cayman compass Your most trusted news source $1 | Weekly, 29 December 2023 - 4 January 2024 ReGen project drags into 2024 Page 5 $30M injection for Cayman Airways Page 6Page 5 Farewell to 2023 Established 1965 Full coverage from page 14Matinees (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $9.00 (Mon-Fri before 6pm) Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets 640-FILM (640-3456) Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any lm starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. 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Compass Centre, Shedden Road, George Town, Cayman Islands SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman, KY1-1108 Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 • Email: newsdesk@compassmedia.ky ADVERTISE WITH US: T: (345) 949-5111 • E: sales@compassmedia.ky • W: caymancompass.com weather Friday Forecast FORECAST Partly cloudy with isolated showers SEA STATE Rough with a wave height of 6 to 8 feet. A small craft warning is in effect. WINDS Northeast at 15 to 20 knots with higher gusts. 85°F HIGH 75°F LOW NEWS EDITOR CAROLINE JAMES ISSUES EDITOR JAMES WHITTAKER HEAD OF SALES CHERYL BIRCH-GILLIES news in brief Lions Club spreads Christmas cheer Seniors and those in need received gifts and bags of groceries as the Lions Club of Grand Cayman made special deliveries across Grand Cayman. For the last 51 years, members of the Red Bay club have spread cheer to the less fortunate and elderly. Club president Patricia Forbes told the Compass they opted to start deliveries over the holiday weekend this year, a break from the Christmas Day tradition, as demand has grown, adding, “It is very important for the club to do this each year as our motto states ‘We Serve’.” The Club distributed 585 gifts and grocery bags throughout Grand Cayman. They were supported by members of the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens and the Leo Club. Man recovering from multiple gunshot wounds A man was taken to hospital early Saturday morning, 23 Dec., with multiple gunshot wounds following a shooting at a George Town bar. According to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, the incident occurred shortly after 1:40am in the parking lot of a bar along Printers Way, George Town. “Officers attended the location and recovered a number of spent shell casings,” police said. The man is said to have been taken to Cayman Islands Hospital, where he was treated for multiple non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. Christmas Eve carjacking leaves two injured A man and woman were beaten and their car was stolen early Christmas Eve morning. Police are searching for three suspects in connection with the incident, which occurred around 1:30am on 24 Dec. on Courts Road in George Town. The man and woman were seated in a vehicle by the roadside when they were approached by two men and a woman, police said. One of the men reportedly pulled the male victim from the vehicle and a struggle ensued. He was stuck repeatedly, including with an object, and received injuries to his face and shoulder. The female victim was also struck by one of the robbers, police said. The trio then entered the vehicle, which contained cash and personal items, and drove off. The victims were treated at Cayman Islands Hospital for their injuries. Police tracked the stolen vehicle to a location nearby and recovered some of the stolen property. The suspects were not located. Man wounded in clash at Safehaven dock A man suffered head wounds after a violent altercation at an event at the Safehaven dock on Saturday night, 23 Dec. Police said the incident occurred shortly after 11:40pm. It was reported that a man was struck with a bottle, causing lacerations to his head. Those involved in the clash left the area before police arrived. The victim attended Cayman Islands Hospital in a private vehicle and was being treated for his injuries. Visitor dies while snorkelling A 72-year-old tourist died after encountering difficulties while snorkelling in the North Sound. The visitor had embarked on an excursion on Friday, 22 Dec., and experienced difficulties which led to him becoming unresponsive, according to a statement by the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service. “The man was brought back to the vessel where persons aboard conducted CPR as he was transported back to the shore in the vicinity of Safehaven,” police said. The RCIPS said the man was taken to hospital by ambulance, where he was pronounced dead. His identity has not been released. Nine break-ins at bars/ restaurants over holidays Over the holiday weekend, between Friday 22 Dec. and Tuesday, 26 Dec., police received reports of nine burglaries at restaurants and bars. A 30-year-old man, of George Town, and a 41-year- old woman, of West Bay, were arrested in relation to four of the nine burglaries. They appeared before the court on Wednesday, 27 December, and have been remanded in custody. A number of waterfront bars in George Town were among those targetted, including Rackam's, GT Outpost, Cayman Cabana and the Sandbar. Health Services Authority appoints