Repairs in the C.I. Gibson government school after Hurricane Matthew. Photo: Tim Clarke/Tribune Staff

WHILE several communities throughout the capital still bear the signs of the devastation left behind by Hurricane Matthew, Labour Minister Shane Gibson, who is responsible for the repair and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the storm, said the government has spent in excess of $7m on cleanup efforts, which have taken place in New Providence, Grand Bahama and Andros.

There were also 658 applications processed for the government’s loan programme to assist public officers for hurricane repairs from the Bank of the Bahamas.

He said this approval totalled more than $4,033,000 and 761 applications are being processed, while 505 of them have yet to be processed for totals of $5,632,500 and $3,030,000 respectively.

In addition, 6,909 homes on the islands largely affected by Hurricane Matthew have been assessed for repair assistance, Mr. Gibson said. He added that donations to the government’s Relief Fund now total $1.474m.

This, Mr. Gibson said, does not include the pledge of $200,000 from the Freeport Container Port for the repair of two schools in Grand Bahama. These funds were deposited directly to the Disaster Relief Account, which is managed by the National Disaster Finance Committee, the minister said.

During his progress report in the House of Assembly yesterday, Mr. Gibson explained that efforts to clean up the capital have been limited as there is only one dumpsite on New Providence.

“This powerful storm left a tremendous amount of debris on New Providence, Grand Bahama and Andros. Cleanup operations are proceeding well on the impacted islands,” he told parliamentarians.

“However, efforts in the capital have been limited as there is only one dumpsite on New Providence. This has resulted in long lines of vehicles waiting to unload debris and has increased the propensity for illegal dumping across the island.

“I urge persons who are doing this to please stop as this does not assist the cleanup operations and creates additional and unnecessary work. I am pleased to advise that the Ministry of Works has established seven mulching sites on New Providence to recycle tree waste and reduce the reliance on the dumpsite.

“I encourage all residents to assist us by placing all tree waste on the verges near their property, separated from any other waste, which will be collected by clean up crews.”

Private home assessments
Mr. Gibson urged residents to give public officers who are conducting assessments in various communities accurate and factual information. He said this process involved a social assessment of occupants of homes along with a technical assessment to verify that the damages are storm related and to determine the scope of the work required.

The following assessments were completed: New Providence - 3,203, Grand Bahama – 3,000, North and Central Andros – 437, Berry Islands – 107, Exuma – 97 and Eleuthera – 65.

The government is offering two types of assistance with repairs to qualified single-family owner/occupied homes: assistance with materials only and assistance with materials and labour, Mr. Gibson said.

He said persons who feel that they qualify for assistance and wish to be considered should have readily available for the assessors, proof of ownership of the home such as a conveyance document, a Water and Sewerage Corporation Bill, a receipt from real property tax payments, or a letter from the bank which holds the mortgage for the property.

If the homeowner has indicated that their home is only insured for fire and theft, then a copy of the insurance documents will have to be submitted.

Regarding the two schools in Grand Bahama, Mr. Gibson said work has commenced on the Martin Town Primary and Eight Mile Rock High Schools, which were severely damaged by Hurricane Matthew.

“These repairs are being facilitated by a pledge of $200,000 from the Freeport Container Port. One hundred thousand dollars has been earmarked for each school.

“The repair work is inclusive of labour and materials. The cost for Martin Town Primary School is $38,000 and the cost for Eight Mile Rock High School is some $70,000.

“I wish to stress Mr. Speaker that the Container Port is managing the funds and making direct payments for the labour and materials. A determination will be made in respect to the excess funds,” Mr. Gibson said.

By Denise Maycock, Tribune Freeport Reporter

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