Earlier on we told you about the city council's effort to join forces with health authorities to mitigate the effects of Dengue in the densely populated urban areas of Belize City.
One thing in particular the council is looking at as priority number one, is the issue of garbage collection and its damaging effect on the already poor drainage system of the city. To demonstrate one of the most recent phenomena in garbage dumping curbside, the Deputy Mayor of Belize city, Phillip Willoughby took Jim McFadzean on a tour of one posh residential neighborhood on the Northside where you'd least expect a garbage bottleneck:...
In the City of Belize the southside has taken the brunt of the criticism for unkempt streets and roadside garbage. But now it's the northside that's looking not so good and this is according to the Deputy Mayor Phillip Willoughby.
Jim McFadzean
"Deputy Mayor this is something that we didn't use to see on the northside or we just overlook?"
Phillip Willoughby, Deputy Mayor
"Well these situations were always here and we are not saying that it is prevalent not only or limited to the southside, it's both on the northside and southside."
Jim McFadzean
"What's the procedure for those people who have garbage that's outside the normal food items that they bag like lumber and in the case of this area tree limbs. What's the procedure if they want it to get collected and dispose of?"
Phillip Willoughby, Deputy Mayor
"Ok this is known to us as white garbage day, on Wednesdays it would be the Belize Waste Control Limited who would come on a schedule route to pick up these type of waste per cubic. So what the residents has to do now is call the council or call Belize Waste Control Limited directly and have them know that they will be putting out this waste and it will be on the street at such time and date etc. and then make those arrangement providing that is not the case they then take these types of waste to the dump site. In general within the law that we will be enforcing very shortly, I don't care if you are a banker, a bus owner, whoever, a professional of any sort, you can't be driving in your vehicle and it's ok and legal for you to throw garbage from your vehicle or bus. I have very good friends in the bus industry, not limited to the Shaw bus owners, Mrs. Joyce Shaw who is a very dear and close friend of mine, but I am saying ma'am if your bus come in Belize City and its negligent with its garbage you will be fine $2,000 under the legislation as a business I am saying across the board. The buck stops here, there is legislation here and we will be enforcing this legislation on the residents, and its spells out throwing of rubbish in the streets, it spells out throwing things in our canals and for everyday after the first there is a daily fine. There is a daily fine for neglect of a derelict vehicle, we use to remove these derelict vehicles, and we are no longer doing so. I believe its $400 after you have been fine and a $100 per day thereafter. These laws will be enforce and I am telling you that the VIN number on the vehicle and the vehicle can be trace back to the last owner, that owner will be penalized."
It's time for everybody to work together especially in this northside area on the northside here where much of the site seeing that's done by the tourism industry. The site seeing tours are done primarily on the northside and there has been a significant increase in the number of roadside garbage on the northside.
Reporting for 7 News I am Jim McFadzean.
In the council's overall cleanup campaign drive and fresh after the cleanup of a total of 86 abandoned lots in the Albert Division area, Willoughby says the council in conjunction with the area representative of the Pickstock Division began last Thursday to tackle the cleanup of abandoned lots in that area.
