Even as works are noticeably progressing to clean up communities from Agricola to Cummings Lodge, fifty contractors engaged in the City Hall-managed ‘clean up your community’ project have been paid a total of $75 million.This amount represents contractors receiving cheques valued at least $1.5M each to engage in clean-up activities with a team of no less than eight but no more than 15 team members per block from each of theA section of the 50 ‘clean up your community’ contractors being paid at City Hall yesterday.communities.The project that started over two weeks ago has seen members of the aforementioned communities engaged in cleaning and clearing of drains and alleyways, weeding of parapets, as well as some amount of tree-trimming etc.Even as the contractors lined up at City Hall to collect their payments yesterday, City Public Relations Officer Debra Lewis said that the project was birthed following consultations with communities.“Residents had expressed their disgust at the way their communities were and they had asked to be given the contracts to clean up their communities. After careful consideration, a decision was taken to make the idea a reality, as the city fathers and mothers believe that residents would be more watchful and help in the fight against the culture of disposal of waste anywhere,” Lewis explained.“Many people have retired and others have resigned over the years, and at one point in time there was an employment freeze at City Hall, so the project sort of cushions effectively,Cheap Flames Jerseys, two folds of activities.”This project was also undertaken to alleviate unemployment, as the city’s solid waste department does not have enough manpower to actively address the cleaning of the city.Each contractor was issued with 50 percent of protective gear by City Hall, and as part of their contract, they were required to provide the other half to be used in the execution of duties.Noting that the initial project provides employment for more than 500 persons, including women and unemployed youths, Lewis said the community stakeholders’ approach is also an initiative to assist in offering opportunities to reduce deviant behaviour in communities.“Those involved get a chance to clean up their own community while experiencing firsthand what solid waste employees are faced with; do maintenance to ensure that their community and immediate surroundings are clean; and also engage in self-policing of their environment.’She also noted that for accountability purposes, the city auditor is following the process for accountability and transparency purposes.Already, Lewis said,Cheap Adidas Sneakers Online, “we have seen great progress on projects in areas,Adrian Wilson Cardinals Jersey, but in others we have found incomplete works, and council will review the contracts of those who did not perform up to scratch.”This initiative is not new, as in previous years contracts were awarded to major contractors,?but this relatively new approach is more of “the people’s initiative and it’s up to them to make it work for their communities or the contracts will be tendered out to the bigger contractors”.If that should happen, City Hall cannot guarantee that residents from the communities would be gainfully employed,Marlon Humphrey Jersey, and Lewis pointed out,Atlanta Hawks Jerseys, “it’s a make it work as we work for you.”Lewis also noted that as part of the six-week clean up exercise, contractors are duty-bound to engage in maintenance works of their allotted blocks for an additional three months. If works are not done satisfactorily,Air Max 97 NZ, the contractors will be blacklisted and will be sanctioned by City Hall for breach of contract.? (Mondale Smith)