to ensure that a backhoe was brought to clear the drain and a culvert installed. If not, this retired career cop says he's ready to block their path again.
