SXMElections.com

~ Authorities given 72 hours to take action ~

MARIGOT--Representatives of District Five and the marina and merchants associations of Marigot have warned they will take matters into their own hands unless authorities take action on the homeless persons’ situation and overall sanitation of the Marina Royale parking area, once and for all.

The merchants association says it is imperative that the situation is dealt with now in low season before the high season starts. Businesses or restaurants have closed in the marina due to the unresolved situation that is negatively impacting tourism and the island’s image.

A press conference at the Marina Royale parking area on the St. James side over the weekend underscored just how much the situation there has deteriorated, despite countless letters and petitions to the Collectivité, meetings, visits, promises and proposals going back over three years or more.

The homeless situation has worsened visibly at the parking entrance, where a bed has now been brought out onto the pavement in full view of cars and passersby, and graffiti has been sprayed on the walls. At least a handful of homeless persons are seen regularly, sheltering in the passageway next to Gingerbread Gallery with a bed and a supermarket trolley of meagre possessions, or wandering around the car park.

Just lately a new homeless man has been seen lying on the pavement farther down the road near to the Rue Kennedy junction. He appeared about three weeks ago. Garbage has been thrown about in the car park and talk of reorganising the garbage situation clearly has come to nothing. There is no change either to the endless view of garbage strewn along the shore side perimeter of the car park.

Things began to look up a year ago after a layer of asphalt was laid in the car park, and there was talk of installation of an office and proper management of the car park. However, there has been no follow-up since then and no improvement in the situation.

District Five and the associations have long been willing to take over the management of the car park, but the dilemma of what to do with the homeless persons is a major factor going forward.

District Five President Paul Whit also has alluded to “hindrance” that has prevented any progress.

“We are at a point of ‘hands off’ until the Collectivité takes its responsibility to do what it has to do. A certain amount was done by us, but we were hindered from continuing,” he said. “This car park is becoming a second Cul-de-Sac dump. The residents of this district can no longer tolerate this situation as we head into a new tourist season. Is this what we want tourists and children to see?

“We are giving the authorities 72 hours to remedy the situation; otherwise we have no option but to block the street. That’s the cry from the District if nothing is done. It’s important the Collectivité, Préfecture and elected officials realise that we will do what we have to do.”

Marigot Merchants Association ACM Treasurer Fréderic Erb said he wanted to give Territorial Council President Aline Hanson a “real” tour of Marigot to see the problems with her own eyes.

“If nothing is done, we will stop paying our taxes, because we are paying them [the Collectivité – Ed.] to do their work. If they don’t do it, we will see what happens then. We have to put pressure on them. The Collectivité has to move the homeless people somewhere else, in a nice way. We cannot put up with this anymore. It’s become a big mess and businesses are suffering. If the Collectivité cannot manage the car park, give us the key and the District will manage it. But we want an answer.”

District board member Evelyne Ratchel said the District had been “abandoned.”

“No one is taking care of the problem,” she lamented.

Vice-President Ramona Connor, who is in charge of the Solidarity and Families Department, said when questioned about the situation that the Collectivité was well aware of the problem, but attempts so far to remedy the problem had been unsuccessful.

“Most of the homeless persons you see have families, but occasionally one just drops in,” she said. “The families of these people need to live up to their responsibilities and take care of them. But maybe we need the prosecutor to intervene.

“The services have removed those beds before, but they [the homeless – Ed.] come back with another bed. It is ugly to see. The Préfecture also has a shared responsibility for security, but their view is a person cannot be stopped from walking around. One cannot just pick someone up and relocate them. It’s not that simple. There’s a whole history behind each homeless person.”

The Collectivité’s Technical Services Director Max Ogoundélé said the garbage situation at the marina was no longer under his jurisdiction, but now under the Environmental Department. No one from that department could be contacted over the weekend.