new deputy CEO Dr. Vinton Douglas has been appointed as the new deputy chief executive officer of the Health Services Authority and will take up the role on 1 Jan. His responsibilities include oversight of primary healthcare, corporate services, infection control, quality and risk, patient services, medical records, IT, infrastructure and support services, according to an HSA press release. Douglas has been on the senior management team as director of corporate services since 2019. Prior to this, he also held consulting positions in both the accident and emergency, and hyperbaric medicine departments since joining the HSA in 2006. “I am looking forward to working alongside the CEO, Ms Lizzette Yearwood, and the rest of the HSA team to make our organisation the local healthcare provider of choice,” Douglas said. Members of the Lions Club of Grand Cayman and volunteers at the Lions Community Centre on Christmas Day. - Photo: Gary Franklin cayman compass 2 N news WEEKLY, 29 DEC. 2023 - 4 JAN. 2024cayman compass 3 WEEKLY, 29 DEC. 2023 - 4 JAN. 20241234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 An edible mollusc (7) 5 West African republic (5) 8 To ridicule (4,3,2) 9 Demeanour (3) 10 Breach in friendly relations (4) 12 A return from investment (8) 14 Unruffled (6) 15 Quantity of sound (6) 17 A knitted jacket (8) 18 Put away tidily (4) 21 A hard heavy wood (3) 22 Quite certain (2,2,5) 24 Amazingly absurd (5) 25 Calamity (7) DOWN 1 Of high quality (5) 2 Invite (3) 3 Gallery in a church (4) 4 Learned expert (6) 5 Eliminate (3,3,2) 6 Therefore (2,1,6) 7 Curtail (7) 11 On the contrary (3,4,2) 13 Boundless extent of time (8) 14 Come next after (7) 16 Large fish-eating seabird (6) 19 Cleverly humorous (5) 20 Notion (4) 23 Employment (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 17513 The numbers in the black cells are clues. Numbers above the slash are across clues. Number below the slash are down clues. The goal is to enter digits 1 - 9 in the white cells to add up to the number clues. You cannot enter any digit more than once when adding up to clue. TODAY'S SOLUTIONS Puzzle 17513 ACROSS: 1 Scallop, 5 Ghana, 8 Poke fun at, 9 Air, 10 Rift, 12 Dividend, 14 Serene, 15 Volume, 17 Cardigan, 18 Stow, 21 Elm, 22 In no doubt, 24 Dotty, 25 Tragedy. DOWN: 1 Super, 2 Ask, 3 Loft, 4 Pundit, 5 Get rid of, 6 As a result, 7 Abridge, 11 Far from it, 13 Infinity, 14 Succeed, 16 Gannet, 19 Witty, 20 Idea, 23 Use. What they’re saying Online Pointing the way The Jay Bodden Highway was officially named, as the first section of the former Airport Connector Road opened on 22 Dec. The road, named after the late local developer, connects the Esterley Tibbetts Highway, south of Camana Bay, to Allie B Drive in Industrial Park. On hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony was Ministry of Infrastructure Jay Ebanks, along with family members of Bodden. Once completed, the highway will be two miles long and link the airport to the Esterley Tibbetts Highway. - Photo: Supplied pic of the week cayman compass 4 news N news WEEKLY, 29 DEC. 2023 - 4 JAN. 2024 Asylum services ‘hopelessly underfunded’ for next two years Well, I guess they don’t intend to do much in this area for the next two years. Do they really see this decreasing? So they’re budgeting less? Exactly where do our representatives live? They don’t have a clue what is going on in this country. - Darlene Glidden Former sports minister takes aim at football association This is exactly why they won’t allow any reputable coaches from clubs here to become members – it’s absolutely ridiculous! They have more experience, honesty and professionalism in their back pocket than some of these people but yet they aren’t accepted? If it’s really about the players and making CIFA well organised (or organised in the slightest), they would allow them to be a part of it! Such a joke! - skibank He said, he said... what a mess as no one seems to want to be accountable. - tsc_77 Well, do the right thing now, go hard on them. - Richard McLean Man recovering from multiple gunshot wounds This is getting stupid. Get all the guns off the island, If you are caught with a gun, the punishment should be prompt and severe. - Bruce L. Never mind “This is getting stupid”. How about “This is unconscionable?” I am extremely dismayed and concerned about the recent increase in gun-related violence that is occurring on Grand Cayman. I continue to find it hard to believe what I read in this newspaper about all of the shootings and violent crimes and the government’s inability to address this problem in a serious manner. My wife and I discovered Grand Cayman in 1990 on a vacation visit. We fell in love with the Island, as we found the residents to be wonderful, caring people, who made us feel comfortable and welcome. Unlike other Caribbean Islands we had visited in the past, we felt very safe; and had no concerns about a moonlight stroll on the beach or an evening walk to a local bar or restaurant. Over the past 30+ years we have taken extended annual vacations on Grand Cayman with our friends and family; and, unfortunately, as of recent, that feeling of being