7 News Belize

The Persistent Manhole Problem
posted (April 27, 2018)
Yesterday you saw Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner lambaste the fiscal indiscipline and reckless spending of the previous UDP council.

And while he did a takedown for the financial mismanagement, his Deputy Oscar Arnold brought up the previous council's failing with those manholes. We had challenged the mayor on it many many times before. And now the new council's says it is something they plan to address:

Oscar Arnold - Deputy Mayor, Belize City
"The council inherited an issue where there are many missing covers to what people refer to as manholes but they are actually over the drains where people walk; where individuals of diverse abilities have to navigate almost daily. Every day, they face the possibility of becoming injured or hurt. The council has inherited lawsuits stemming from individuals allegedly being injured because of falling into these open drains. As we understand and as we have found, there was a contract that was issued that was supposed to remedy and address this situation prior to us taking office. What we have found however is that many of these covers that were replaced were damaged because of inferior workmanship and inferior materials that were being used. The first phase of this initiative has already been completed and that is identifying the places where these covers are missing or need to be repaired."

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