M&CC to decide on compensation for injured woman

…who suffered a broken leg after falling into manhole at bus park

Georgetown Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green, on Wednesday reminded that she is not solely responsible for compensating anyone for damages or injuries. Rather, it is a decision of the Council.
At the time, the Mayor was responding to a letter she received from one Jenny Boston, who is claiming compensation for injuries she sustained when she fell into a manhole in August.
The 51-year-old security guard, a resident of Henry Street, Werk-en-Rust, suffered a broken left leg when, at about 18:00hrs on August 11, she fell into a manhole in the vicinity of the Route #42 minibus park.
According Boston, she encountered the manhole while returning home from the Stabroek Market. She initially noted that the taxi drivers operating in the vicinity were quite angry, since they had attempted to cover the manhole but the City Constables had removed the cover.
Following the incident, Boston sought compensation from the City, but was informed to put it in writing and to provide documentation to support her claims.
At Wednesday’s statutory meeting, Mayor Chase-Green said she had received another letter claiming compensation. It was previously reported that the City had agreed to compensate the injured woman, but the Mayor clarified that the council is yet to take such a decision.
“I cannot say to anyone that, ‘Yes, you will be compensated.’ There is a standard operating procedure that has to be carried out. There has to be an investigation; they have to have all the medicals for claims, (and) to date we have not received all the medicals for claims from Ms. Boston; and so that matter is still to go to the Legal Affairs Committee,” she noted.
“I do not pay compensation. It is for the Council to decide that, ‘Yes, that manhole is ours’; ‘Yes’ this would have happened, and this is all the records we have’. And until the Council decides on the amount of compensation, then and only then we can inform anyone of compensation,” Chase-Green explained.
The issue has been referred to the City’s Legal Affairs and Security Committee for further investigation. However, the Mayor used the issue to remind the City Engineer’s Department to ensure that the manholes around the City are properly covered, to ensure that Council is not liable.
At various statutory meetings, the Engineer’s Department has been continuously lambasted for its inefficiency. Mayor Chase-Green, back in March, had warned Engineer Colvern Venture to take control of his department, or the council would be forced to take action. (Lakhram Bhagirat)