safe is no longer present and comforting. For the sake of residents and visitors, the government has to take immediate steps to put a stop to this indiscriminate increase in violent crimes. Whatever it takes, get it done, the sooner, the better! - Paul L. Even at Christmas, animal abuse cases abound A jail sentence on bread and water would be too kind to owners who mistreat their pets. Where are the police community officers who should be seeing this and taking action, including removal of the animal and arrest of the individuals concerned? - Paul D. Humans are cruel to humans so them being cruel to animals is no surprise there! Sad, so sad. - lovesunsetsandstars This is a crime, put those people in jail. - andersontibbetts Residents report ill effects of guava-scented mosquito spray They need what looks like gas masks of some sort, but we are okay to breathe it in? - Courtney Winter The aerial spraying makes my tongue numb, but I’m sure it’s safe. - bellalunacayman Complainers here a) were probably not in residence when mosquitos would eat you alive during an evening walk; and b) were not aware the previous solution was vaporised diesel fuel sprayed from a pickup truck (or a plane) at sunset. Let’s credit Mosquito Research and Control for real progress! - chuckmcmahon MPs propose review of National Conservation Council’s oversight Are they stunting development or protecting what is left of Cayman’s nature? - caribbeancanadian On the contrary, they are one of the only ones actually doing their job in this process. Imagine how much more environmental damage we would’ve had if there were no NCC? - onlyron345 You’re supposed to be protecting our wildlife and marine life, not destroying it. - raexsafiya What needs to happen is a moratorium on any new development. Cayman has so much flora and fauna found nowhere else on Earth. Destroying that out of nothing more than financial greed is utterly disgusting. - mclachlanwild NCC fighting to keep the little bit of land safe from being bulldozed and, apparently, it’s a hindrance to rich people making money. Shameful that persons think the NCC has “too much power” in protecting our little Island in the sun. - 2boys_andamermaidSAVING THE BEST FOR LAST Waterfront Living With The Finest Boutique Hotel Services +1 .345.526.7777 FINGRANDCAYMAN.COM Six unique and expansive 3, 4 and 5 bedroom penthouses with uninterrupted ocean views and 24/7 concierge and security services. Brand new and ready to move in furnished or unfurnished. From USD $3.4m with one year warranty and flexible owner financing. RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky While government continues to negotiate the financial close on ReGen, work on the environmental impact assessment for the multi- million dollar waste-management project is nearing completion. Department of Environment Director Gina Ebanks-Petrie, in a brief update, said the EIA document is currently with the consultants, undergoing revisions. “We hope to have a final version approved early in the New Year,” she said. In August, a draft environmental statement, which was released for public consultation, noted that the anticipated effects of the new facilities on the surrounding areas would be an improvement on the existing landfill. The ReGen project continues to stretch on as government again missed its most recent deadline – in November – to sign the financial close. No new updated timeline has been issued by government for the end of negotiations. Cayman has been waiting six years for the project to get off the ground and a recent fire at the landfill once again raised questions about the status of the project. Continuing negotiations In 2017, the Progressives- led government chose the Dart consortium as the preferred bidder on the project. In March 2021, the government signed the deal with the consortium, but the financing of the project remains under negotiation. There has been no official word on what are the sticking points in the negotiations between the government and the Dart-led consortium. The ReGen project will consist of nine integrated facilities, that include a waste-to-energy plant, a recycling centre and composting area, as well as a lined ‘residual’ landfill for any waste that cannot be incinerated or recycled. There has been some debate on the cost of the project; however, it reportedly comes with a price tag estimated at over $1 billion over 25 years. Speaking during the budget debate earlier this month, Sustainability and Climate Resiliency Minister Katherine Ebanks-Wilks said the government and the Dart-led consortium were “working diligently” to iron out the “handful” of remaining conditions still to be agreed on for the project. She assured that the United People’s Movement government is “thoroughly committed to seeing this important national project through to completion”. “We’re equally committed to ensuring that this deal is the best it can be for the people of the Cayman Islands. For ReGen to be truly the future of sustainable waste management in the Cayman Islands, it needs to be affordable now and in the long term,” she said. Benefits without burden Ebanks-Wilks, under