Sports Minister Wants Meeting With APUA

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Monday, 14 May 2012 02:30

By press release

Antigua St John's - Minister of Sports Winston Williams has written to APUA Chairman Clarvis Joseph asking for a meeting of officials from both departments to discuss the island-wide disconnection of utilities at sporting venues.

In the letter, Williams reminded Joseph that he had previously sought to devise a policy agreement on the matter, without success.

The letter is reprinted below in full.

Mr. Clavis Joseph
Chairman
Board of Directors, APUA
Headquarters
Cassada Gardens
St. John’s
 
 
Dear Mr. Joseph:
 

In February 2010, I led a team of officers in the Ministry of Sports in a meeting with senior APUA Officers headed by Electricity Manager, Mr. Lyndon Francis. This meeting was as a result of a request made by the Ministry of Sports in December 2009 to the APUA General Manager, seeking to hold consultations on matters relating to the provision of utility services for sports and recreation.

Arising from that meeting, it was agreed that the Ministry of Sports would submit for the consideration of Management and the Board of Directors of APUA, a draft Memorandum of Understanding, to guide the process of collaboration between our offices. The draft MOU was submitted in February 2010 as agreed.

To date, in spite of our repeated efforts to determine the status of the MOU, repeated efforts to set up a number of meetings with management to discuss the matter of the cost to Government and a system to monitor use of utilities on public playing fields there has been little progress.

It would appear that the public discussions and outrage on the management of utility services on sports and recreational facilities, only has relevance for the Ministry of Sports and not for APUA. We would hope that this is not the case. 
    
I am appealing once more for APUA's advice on best practices as it pertains to the provision and maintenance of utility services to our publicly owned sports and recreational facilities to the benefit of not only the tax payer but also the sporting fraternity.

I will be grateful if you could arrange for a meeting which would include members of the APUA Board and Administration and a delegation from the Office of the Minister of State: Sports.

Once the date and time has been confirmed, I would lead a delegation comprised of the Director of Sports as well as the Coordinators of Facilities and Planning/Project Management respectively to the meeting.
 
For your convenience, a copy of the Draft MOU as well as a fact sheet outlining the steps taken by the Office of the Minister of Sports to improve the level of efficiency in the management of public sports and recreational facilities are attached.
 


Your favourable consideration of this request will be greatly appreciated.
 
Sincerely
 
 
Sen. Hon. Winston Williams Jr.

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