Business community hails new WMC headquarters

WESTERN BUREAU:

THE DECISION by Savanna-la-Mar Mayor Bertel Moore to take charge of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation’s (WMC) new multimillion dollar headquarters effective June 1 has been hailed as a positive move by the business community in the parish.

“The chamber is confidently anticipating that not only will the imposing structure add to the aesthetics of our capital, but will also bring about positive changes to the quality of service to our citizens from the WMC,” said Moses Chybar, president of the Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He welcomed the decision to occupy the newly constructed building on Great George Street in Savanna-la-Mar.

On Monday, Moore told The Gleaner that the local authority was determined to occupy the building even though it was not 100 per cent complete.

“We should have moved in on the first of May… there were little setbacks but there is nothing going to stop us, come the first of June,” Moore insisted. The municipal building, which covers some 3,000 square feet, was originally scheduled to be completed in 10 months but experienced several contractual delays. The ground floor of the new building will house the corporation’s finance department and the second floor will house the corporation’s chamber, a caucus room, and the mayor and deputy mayor’s offices.

Reduces rent

The occupation of the new building will reduce the WMC’s largest expenditure, the rent it has been paying for the office space at the Westmoreland Parish Court.

“The morale of the political directorate and the administrative staff will certainly be impacted by the spacious and more comfortable office environment in which they will now function,” said Chybar. “This we trust will serve to motivate greater enthusiasm to fulfil their obligations to the people of Westmoreland.”

The chamber boss indicated that the new WMC headquarters would feature upgraded information technology equipment, which would facilitate the electronic storage of records.

“This will enhance the timely retrieval of information, thereby reducing the processing time of applications for the varied services offered by the corporation,” he added.