Update and February General Meeting Minutes

After the meeting on Thursday Elito and I received some constructive suggestions for the SPBA.  We sincerely appreciate the input.  We would like to make an appeal…. We really do need a vice chairman at this point in time.  We feel like though the association continues to make progress we could, as an organization be significantly more productive with a larger and more active executive committee.  We have a young lady hired that can do phone calls and follow up, but she is going to need to input and direction of the executive committee.  It has been a year since Andre resigned and we have made this plea numerous times.  We realize that everyone has businesses to run, however in order to keep things happening like the food festival and lobster festival as well as dealing community issues like the garbage, traffic and economic issues we need to have a more active base.

Also, just a quick reminder that 2009 Membership Fees are now due.

San Pedro Business Association February General Meeting

Chairman Elito Arceo welcomed the members, and introduced Miguel Alamilla from Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Mr. Alamilla addressed the Association, noting the attendance of members of the Ambergris Caye Concerned Citizens for Sustainable Development in the audience. Costal Zone Management has been working with the community for some time to raise awareness of the importance of our natural environment here on Ambergris Caye. The Function of Costal Zone Management is to implement and execute Management Projects for both Hold Chan Marine Reserve and Bacalar Chico. They have a full time staff, including Biologist and Environmental Researchers. Costal Zone has been very active in establishing educational programs in both the area schools and in the community. They see a very strong need for community involvement in how we use our environment on Ambergris Caye.

Mr. Alamilla wants to spread the word about the threats to the environment based on coastal development. Mangroves are key to whole ecosystem, including the reef. The impacts are felt through the entire food chain, including important commercial species such as Lobster. The Barrier Reef has great economic value to the local community and to the country as well. It takes a lot of work to protect and manage a resource area like Bacalar Chico or Hol Chan, but it is very important work.

Mr. Alamilla hopes that the Ambergris Caye Concerned Citizens for Sustainable Development will help to bring the community into the process to help, and he encourages everyone to join, for the benefit of the entire community.

Questions:
How far does the Bacalar Chico Reserve actually extend? There has been some confusion on this matter in the past.

Answer:
Bacalar Chico has actually always extended south to the Basil Jones Cut; however there has been a misconception due to a lack of presence and enforcement in the north part of the island. There are now Rangers in the area more frequently.

Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, the Honorable Manuel Heredia then addressed the Association, noting that the SPBA has always been good at moving issues forward and finding solutions in the community. Minister Heredia has enjoyed an active and ongoing relationship with the SPBA and is happy to ensure this relationship continues.

The Ministry of Tourism is keeping on top of events that are shaping the Tourism Industry. Although the industry has seen a drop in the past year, the economic downturn has not hit Belize as hard as it has other Central American and Caribbean countries. There has only been a 3% drop in overnight stays in Belize to date. The BTB has been active at 4 different trade shows over the last few months and will continue to provide whatever support it can to the industry stakeholders. It is not his job as Minister of Tourism to dictate to the industry. Minister Heredia will continue to allow the industry to move things forward.
Tourism is a key focus of the current Government. He expects things to improve after 2009.

He also noted that Cabinet has been responsive to the needs of San Pedro. Cabinet has responded to the San Pedro Town Board, even if they have not been able to give all that has been requested, they have responded. There has been recent GOB assistance with Road Issues during the rainy season (Hardcore and Transportation).

Minister Heredia will also be pushing for Ambergris Caye to become the 7th District in the Country this year.

The designation of an official road north of the bridge has not happened yet, however he is hopeful that officials from the Ministry of Works will be here soon to make the designation.

Transport Department revenue has been transferred from Central Government to the Town Board already, and other similar revenue shifts will be occurring shortly. The Building Authority revenue is also now under the Town Board. He noted that San Pedro accounts for 50% of tourism, however San Pedro accounts for 70% of the Hotel Tax generated nationwide. He is fighting for San Pedro to receive a fair share of the revenue it generates.

The Road Sweeper has arrived, and the first trial of the vehicle was to take place over this past weekend. 1 Garbage Compactor has also arrived on the island and another is coming soon.

Minister Heredia let members know that they should feel free to leave suggestions and ideas with the local office of the BTB. The Director of the BTB will also begin working at least 1 day per month at the office above the Library, in order to better serve the community. Several things are in the pipeline in terms of Tourism, and the BTB will be bringing those to the industry stakeholders soon.

Mayor Elsa Paz then made some remarks to the Association. She reminded members of the upcoming election. She has been visiting with various groups and individuals to ask for their support. She was happy to have the opportunity to speak to the SPBA. She has decided to run for another term because of the fact that a UDP Central Government is in place. Even under a PUP Central Government they have been able to accomplish much for San Pedro. She feels that now that a UDP GOB is in place, they should be able to accomplish much more for the community. She noted that this is the first time that a San Pedrano has been the Minister of Tourism and has held a Cabinet Position and wants to take advantage of that fact. If re-elected, the Mayor would like to take a much more active role in the SPBA.

Mayor Paz is pleased that the GOB is granting more autonomy to the Local Governments. She feels that the 4 main areas of concern right now are Crime, Traffic, Garbage and the Roads.

Regarding Crime, Mayor Paz would like to get more police and BDF officers on the island. She noted that most Municipalities in local countries have their own Police and Fire Departments, and would like to see the same thing happen here. The present Police Force cannot handle the present demand. She is lobbying Central Government to move in the direction through Minister Heredia.