whose ministry the project falls, said as government continues to finalise negotiations for the project, “our main priority will be ensuring that ReGen delivers all of the intended benefits to our economy, society and environment without placing undue financial burden on our people”. Ebanks-Wilks, who took over the ministry when former Premier Wayne Panton stepped down last month, said she will give the project her “full attention”. “I will do everything in my power to ensure that this is indeed value for money,” she said. “This project is the largest, in terms of expenditure, that the government has ever undertaken. It has to be done right and it has to benefit the people of the Cayman Islands. I will accept nothing less than that.” Ebanks-Wilks said the missed deadline for the financial close had nothing to do with the formation of the new government. She said she has identified that “there is a dire need for improved communications” between the government’s project team, the minister and Cabinet, and she assured this will change. Work on the remediation of the landfill continues, she said, and funding has been allocated in the budget for completion of phase one of the remediation. Editor’s Note: The Cayman Compass is a subsidiary of Dart Media and Entertainment. ReGen EIA under review, approval expected early 2024 The ReGen project has been in the works for six years – Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass 5 WEEKLY, 29 DEC. 2023 - 4 JAN. 2024REBECCA BIRD rbird@compassmedia.ky Cayman’s national flag carrier has once again been awarded a substantial allocation in the government’s budget to run its domestic and international flights in 2024 and 2025. The funding totals $30.7 million in 2024 and $27.7 million in 2025, and was approved in the latest meeting of Parliament’s Finance Committee. As well as pay for about a fifth of Cayman Airways’ total operating expenses, the cash will cover its annual multi-million dollar losses. But a $10.4 million forecast loss in 2023 with greater deficits predicted in the coming years, has led some MPs to worry that the budgeted funds are not enough. Meanwhile, the airline is more than $23 million in the red with its value expected to drop further in 2024 and 2025. Financial position Cayman Airways is legally separate but owned by the government on behalf of the people of the Cayman Islands. Both entities have signed an ownership agreement which details how the government expects the company to perform, within agreed boundaries. The carrier’s financial performance for 2023 and targets for 2024 and 2025 are detailed in the agreement signed by Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan and the airline’s board chairman. It says the carrier is forecast to lose $10.4 million by the end of the year, $13.1 million in 2024 and $12.1 million in 2025. The agreement also shows that Cayman Airways’ liabilities – financial obligations or debts – are vastly greater than its assets, meaning it has a negative net worth. While its liabilities are expected to drop from $68.6 million at the end of 2023, to $62.8 million in 2024 and $56.8 million in 2025, it is still likely to go further into the red. The carrier is forecast to have a net worth of -$23.3 million by the end of this year, dropping to -$24.3 million in 2024 and then to -$27.3 million in 2025. “After years of historical losses, the airline is faced with a severe deficiency of working capital,” the agreement reads. It stresses that the government and the carrier must work together to create adequate levels of working capital so it can invest to improve efficiency and viability. “This working capital deficiency may from time to time require external borrowings or equity injections from the government,” the document says. The airline also aims to have its historical debt refinanced to improve cash flow and allow “adequate levels of working capital to be realised”. Upcoming funding The government’s 2024 and 2025 budgeted funding for Cayman Airways of $30.7 million and $27.7 million caused a stir among some Finance Committee members on 13 Dec. The allocation is made up of $3.1 million each year for purchase of ‘strategic domestic air services’, and $15.4 million for ‘strategic tourism, regional and core air services’. There is also a sizeable equity investment each year. For 2024, that cash injection has been budgeted at $12.1 million – $3 million more than the usual $9.1 million per year that was awarded in 2022 and 2023, and budgeted for 2025. Opposition MP Moses Kirkconnell, who represents Cayman Brac West and Little Cayman, asked if the amount is a fair representation of what the carrier needs to run its service. He stressed that Cayman Airways is making a loss and told representatives present that “you’re losing your bottom line”. Cayman Airways’ chief financial officer Paul Tibbetts responded that the equity injection “is there to cover debt financing and also to cover any additional losses that occur”. He said the amount has increased for 2024 to offset what the losses are expected to be. ‘Fixed numbers’ In his contribution, Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan