7 News Belize

PUP City Hall Making Progress With Manhole and Drain Covers
posted (June 7, 2018)
One other bit of unfinished business that Mayor Wagner and his administration inherited is a contract that the past Mayor made with a construction company to build manhole covers for the City's sidewalks.

If you walk around Belize City, you're sure to run into many holes in the sidewalks that either have no drain cover - a major public safety hazard for pedestrians.

Former Mayor Darrell Bradley entered a contract to fix or replace those manholes, and when he was in office, we challenged him many times for failing to finish it.

But, with the new council, there's hope. We noticed recently that manhole covers have recently been installed for parts of the side walk along Marine Parade, and we asked Mayor Wagner about it.

He told us they've re-engaged the construction company to complete this job:

Bernard Wagner - Mayor, Belize City
"When we came in, what we found was that there was a contract to retrofit - or build certain number of manholes, but for some reason or the other, that contract was not completed. I am not certain as to why it was not completed. We were able to touch base with the individual, and spoke to the individual, telling him, listen man, we need those manhole coverings. We know that you have completed quite a number of them. We were able to reach out to that person, and we got those manhole coverings from them, because we feel that it is important that - listen, everyday somebody falls into those manholes. The council is facing a lot of losses. A lot of people are coming to us demanding payment for injury, medical expenses. We need to address that, and so, my works councillor continue to work with the works department to get these manhole coverings behind us."

The Deputy Mayor also had a plea to make to drivers of Belize City. He and the council wants those drivers to stop parking their vehicles on the sidewalks, since the heavy load of these vehicles damage the manhole covers. Here's how he explained it to us:

Oscar Arnold - Deputy Mayor, Belize City
"We want to make a plea to residents as well because a lot of time, some public transportation, and even private residents park on the sidewalk, and the manhole covers were not designed to take that load. And so, even if we finish to completion, if we continue having that practice continued, we will keep repairing manholes for the entire term."

The mayor told us that he hopes to see this unfinished manhole project through to completion.

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