City status proposed for Chaguanas and Arima

[trinisouthman]

From the Trinidad Express:

Govt proposes city status for Arima and Chaguanas
Monday, June 22nd 2009



Chaguanas and Arima will become the nation's newest cities in the Government's proposal for a new system of Local Government, which contains a recommendation for 12 regional governing bodies instead of the existing 14.

In making the disclosure yesterday, Prime Minister Patrick Manning also said the proposal includes a plan for the nation's capital city, Port of Spain, to be expanded to include parts of Laventille, with the only borough remaining in South Trinidad.

"But it will be a new borough that will incorporate Point Fortin and La Brea as one new family," Manning disclosed yesterday.

These are some of the key stipulations contained in the Manning administration's White Paper on Local Government reform, which is to be laid in the Parliament on July 3. Manning disclosed the details of the proposed changes in the municipality boundaries yesterday afternoon, as he gave his closing remarks at the end of the ruling People's National Movement (PNM) special convention on governance at the Chaguaramas Convention Centre.

"These are going to be far reaching proposals, my dear friends, and these are proposals which will be deliberated publicly when the matter gets to the Parliament," he said.

Manning had earlier in the day revealed that the White Paper on Local Government reform would be laid in the Parliament early next month, but did not reveal the details of the proposed boundary changes then.

"We anticipate 12 bodies, 12 Local Government bodies, but that at the level of the municipalities, since we are now revising the system, we are expanding every municipality in the country to include, by and large, new areas that have developed around them, leaving enough lands for development in the municipality itself," Manning said yesterday afternoon.

Manning said that in that regard, Port of Spain would see its eastern boundary stretched northward to the Lady Young Road "so it will take in some of Laventille in it". He then spoke of the "city of Chaguanas" and immediately recognised that some of those attending thought he had made a mistake, since it is still a borough.

"I didn't make a mistake, the city of Chaguanas, my dear friends, that's what we're proposing. We are proposing that Chaguanas be expanded and be made a city. We are proposing also that Arima be expanded to take in all the little areas involving Malabar and others and be the fourth city, another city in Trinidad and Tobago," Manning said to some applause. -JB

[Trini1]

Finally! I've been waiting for that for a long time. I would however like to see Port of spain be considered a conurbation which includes an area stretching from Diego Martin in the west to Curepe in its east.

[trinisouthman]

Originally Posted by Trini1

Finally! I've been waiting for that for a long time. I would however like to see Port of spain be considered a conurbation which includes an area stretching from Diego Martin in the west to Curepe in its east.

I agree 100%. The present regional Governing system is outdated by a couple of decades.

The area you're describing for Port of Spain is in fact a part of the East-West corridor - a continuous urban area of at least 600,000 plus people. The city already has that "big" feel about it so they might as well redefine the city limits.

[Trini1]

They might aswell just transform that into one big city to form a caribbean 'megacity'. The east-west corridor has just been there for so long and yet they do know innovative things with it so a big city would be awesome.

[trinisouthman]

Originally Posted by Trini1

They might aswell just transform that into one big city to form a caribbean 'megacity'. The east-west corridor has just been there for so long and yet they do know innovative things with it so a big city would be awesome.

We probably won't get to the size of a Santo Domingo, or San Juan quite yet, but we will probably at least be neck and neck with Kingston, lol.

[Trini1]

Yeh lol true but that will do for me!

[trin]

Originally Posted by trinisouthman

We probably won't get to the size of a Santo Domingo, or San Juan quite yet, but we will probably at least be neck and neck with Kingston, lol.

hmm not quite neck and neck Kingston has over a million ppl. that's our entire population almost.

[trinisouthman]

Originally Posted by trin

hmm not quite neck and neck Kingston has over a million ppl. that's our entire population almost.

T haven't seen a more recent (1990 - 2000) census check for Kingston, but metro Kingston has definitely got to be over a million people by now.

[Trini1]

Nope metro Kingston's population is anywhere around 570000-650000 people no more, and definitely not above 1 million I'm certain.

[me12345]

Originally Posted by Trini1

Nope metro Kingston's population is anywhere around 570000-650000 people no more, and definitely not above 1 million I'm certain.

no, the KSAC is about 800,000 but including Greater portmore is just about a million.
Portmore was proposed for city status as it has its own mayor and municipal council but instead it was fused with kgn and called overall the co-operate area.It still has its own mayor though

[trinisouthman]

Chaguanas to become city
Shastri Boodan
Published: 10 Aug 2010

Chaguanas is heading for city status says Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. She was delivering the feature address at the inauguration ceremony for the new Chaguanas mayor at the auditorium of the new Chaguanas Administrative Complex.

Persad-Bissessar said Chaguanas was the fastest-growing borough. She said if Government partners with the burgesses a dream of a city in central could become a reality. The PM also spoke about reviving plans to twin the Borough of Chaguanas with the city of Ft Lauderhill, Florida. Persad-Bissessar said she had spoken with officials at Ft Lauderhill who were still very much interested even after the project was stopped under the PNM regime. She said councillors must have some level of training to be in a position to serve the people. The PM said councillors should have training in local government legislation.

She said too many times councillors have acted outside the legislation, noting that this must not happen again. She said councillors must know how to interact with the people. Persad-Bissessar also used the opportunity to thank those who assisted flood victims. She said regional bodies could become a storehouse for supplies since the rainy season still had a long way to go. Orlando Nagessar, who was elected unanimously as mayor, called for a review of land development projects undertaken by the Estate Management Business Development Company (EMBD).

Nagessar said these projects were contributing to flooding in the busy central borough. He said he planned to see that the law regarding littering be fully enforced as he moved to clean up the borough. He said landowners would be given 30 days to clear abandoned lots, starting today.