Lt. Governor not pleased, writes commissioners
PHILIPSBURG--Government is squarely in the hands of Leader of Government Commissioner William Marlin and Commissioner Hyacinth Richardson for the coming days, because the other three commissioners are off-island.
A minimum of three commissioners is required to make any decision and for a quorum for Executive Council meetings held usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
No decisions can be taken by the Executive Council until its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 23, or if an extraordinary meeting is called between Friday, March 19, and Monday, March 22, when the commissioners begin returning home.
Executive Council Chairman Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards is not too pleased with this scenario. He wrote to the commissioners last week expressing this and his concern about the precarious position Government's decision-making ability was in, with three commissioners off-island until the weekend.
Richards urged Executive Council members to make all efforts to avoid situations such as this, which hampers the practise of good governance, and appealed to members to live up to their responsibilities.
Deputy Leader of Government Commissioner Theo Heyliger headed to Miami, Florida, on Sunday afternoon to attend Seatrade Cruise Shipping Miami. He and officials of St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies will meet with cruise lines about continued partnerships.
Heyliger is also to give a talk on building successful destinations, during the conference. St. Maarten is a premier destination in the cruising world, thanks to the rejuvenation of Philipsburg and the districts, and the plethora of activities for cruise and land-based visitors. He is to return at the end of the week.
Personnel and Finance Commissioner Xavier Blackman also left Sunday, for the Netherlands, where he will meet with students and potential civil servants for country St. Maarten.
Blackman's trip originally was set for last week, but was put off until now because of issues with the draft 2010 budget. He returns on Sunday, in time to present the first budget to the Island Council on Monday, March 22.
Tourism and Economic Affairs Commissioner Frans Richardson left the island last week for Berlin, Germany, where he attended ITB, one of the largest travel tradeshows in Europe. He heads to Miami this week to be part of Seatrade Miami.
Marlin has been off-island since Thursday, and was expected to return home over the weekend from Tallahassee, Florida, where he met with local students, opened the Tallahassee-St. Maarten Foundation Office and signed a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate in-state tuition status for St. Maarten students studying at Lively Technical Center.