told members, “this budget outlay was given to me by the previous premier”, referencing former premier Wayne Panton. Bryan said he had offered to keep it that way in the interest of getting the budget passed, with the knowledge that the government will support any necessary additional funds. “But we are that confident that this company is doing well, that we can take that chance for one year to see,” he told the committee. “I must say that the company is doing better than it’s ever done before. If they need the extra $3 million… we will be there for them to give the necessary injection.” Red Bay MP Alden McLaughlin said he interpreted Bryan’s response as: “This budget isn’t real – we’ve just fixed the numbers as best we can, because this is what we’re stuck with.” He told members his leading concern is “how many of the other budgets are a ‘stab in the dark’ and ‘a hope and a prayer’ that things are going to work out”. “I hope that that’s not really the case, because, if it is, I really fear what’s going to happen over the course of the next couple of years,” he told the committee. Premier Juliana O’Connor- Connolly, who is also Minister of Finance, responded, “I can give the assurance that any supplementary would only be considered if proven necessary.” She told McLaughlin that in the budget for 2024 and 2025, no one gets 110% and everyone has to make sacrifices. Benefits The agreement calls the airline a “major contributor to the Cayman Islands economy both directly and indirectly through employment and the purchase of goods and services”. It adds that it is also a strategic tool used by the government to drive economic activity by providing guaranteed airlift and a competitive market environment. According to studies over 10 years, the total economic impact or contribution of the airlift to the Cayman Islands is over $150 million per year, the document says. It adds: “The airline’s value on a macroeconomic level outweighs the government’s annual investment through this purchase agreement.” However, the ‘strategic goals’ section says the airline’s economic contribution must continue to be provided in the most efficient manner. Another goal is that the airline must seek out opportunities that increase passenger and cargo throughput, to maximise efficiency and reduce dependence on government funding. “This should include the exploration of strategic partnerships with other airlines and potential industry partners to reduce costs and enhance revenue potential,” it says. The carrier will also continue to explore commercial agreements with select international carriers where deemed beneficial to the Cayman Islands. Operations The company leases three 737- 8 MAX aircrafts which provide international connections, as well as service to Cayman Brac. It also owns two SAAB 340 and two Twin Otter aircraft through subsidiary, Cayman Airways Express, which operates routes between Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. Additional revenue is generated by providing handling services to other airlines at Owen Roberts International Airport in Grand Cayman. The government purchases strategic domestic and tourism operations from the company. During periods of economic slowdown, the government may also purchase certain core operations from the company as well. Cayman Airways runs flights from Grand Cayman to Cayman Brac, Little Cayman, Miami, Tampa, New York, Denver, Los Angeles, Panama, Barbados, Cuba, Jamaica and Honduras. Additional routes continue to be evaluated in conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism. cayman compass 6 news N news WEEKLY, 29 DEC. 2023 - 4 JAN. 2024 Government budgets $30M for loss-making Cayman AirwaysNORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky Despite low DUI numbers so far this holiday season, police say more than 140 collisions, or about 10 a day, occurred in the first two weeks of the RCIPS’s annual ‘Winter Guardian’ road safety operation. At the end of last year’s campaign, police reported there were an average of seven collisions a day. In an update on its campaign, issued on 22 Dec., police said arrests for DUIs have been low since the beginning of the campaign on 8 Dec. – with just nine people being arrested for driving while intoxicated. The RCIPS said those nine arrests was a lower number than generally seen in previous years. In one case, police said, officers observed a man who appeared to be using his mobile phone while driving and driving erratically. The officers detected alcohol on his breath and he was arrested after he refused a roadside breath test. “Despite the low DUI numbers however, there have been a high number of motor-vehicle collisions during the period,” police said. No serious injuries Officers have responded to 143 collisions, ranging from “mostly minor fender benders” to some collisions with more serious damage. There have been no serious injuries reported. “While we are pleased that the public generally seems to be refraining from drinking and driving, we are still concerned with the high number of collisions we have been seeing during this period,” says Chief Supt. Brad Ebanks. “Although most of these do not appear to have been as a result of DUI, we are seeing a number of persons who continue to speed, use mobile phones, or otherwise drive while distracted. “We encourage the public to report suspected drunk driving, as this may prevent a more serious incident from occurring.” 