The City Clerk’s Department

The City Clerk’s Department is responsible for providing administrative and personnel services for all departments of the Corporation. Because financial conditions remained tight during 1997, the Department again had to manage its portfolio very carefully - a situation which at times created a certain amount of difficulty for other departments.

This notwithstanding, the Department was able to meet its objectives. In this regard, the organizing of the following events were particularly noteworthy:

• Conference of Caribbean Mayors
• Luncheon of senior citizens
• Civic Reception for the Prime Minister of Antigua
• Civic Reception for Mayor Bill Campbell of Atlanta, USA
• Civic Reception for Ato Boldon

 

The Department also prepared Agenda and Reports for one hundred and eighty eight meetings of the council and its several Committees with the necessary follow-up action.

The following statistics indicate the number of matters processed:

• Consents (assignment of leases) - 98
• Leases/Tenancies - 77
• Cemetery Transfers - 284

In the area of Training and Development, twenty four persons from different sections of the Corporation have been exposed to short courses in the short term during the period under review. Courses included: Supervisory, Health Engineering, Secretarial, Administrative Assistant 2000, Performance Management, Rodent control, Vector control and Management Geographical Information Systems.

In the medium term, six officers are pursuing courses on a part-time basis in the following areas:

• One Certificate in Public Administration at the University of the West Indies.
• One Diploma Course in Joint Services Staff 1 - Year Programme.
• Four in courses leading to the Higher National Certificate in Civil engineering at the John Donaldson and San Fernando Technical Institutes respectively.

As regards
Appointments/Promotions, eight staff employees and 163 daily rated workers received appointments/promotions, while 100 new persons were recruited on the daily-rated establishment.

In the area of Industrial Relations, there were no major disruptions by way of stoppage of work or strikes. Meetings with the Amalgamated Workers Union were cordial and, in this regard, seven disciplinary matters were settled amicably.

The period also saw the introduction of the Washing Gangs and the reintroduction of Street Orderlies. There was a limited Litter Wardens Programme which lasted for four months with mixed results.

The year also saw the continuation of the Non-Crisis Meetings initiated by His Worship The mayor. This forum facilitated the dealing with matters in a non-confrontational manner.