The Cabinet held discussions on improving the state of the city of St. John’s

(CabinetNotes)The Cabinet held discussions on improving the state of the city of St. John’s; much has been done in other Caribbean countries—that rely upon tourism and tourists to visit their cities—to improve the aesthetics of their capital cities. The Cabinet contemplates holding consultations with property owners within the City to meet a standard that could be set by law. Amendments to existing legislation would likely require building owners to upgrade the same. The issue of the drains and gutters was also addressed. The Minister of Health, who was absent on this day, has already articulated a solution that involves small sewage plants attached to each building’s grey water system that would purify the run-off so that the flowing effluent that now spoils the air will be eliminated. The use of lime in the gutters despoils the ocean-shore environment, and the availability of potable water to flush the gutters daily is not a lasting solution.