41 prosecuted for speeding So far during the operation, there have also been 41 prosecutions for speeding, 20 for driving while not wearing a seatbelt, and 14 for using a mobile phone while driving. There have also been 12 prosecutions for careless driving and four for dangerous driving. “We continue to remind the public to refrain from these driving behaviours, as distracted driving for the slightest moment can be costly,” Ebanks said. Police said they would be maintaining their road enforcement operations, increased community foot patrols and high-visibility mobile patrols across the islands during the holiday period. Thefts from vehicles Thefts from vehicles continue to be seen, police said, and they urged the public to take precautions to help prevent such break-ins, by ensuring they do not leave valuables visible inside their vehicles when unattended. “If you must leave valuables in your vehicle, it’s best to place them out of the sight of opportunist persons,” the RCIPS said. Police officers have also been conducting regular visits to retail locations “to provide reassurance and crime prevention advice to business owners, and to monitor activities generally”. Ebanks said the community has “responded positively to our focus on proactive efforts and we are continuing this focus to bring in the New Year”. He added that officers would continue “to be out to support the public and businesses as commercial opening hours are extended”. Arrive Alive 345 The RCIPS said it was supporting its partners at the National Drug Council and Compass Media with their annual Arrive Alive 345 campaign over the New Year's holiday weekend. Officers have been assisting in distributing information packages to bars and restaurants, to spread awareness of the Purple Ribbon Pledge, Designated Driver Programme and the Purple Ribbon Bus. The Purple Ribbon Bus service provides a free bus service on New Year’s Eve from 9pm to 4am in all districts throughout on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac. Drivers are encouraged to take the Purple Ribbon Pledge to not drink and drive over the holiday season. “With these programmes and other alternative transport options, there is really no excuse for drinking and driving,” the RCIPS said. “Although the numbers have been low so far this season, the ideal number is zero. Remember that the legal limit is now 0.07%. This means that even one or two drinks may be enough to put you over the legal limit.” Ebanks advised people going out and socialising over the holiday period to “ensure you have a plan on how you will get back safely, without driving if you have been drinking”. 10 collisions a day during holiday safety campaign RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Government’s plans to upgrade the general aviation facility at the Owen Roberts International airport has taken another step forward with the opening of tender bids for design consultancy services for the project. The request for proposals, which was issued on the government procurement Bonfire portal, is seeking firms to design the general aviation parking apron, heliport and marine dock project. The plans consist of the construction of an approximate 70,000 square-metre flexible and non-flexible aircraft parking apron, an approximate 10,500 square-metre heliport apron and a small marine dock with an associated seawall. “The GA apron will consist of a connection to the existing taxiways G and H. The design scope will include all access roads, underground utilities and necessary external works required as outlined in the conceptual design included in the CIAA 2041 Master Plan. The site is located at the Owen Roberts International Airport in Grand Cayman and is adjacent to the existing easterly apron and the North Sound,” the RFP stated. The deadline for submissions is 22 Jan. 2024. No EIA required Included in the RFP documents is the Department of Environment screening opinion, which found that the proposed development does not require an environmental impact assessment “as there are no likely significant adverse effects that require further assessment”. However, the DoE did say there are likely to be minor adverse effects related to air quality, ground conditions, and noise and vibration from the proposed development. Pointing to the proposed design, the DoE said the Cayman Islands Airports Authority should take into account climate change in its project. It is also recommending that it “restore the 1.5 acre encroachment into the Mangrove Buffer Zone into mangrove habitat to mitigate for the loss of 3 acres of mangroves across the remainder of the site”.The general aviation upgrade forms part of the government’s Airports Master Plan, which outlines the way forward for aerodromes on all three of the Cayman Islands over the next two decades. The Cayman Islands Airports