Councilor Pablo briefly addressed the group; highlighting areas of concern including a lack of funding for Sports and Youth related activities. He thanks businesses that have provided support to these endeavors previously, and is confident that government funding can be found to expand services in this area to the youth of San Pedro.

Minister Heredia jumped back in to touch on two issues that had been missed previously. He noted that the Old Football Field rehabilitation project should be starting by May 2009. 4 to 5 million dollars are being spent to revitalize this area, extending and fixing it.

The other issue is that of San Mateo. The Prime Minister is aware and supportive of improving the situation there. A Proposal for the Rehabilitation of San Pedro needs to be formulated. Once that occurs Central Government will support the proposal and assist in taking it to the World Bank for funding. Minister Heredia believes another 4 to 5 million dollars could be provided to the project in this manner.

Councilor Nano then took the floor. His goal is to have a Vocational School established in San Pedro. He feels the opportunity to learn a trade and get a good education is very important for the children of Ambergris Caye. He is working with the Town Board, the Central Government and the Business Community to make this a reality. His other goal is to see Ambergris Caye made the 7th district.

A Question was posed about building a new elementary school. Councilor Nano agreed that there is a great need for a new school on the island. He also noted the need for a Hospital as well. San Pedro is the main tourist destination in the country but does not have adequate Medical Care at the moment.

Minister Heredia noted that the Poly Clinic will be expanding coverage and operating hours in the next budget.

The floor was opened to questions.

Minister Heredia was asked about the Dredging that is taking place on the lagoon side south. It was noted that this dredging is directly impacting the livelihood of Tour Guides, as critical Bone Fish feeding and breeding areas are being destroyed. That area is a critical area for Bone Fish, and is teeming with life. Something needs to be done to protect those areas, as the Master Plan tried to accomplish. It was also noted that there are already too many piers on the east side of the island, which are cutting off access to the flats.

Minister Heredia noted that a National Master Plan is being developed. He agreed that the pier situation is an issue along the front of the island. He stated that we all must work together to identify areas that are in need of protection.

The Mayor was asked about the fact that Traffic is now one of the biggest complaints that visitors have about the island. Now that the Transport Department is under the Town Board, what is being done about this issue, and will the Transport Department be issuing a moratorium on permits to examine permits already in existence?

Mayor Paz noted that the Committee has the responsibility to work on those issues. She is part of the committee but is not the chairperson of it. She agrees that it is an issue and the committee is trying to get a handle on the situation.

The Transport Department Manager then made a few remarks. He took over the department in February of 2008. When he took over they did reexamine the permits allowed in the previous 4 months. They did not refuse any at that point. Now, the department evaluates the need of every applicant. They have been doing their best in this area. He feels that one of the biggest issues presently is the classification of vehicles. Vehicles keep getting larger and louder, but are still classified as Golf Carts. The department has been working on a reclassification system to address this issue.

They are presently developing a database to maintain control over the inventory of vehicles on the island. The Transport Department is a revenue-producing department for the Town Board now. Things are changing slowly but are improving.

Mayor Paz mentioned that she feels the biggest issue at the moment is Parking.

Various questions came from the floor regarding Traffic, including questions about Speeding, Vehicle Condition and Drivers License Revoking.

The Manager explained that there isn’t much that can be done about speeding since there is no way to prove how fast someone was actually going. When they do see someone speeding however, they try to get them on some other traffic related offense. Regarding the condition of vehicles, he mentioned that they have just implemented an inspection process before a permit can be renewed. This process began in October of 2008. Vehicles will need to be in relatively good shape before the permit will be renewed. He also mentioned the need for a secured impound yard, so that poor vehicles or offenders can have their vehicles impounded. He also explained that people can report traffic offenses. In order to do this, they need to give a sworn statement, signed by a Justice of the Peace. The Transport Department can then get the Police into the mix, however the complainant would need to appear before the Magistrate when the issue gets to that point.

Minister Heredia was asked what the Vision for Tourism in San Pedro is. What do we want to accomplish in terms of tourism? Do we want to ignore the niche that we have already created here, which helped to curb the losses that other tourist destinations have felt during this economic crisis? Do we want to become island of High Density Developments, like what has happened in Cancun? We do need development and growth, but why are we allowing development in this direction? Where are we going?

Minster Heredia answered that the new Master Plan that is being developed is the key to answering that question. He is in favor of Green Projects, and was against the High Density Development that is in the process of being approved personally. He noted that the Department of the Environment has scaled that development back. He said that personally it’s not the type of development he would like to see, but that he can’t become involved in the situation. He did say that he is committed to working with all stakeholders on the development of this new Master Plan. He also stressed that the Government is committed to ensuring that no decisions are made without the input of the local community.

A Member asked if Minister Heredia could verify a rumor that the Department of Environment had issued a Stop Work Order on South Beach. Minister Heredia responded that development activities have been stopped, but that he wasn’t sure if a Stop Work Order had been issued or not. He did mention that the developer is having difficulty finding a Bank or Insurance Company to handle the required $250,000 Bond.

Another member asked about Motorized Vehicles driving on the beach, especially in the North part of the island. They mentioned that Carts, and especially Motorcycles are driving over private property, through resorts with tourists present and becoming a nuisance and a safety issue.

Minister Heredia agreed that this is a big problem. He is hoping that the Department of Works will be over very soon to officially declare a North Road so that enforcement can be started on issues like this. Until there is an officially declared road, however, it is very difficult to stop this practice.