My Fellow Abaconians,
This week of February 21st was the commencement of the Affordable Housing Program. This was started by an official ground breaking Ceremony attended by Prime Minister Davis, Minister Coleby-Davis, Minister LaRoda, MP Kirk Cornish, Myself and others. These homes will be built to be storm resilient and affordable. Models start at $120,000, inclusive of the property. I was pleased to have Chairman Cartwright of The Bahamas Mortgage Corporation in Abaco for the Ceremony; they have done great work at making truly affordable mortgages. The first two building sites are Spring City and Central Pines with more sites in South Abaco to come. This is one of many initiatives I'm working on to fix the housing crisis in Abaco. Thank you Minister Coleby Davis, Housing and Transport, and a Special Thanks to Prime Minister Phillip Brave Davis for his commitment to Abaco.
Urban Renewal small homes repairs program will be officially launched in Abaco soon with a visit from the technical team. This is meant to help those who still have vital repairs to be done on their homes.
Bahamas Development Bank will be in Abaco this week. A Town Hall meeting will be held first to fully inform Abaco on the Financial Assistance available for Businesses. Then there will be Workshops to help entrepreneurs on their path to turning dreams into reality. We are dedicated to helping Bahamians to be successful Business people.
My South Abaco Town Hall Meeting; Crossing Rocks & Sandy Point, was on the 23rd. This was an opportunity to elaborate on what I have been working on and what is forthcoming for the South. I was able to hear from the residents on issues and what they feel is priority. South Abaco will be an economic asset to the Bahamas with the right attention and assistance. Thank you for showing your support and I pledge to do what is in my power to elevate the Southern Towns.
Minister Monroe, National Security, and Commissioner Rolle, RBPF, visited Abaco. Marsh Harbour is the Capital of Abaco and must have adequate enforcement to maintain peaceful prosperity. There are plans to have a fully operational police station downtown and a marine unit station on the harbour's edge. I'm especially grateful for the upcoming return of our marine unit to be ready for a quick response on the water and the cays. South Abaco was discussed to get a Station and Accommodation. This is in the beginning stages of planning and I will continue to push to see this happen. South Abaco will be growing and we must have the support needed. (We also spoke about the Cays and other areas.) I'm greatfull for Commissioner Rolle and his work towards a secure Abaco.
I visited Guana Cay to speak with and briefly tour the town with newly elected Councilor Willis Levarity. Many challenges were brought to attention and we discussed some immediate issues needing to be fixed. We will be working closely and will make Great Guana Cay the gem it should be. Immediate attention will be brought to the town, including the street and building for police, post office, etc. I will be back to Guana soon to meet with residents and Speak with Bakers Bay on how they can help with some of the challenges at hand.
The fire at one of our Debris management sites was one of my biggest concerns. Thank you to the Firefighters that did an amazing job at getting it under control before it became uncontrollable. This highlighted the need to bolster the fire fighting capabilities and ensure all Departments have the proper gear and trained personnel to act fast and effectively. I have been working on this and will put extra effort to supply and support these essential services.
Speaking with Chairman Petty of the Water and Sewage Corporation on issues with our supply. He expressed that the Main Station in Marsh Harbour will be fully operational within a couple weeks. I will continue to push for this as we have many areas affected including the Airport and Fire Hydrants. I also discussed Moore's Island water problem; they must fix the issues so water is no longer cut off every night. This is a basic right and necessity to live, also a health hazard especially during a Pandemic.
Many challenges persist in Abaco and a lot of work ahead, but with Abaconians working as a team we can and we will be better than ever before.
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