Authority document, unveiled in July, indicates that the total estimated price tag for the many projects in the plan is just under $660 million. Some of the projects are considered to be of such high priority that they need to be completed within the next five years, while others are much farther down the to-do list. Of that amount, almost $491 million will be spent on Owen Roberts International Airport in Grand Cayman, $79 million on the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport in Cayman Brac, and $47.5 million on the Edward Bodden Airfield in Little Cayman. ‘Well beyond’ extended life expectancy The CIAA, in its project details in the request for proposals, explained that the existing general aviation terminal at Owen Roberts “is well beyond the building’s original and extended life expectancy”. “The ageing building requires ever-increasing maintenance and repairs, and the facility fails to provide the high-value brand image that the Cayman Islands Government is working to foster for its visitors,” it said. The authority said it acknowledged three key issues with the existing facility – the relatively poor condition of the terminal building, the lack of space required for general aviation aircraft parking during peak periods, and delays to both general aviation and commercial airline operations due to wait times for aircraft ‘backtracking’ taxiing operations and resulting in extra time occupying the runway. Work on upgrading general aviation, the CIAA said, will be done in phases, with the first part for completing the aircraft parking apron, the heliport apron and the small marine dock. The second phase is to build the general aviation terminal, with the final phase to construct a hangar, both of which are outlined in the master plan. This artist's rendering of the proposed general aviation facility shows additional parking for private aircraft and a dock for watertaxis. - Image: Cayman Islands Airports Authority General aviation terminal upgrade moves ahead The number of DUI arrests in the first two weeks of the holiday road safety campaign Police at a Winter Guardian road block. - Photo: Supplied 9 cayman compass 7 news year in review N news WEEKLY, 29 DEC. 2023 - 4 JAN. 2024cayman compass 8 news N news WEEKLY, 29 DEC. 2023 - 4 JAN. 2024 RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Government is moving ahead with plans to restructure various departments under the Planning, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure Ministry which may pave the way for the creation of a Department of Transportation. A tender, posted to the Bonfire procurement portal, stated that government is seeking a consultant or agency specialising in organisational design “to undertake a review of the current organizational structures and provide recommendations to increase organizational transparency, efficiencies, effectiveness and coherence”. The review follows on from an announcement last month from Planning and Infrastructure Minister Jay Ebanks that Cabinet had approved the commissioning of a business case to look into potentially amalgamating three transport-related agencies into a single Department of Transportation, to be charged with managing local transport issues. The review will take a critical view of the National Roads Authority, the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing, and the Public Transport Unit, he said. The tender, however, does not include the National Roads Authority in its scope of analysis. The tender, which closes on 18 Jan., is asking for review of the organisational structures of seven departments under the Planning Ministry – the Department of Agriculture, Department of Planning Services, Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing, Department of Vehicle and Equipment Services, Public Works Department, Facilities Management Department and the Public Transport Unit. The timeline for completion of the analyses of the departments ranges from 2024 to 2025. The tender states that the selected consultant team shall perform a comprehensive organisational analysis of the ministry’s departments, including all operational, technical, administrative and support functions, organisational structure and current staffing levels. “The analysis shall be fact-based and shall included all aspects of the Ministry’s functions. The review will consider immediate, short-term and long-term recommendations informed by current and anticipated contexts, with a view to support long-term viability,” it added. The objective, the tender said, is to “review and evaluate the present utilization and adequacy of resources within each department”. A summary of the current state assessment, applicable best practices, and the results of interviews/focus groups is also expected. The scope of work includes: Evaluation of current service levels, identification of service level gaps, analysis on potential efficiency opportunities and organisational design elements. At the end of the exercise, the tender said, a final report is expected consisting of a range of relevant management model options (high level) for the restructure, and a preferred