MARIGOT—Fourth Vice-President of the Collectivité Steven Patrick noted that the Department of Living Environment had to review its operation and services in the wake of the coronavirus COVID-19 health crisis to comply with government directives and containment measures.
The public reception has been closed since March 17 but there is still a continuity of public service from remote offices. Any urgent situation in the public domain can be reported by calling (0590) 87.50.53.
Several public works projects have been suspended due to safety reasons in connection with COVID-19 precautions. Most of these were mentioned in President Gibbs’s Facebook address on Monday.
Added to the list is work at Hotel de la Collectivité where consultations have been relaunched for electricity, air conditioning and plumbing works. Other work awarded to contractors has been stopped due to the risk of working in small and cramped rooms.
Work has also been halted due to reduction in the contractor’s workforce for the Cul-de-Sac Sports Complex lighting, Sandy Ground Tennis Court Lighting, and Fleming Square parking lot lighting.
Only work sites where hygiene, protective and distancing measures can be assured are allowed to continue operating i.e. wearing of gloves and masks and keeping a distance of at least one metre away from the next person.
“In spite of this difficult context, our services have been able to carry out a good number of technical and administrative missions,” said Patrick. “The continuation of substantive activities of the various departments of the "Délégation Cadre de Vie" in cooperation with other departments and directorates of the Collectivité, such as: administrative and financial management of files, preparation of the parts necessary for the implementation of public orders, management of requests for work stoppages, examination of the files in progress.
“Our teams and service providers are fully mobilized on the following actions: Surveillance, maintenance and intervention on the public lighting network, monitoring and control of the collection operations for household waste and similar household waste (Bulky / Green waste), routine electrical maintenance work on the Collectivité and Caisse Territorial des Oeuvres Scolaire (CTOS) property. Tour of schools for the study and elaboration of contracts for the realization of sanitary plumbing and electrical works. To date, 10 schools have been visited and studied.”
The general objectives are to: adapt the organization and working conditions of employees according to identified and precise needs, to continue the activities necessary to maintain public service in the fields of water, energy and household waste collection, with partners such as EEASM, SAUR, EDF, and the service providers in charge of household waste collection, and VERDE SXM for treatment, to anticipate the end of the crisis by preparing tools that will allow a rapid restart, in the least deteriorated conditions possible.
As of next week, the schedule for restarting of the Collectivité’s construction sites as part of the development of the Business Continuity Plan for the construction industry. This Plan will be formalized following publication of the Good Conduct Guide drawn up by the Professional Organization for the Prevention of Building and Public Works, a national organization specializing in health and safety issues.
Patrick concluded by thanking all the services and employees of the Department for the Living Environment for their availability, their involvement and their professional conscientiousness
