Premier McKeeva Bush said yesterday that that he would “make some announcements” at tonight’s Bodden Town community meeting, and promised to address concerns about the proposed waste-management facility in the district.

Speaking at the Tuesday inauguration of the $3 million Customs Freight Security Initiative, Mr Bush said tonight’s gathering at the Bodden Town Post Office was just the latest in a series of district meetings, “a follow-up, as I have said, in which we will address matters of concern, matters that the Opposition has been kicking from pillar to post for three years.

“There will not be a single subject,” he said,” referring to notices advertising discussions “on the cruise ship dock and other matters”.

“We will discuss and talk about the waste-management facility in addition to other matters. We will talk more about the [George Town] Landfill and waste-management, the port and financial matters that I am responsible for as premier and as minister.

“I will also make some announcements on Thursday night,” he said, hinting at statements similar to his 28 February East End revelation that he would give $200,000 for district improvements, managed by independent candidate John McLean Jr, in effect bypassing elected MLA Arden McLean.

While he declined to elaborate, he said by the end of the evening ”they will see that we have the interests of Bodden Town in mind. We have not forgotten.”

On Tuesday, the local 75-member Coalition to Keep Bodden Town Dump Free called on residents to gather 45 minutes ahead of tonight’s 7:30 meeting, demonstrating against the 110-acre waste-management facility in nearby Midland Acres, fearing for community health, safety, business and general property values.

The Midland Acres site will be developed at a cost of $26.5 million by the Dart-government ForCayman Investment Alliance (FCIA), a 30-year, $1.5 billion programme of infrastructure and community development. Dart will spend another US$32.5 to US$42.5 million to “close, remediate and relocate” the George Town Landfill, adjacent to the company’s residential-business Camana Bay community.

Vowing to force the issue of the relocation, coalition spokesmen on Tuesday described tonight’s meeting as “an insult to all residents of Bodden Town and a slap in the face”, lamenting the failure of government and local ruling-party MLAs to address their concerns, schedule community consultations or explain the choice of Midland Acres.

Ruling-party Bodden Town MLAs Mark Scotland — also Minister for Health and Environment — and Dwayne Seymour sought yesterday to allay community fears, saying they too would address tonight’s gathering.

”We will answer all the questions,” they told iNews Cayman, anticipating demands for consultations with worried residents and business operators, and queries about environmental and economic impacts.

”We will address everything,” they said.

Yesterday, coalition spokesman Alain Benier welcomed the meeting, but remained skeptical of the promises,

“Although no substitute for a proper consultation with the people of Bodden Town, and certainly not a substitute for asking us for our consent, the coalition would welcome answers to the many questions we’ve been asking,” he said.

“Why have MLAs Scotland and Seymour not met with the coalition, as promised?  Why have they not produced the documents which we requested, as promised? Will government ask for the consent of Bodden Towners?”

Mr Benier said the relocation of the George Town Landfll remained a commercial imperative for Dart Realty.

“It is a fact that the only reason to move the George Town dump is so that Dart can get it out of its backyard, and develop a new residential project,” he said.