management model with rationale alongside a corresponding a high- level implementation plan It is also expected that the report will include a communication strategy with the objective to increase “organizational transparency/ accessibility with the view to improve the delivery of services to internal and external clients, which includes time and quality of services provided by the departments”. Government begins restructuring Planning Ministry departments Planning and Infrastructure Minister Jay Ebanks RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky House Speaker Sir Alden McLaughlin says he will be pressing forward with efforts to modernise the Parliamentary Standing Orders, which were penned in 1976. “Some of [the provisions] are archaic and really not relevant to the way things need to operate here,” McLaughlin, in a recent interview with the Cayman Compass, said, as he made his case for updating the Standing Orders. He said it has been a “challenge” for the last 20 years to “draft, agree and adopt a set of modern Standing Orders”. The Standing Orders document, which still references the Legislative Assembly, governs how the Parliament operates. Aim to modernise “The Cayman Islands Constitution has moved forward leaps and bounds, and so a lot of the provisions in the old Standing Orders relate to constitutions where elected members had much less control over the destiny of the country. We need to get them in line,” he said. McLaughlin said, during his tenure as premier, he tried to initiate the process to update the Standing Orders, but it was not done. Now, as Speaker, he said he will begin efforts to have the provisions of the Standing Orders brought in line with the Constitution. McLaughlin pointed out that the Standing Orders was drafted before the “marvels of email and the other means of communicating quickly” and the review can address this. “All of these long notice periods and all of these hurdles you have to go through to get a motion before the House, a lot of those things can be short-circuited and make the whole business of legislating and governing much more efficient,” he said. McLaughlin said the House is now fully autonomous with the control of the administrative operations having been transferred from the deputy governor to the Parliament Management Council. The council, which is chaired by the Speaker, was an entity also created under McLaughlin’s Progressives-led administration when the legislation to modernise the then Legislative Assembly was completed. McLaughlin said over the present electoral term the council has not been able to function as effectively as it should. “This term has seen so much upheaval and there’s been such fractiousness within the government itself, it has affected the Parliament Management Council because the [council] is made up of the speaker, the premier, a number of ministers and members from the opposition, and even being able to get a quorum had been a challenge,” he said. However, he said he hopes that things will settle down and that the council can start to look at “how we can better manage the affairs of the Parliament”. Regular meetings He said also high on his agenda is meeting with Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly to get a regular schedule of Parliamentary meetings set for 2024. Last month, Auditor General Sue Winspear issued a renewed call for creating a set schedule of parliamentary meetings. Winspear said parliamentary sittings were an important tool for good governance and transparency. McLaughlin shared the sentiment, saying that for the first time in his 23-year political career he has seen the House meet “so infrequently and for such short periods” under the tenure of previous Premier Wayne Panton. “It really doesn’t bode well for good governance if the elected members of the country do not regularly have an opportunity to scrutinise, to question, what it is the government is doing and to be able to put forward by way of motions proposals which it thinks the government ought to take on board. I hope that we can restore that aspect of good governance during the balance of this term,” he said. McLaughlin added he is hoping that he can discuss this with the premier early in the new year. ‘Archaic’ Parliament Standing Orders to be modernised Speaker of the House Sir Alden McLaughlin The timeline for completion of the analyses of the departments ranges from 2024 to 2025.Find out how a career at Walkers +adds up Bermuda | British Virgin Islands | Cayman Islands | Dubai | Guernsey | Hong Kong | Ireland | Jersey | London | Singaporewalkersglobal.com At Walkers we develop technically strong and highly competent administrators as part of our WPS Development Programme. Our tailored professional development course is designed to ensure participants acquire a broad and flexible professional services skillset leading to limitless opportunities for career progression. We invite applicants from Caymanians considering post-graduation career options or looking for a career change to visit the Careers section of our website for more information. 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