CAYMAN ISLANDS
GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES
Tel: (345) 916-0738
NATIONAL HURRICANE COMMITTEE
AFTERMATH OF
HURRICANE IVAN
FRIDAY MEETING
OF RECOVERY COMMITTEE
The Cayman Islands Recovery Committee, with members from government, the opposition and the private sector, held its third meeting today (Friday, 17 September). There was good news, and some lively discussion, including about the committee’s role as the relief and recovery process is taken forward.
The committee’s daily meeting is now limited to a small steering group, including the Hon. Leader of Government Business, the Hon. Leader of the Opposition and the Hon. Speaker.
His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Bruce Dinwiddy, reported that Mr. Frank Savage, the disaster management adviser of the FCO and former Governor of Montserrat and of BVI, had volunteered his services and will be arriving early next week. He will be attached to the Governor’s Office. Mr. Savage was Montserrat’s Governor when the volcanic eruption forced evacuation of many residents in 1995.
The Hon. McKeeva Bush, and the Hon. Linford Pierson proposed to the Committee an outline of a Strategic Recovery Plan. This will be discussed in greater detail at the committee’s meeting tomorrow.
The Chief Justice, the Hon. Anthony Smellie, attended the meeting to report that his meeting with court staff had been well-attended and that he found them to be in good spirits. The Courts Building has been inspected and is ready to have power restored. Meanwhile the Summary Court met in temporary quarters today and heard five burglary charges. The Recovery Committee then witnessed the swearing-in of Mr. Doug Schofield, a partner at Appleby Spurling and Hunter, as a magistrate.
After discussion about the urgent need to relax work permit requirements and to allow heads of evacuated households to return to Cayman to resume their jobs, it was agreed that a sub-committee would work this afternoon on the details of the scheme to be further discussed by the committee tomorrow.
Additional highlights of the meeting included the following:
The committee received a report on the day’s water distribution activities. Calling the exercise “very successful”, Cabinet Secretary Mr. Orrett Connor said that over 1000 cases of drinking water were distributed. In addition fire trucks pumped water for non-drinking purposes. These activities were organised for each district by MLAs and food will be distributed tomorrow in the same manner.
Both AT&T and the New York office of the Department of Tourism were arranging to have transistor radios brought in to make it easier for residents to listen to local news and announcements.
Cayman Airways will continue to evacuate residents. Other airlines are close to resuming flights.
Mr. Connor expressed appreciation for the USA’s cooperation with evacuees. Children were being allowed entry into the US on a Cayman birth certificate, and Caymanians with valid passports were not required to have visas or waivers.
The Financial Secretary, the Hon. George McCarthy and the Accountant General Mrs. Sonia McLaughlin, with help from Computer Services, are looking into ways of easing the difficult financial circumstances of civil servants. Details will be released as soon as possible.
Law Enforcement Adviser for the Overseas Territories Larry Covington reported that ten armed and fully equipped Turks and Caicos police officers arrived yesterday evening. Contingents from Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands are also due to arrive shortly.
Discussions continue between the Cayman and Bermuda governments on the possibility of also deploying about 50 members of the Bermuda Defence Force.
Committee members discussed the value of Neighbourhood Watch organisations. Mr. Covington said that these are to be greatly encouraged and asked that the RCIP be included in neighbourhood meetings to discuss them. He also appealed for more people to volunteer as special constables.
Her Majesty’s Ships Richmond and Waverunner, their mission completed, both departed today. The Committee expressed its appreciation for the immediate response and humanitarian aid that these ships had provided. HMS Richmond will now be resuming its normal security duties across the Caribbean.
The Committee decided, at its meeting tomorrow, to review the progress made so far in restoring utilities and gasoline supplies and in clearing up the debris from the hurricane.
(GIS)