Video: City Says Ewing Street Trees To Stay
Mayor Graeme Outerbridge and other officials from the Corporation of Hamilton held a press conference today [Aug 14], where they said that the trees on Ewing Street will stay, and also pledged they will make greater efforts to listen to residents concerns.
The planned removal of the trees resulted in a protest by area resident Mrs Sherma Simmons plus the Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce [BEST], who gathered on August 5th to protest their removal.
23-minute video of today’s press conference:
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OH GREAT!!!…now that you have butchered the trees…smmfh!
don’t worry they’ll come back and be prettier than ever. Glad thay are saving them
Damage control!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why hadn’t these same people taken the time out to consult the neighborhood prior to damaging the street and the trees?
After having been pushed into a corner did realize they’d one thing left to do to save face… Thanks, for coming to your senses:-(
That and Carlton Simmons admitting he doesn’t read the minutes of the corporation and expects to be called if there are important matters.
This guy is a joker.
I agree, Carlton is nothing more than a show boat looking fame.
Now as for you Mayor Graeme Outerbridge, this is a good time to resign and “save what face you may still have left”
Ans someone who by his own admission doesn’t attend meetings and then get upsets that decisions are made in his absence.
1) Show Up!
2) If you can’t show up find out what happened (read minutes)
3) If you can’t do 1 or 2 – Resign and let someone who will take your place.
SIMPLE!
After watching this video it is clear that there is pure and total dysfunction in city hall!
Sometimes residents don’t know best!
I just watched the Muppet Show on Bernews!
Team Sherma! Well done!
I smell a huge rat here. The persons in power at the COH are now trying to blame their staff members and technical officers for their own decision to remove those trees from Ewing Street. Are they kidding? It was made clear to us from senior elected officials at the COH that this decision had been made and approved by the Council, but now they are ducking and weaving and trying to avoid blame on themselves and transfer it to their staff. As Mayor Outerbridge says, “sometimes we seem to have 6 or 7 mayors on the Council”. If heads are to roll as threatened by Mr Simmons then it should be some of those extra mayors.
What we are being sold now is that not a single member of the Council met with or consulted with the residents of Ewing Street before approving the removal of those trees, and that they relied entirely on their technical officers. That is a joke.
Beauty sustained,how about a tree with forthought to root system…palm trees have root balls and can be calculated to do abc….if these trees are going to cause tank damage then this can be discussed at an area meeting to see things through collectively (all the players),if you want a shade tree look at trees that have root ball systems and discussit, it isn’t politics per say ….its chamber and corporation….it always has been…..they are as organised as a cluster frolic!….but you can imagine what I mean when I say that….a little common sense goes along way….but like anything else lately…we’ll have to make do …..sense is as uncommon as cents to a dollar….a percentage of a dollar,fractional…..and sometimes you can only give credit….faith,hope and charity is something I reserve for Sundays!Don’t let me forget the plate….what is that now?10% ?At least you know what your getting there…
Nice to see the Surrogate Mayor and his lackeys confirming for Bermuda that most of them are out of their depth and are only in this for self. If these jokers are reelected then the residents of Hamilton deserve everything they get.
Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice…
What a shame the article heading does not read:
“Trees stay, CoH Mayor and team depart”
FWB
Great research and leadership Mrs. Sherma Simmons, I was quite impressed with what I saw on television and it has paid off that you defended your neighbourhood rights! Well Done!!
Wow,this COH is the worst administration of any assembled in these islands.So Dysfunctional and so much in fighting,back stabbing and lack of common sense being exhibited. Please let there be a newly elected COH soon.
Who’s bad idea was it in the first place. – Trees are a natural beauty. – and take a long time to grow back.
I can bet you anything that the Individual who wanted these trees cut down wouldn’t want the natural beauty around
there home to be cut down – disgusting selfish people in power!
Tree gate,come on PLP get on this.
The elected representatives of the COH are now attempting to shift all blame for the decision to cut down the Ewing Street trees onto their technical officers and are threatening that heads will roll. They seem to be suggesting that not one single elected Council member ever communicated with the area residents about this issue. In the interests of getting to the truth, here is a comment posted on Bernews on August 6 by “Residential Advisory Committee” is response to an article written by Jonathan Starling:-
Residential Advisory Committee says:
“Mr. Starling, the City presented their plans to the Residential Advisory Committee and residents many months ago on two or more occassions. Many of the protesters were in attendance. The residents are alarmed because the work is obviously moving forward without serious consideration given to the residents’ alternate plan – which were drawn by a architect with an office in North Hamilton.”
If the allegation from the elected members of COH is true then it appears the City presented their plans to both the Residential Advisory Committee and many residents without the Mayor or any elected members being present. Surely, those same elected members have a duty to attend such meetings and make themselves familiar with issues of concern to the voters. This would be a unforgiveable dereliction of their duties. It is they, the elected members who make policy decisions, and it is they who should have fully consulted with their voters before making the decison to cut down the trees.
Good Job Mrs Sherma Simmons!!!
All brains nooooooooo common sense – that is the way I feel about coh
None of this would ever have happened if COH Board member RoseAnn Edwards had not taken a stance to stop the workmen the first day they started to demolish the trees. If they had continued on course, with no interference, there would have been no trees left to save. All of those who jumped in to protest followed in the footsteps of this woman’s first action. Hats off to you RoseAnn. For once you took a firm stance for the residents in your area.
Also need to understand Roseann Edwards is not part of “Team Hamilton”
Honestly now….I see a balence of horticulture and buildings in Hamilton…..it took an insurance company to indicate the direction,they have and we still ignor it……LOOK at the insurance company in front of Barrs bay park…..all of Hamilton could be beautiful like that……but it will take design,constraint,and planning,consultation,ergonomics with beauty,why on Gods’green earth do they have to be seperate?…The answere is….THEY DON’T.Put beauty flora and fauna,salt water features thet recycle back to ocean,aquaduct waterflow utilosing tide wind and solar….