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An open letter to the Minister of VROMI
Dear Minister of VROMI,
When last have you had a good goat stew?
I am not asking because I want to invite you to lunch. I am asking because there is presently a goat working on Front Street, and judging from the photograph circulating on Facebook, it may be one of the most productive members of the Government’s street-cleaning programme.
The animal was photographed with its head down, diligently removing weeds from the curb. No reflective vest. No Government vehicle. No supervisor leaning on a shovel. No consultant preparing an assessment. No press release announcing the commencement of the beautification programme.
The goat simply showed up and went to work.
That is why I asked on Facebook:
“Did the Government of Sint Maarten award a new cleaning contract to goats and sheep?”
The public responded with 455 likes, 83 comments and 29 shares.
Minister, that is more public engagement than many Government consultations receive. Click here to like it as well>>>
One commenter called it “cheap, efficient labour.” Another suggested that the animals work better than the people cashing the cheques. Someone else warned that nobody should hurt the goats because they are helping the cleaning crew.
The comments were hilarious.
The situation is not.
A Front Street merchant sent me the photograph because he is frustrated. According to him, the streets are unkempt, garbage and discarded trash are being left behind, and grass and weeds are taking over the curbs.
He wants the matter brought to the attention of VROMI.
The merchant apparently believed that writing an article might help. I was not so sure. After all, how many articles, complaints and photographs does it take before a Government ministry notices that the capital is becoming untidy?
But the goat changed everything.
The goat did what no official complaint might have accomplished. It attracted the public’s attention.
The only remaining question is whether it attracted yours.
The new VROMI grazing contract
Perhaps I have misunderstood the situation.
Maybe VROMI has quietly introduced an environmentally friendly roadside-maintenance programme.
Perhaps the ministry has abandoned weed wackers and grass cutters in favour of goats, sheep, cows and horses.
It would certainly save money.
The animals require no gasoline. They submit no overtime claims. They need no pension plan. They do not call in sick. They do not need Government vehicles. They will not attend a conference in Curaçao to study regional best practices in grass consumption.
Most importantly, they work for food.
In fact, the food is the work.
This may be the first Government contract in the history of Sint Maarten where the contractor consumes the evidence before an audit can take place.
The procurement process must also have been impressive.
Was there a public tender?
How many goats submitted bids?
Did the sheep complain that the tender specifications favored animals with horns?
Was the successful bidder required to provide proof of registration at the Chamber of Commerce?
Did the goat receive a business license?
Is Turnover Tax being deducted from every mouthful of grass?
And who is supervising the contract?
One Facebook commenter pointed out that our St. Maarten Song speaks of “cows and sheep and goats” in the meadows or on the roads. Perhaps this goat is simply obeying our cultural heritage policy.
The problem, Minister, is that Front Street is neither a meadow nor a petting zoo.
It is the main commercial street of Philipsburg.
The goat is not the problem
Let us be fair to the goat.
The goat did not throw garbage on the street.
The goat did not neglect the curbs.
The goat did not allow grass and weeds to grow until they became an all-you-can-eat roadside buffet.
The goat saw an opportunity and took it.
That is entrepreneurship.
If Government is serious about encouraging local enterprise, perhaps the goat should receive a Startup Growth Period. It has already identified a market, reduced operating costs and delivered a visible service without submitting one request for a subsidy.
The goat may even qualify as the G.O.A.T. of public maintenance: the Greatest of All Time.
But while we laugh, the merchant’s complaint remains.
Front Street is one of the most visible streets in the country. Merchants pay rent, wages, taxes, license fees and utility bills. They invest in storefronts, merchandise and employees. They depend on residents and visitors feeling comfortable walking through Philipsburg.
When the streets are dirty, the curbs are overgrown and garbage is allowed to accumulate, the message is clear: nobody is taking responsibility.
That hurts the merchants.
It hurts the appearance of the capital.
It hurts the tourism product.
And ultimately, it hurts the reputation of Sint Maarten.
We spend millions promoting the destination, welcoming cruise ships and telling visitors that Philipsburg is the shopping capital of the Caribbean. Yet a merchant must send out a photograph of a goat eating weeds to draw attention to basic maintenance.
Maybe the goat should be added to the tourism campaign.
“Visit Front Street: Where the shopping is duty-free and the landscaping is performed naturally.”
Minister, please stew on a solution
So, Minister, before anyone puts the goat in a stew pot, perhaps you should stew on a solution.
When last did you or a senior VROMI official walk the length of Front Street?
Not drive through it.
Not pass it with tinted windows up and the air conditioning on.
Walk it.
Inspect the sidewalks. Look at the curbs. Check the alleys. See where the weeds are growing. See where trash is collecting. Speak with the merchants who open their businesses every morning and face the situation every day.
Then tell the public who is responsible for cleaning Front Street.
Is it VROMI?
Is it another ministry?
Is it a private contractor?
Are the merchants responsible for the areas directly outside their businesses?
Is there a cleaning schedule?
Is anyone inspecting the work?
And if contractors are being paid, are they delivering the service for which they are cashing the cheques?
These are not complicated questions.
Front Street does not need another study. It does not need a committee. It does not need a symposium on sustainable urban vegetation management.
It needs to be swept.
The garbage needs to be collected.
The weeds need to be removed.
The curbs need to be cleaned.
The streets need to be maintained consistently, not only after an embarrassing photograph goes viral.
Let the goat retire with honor
Minister, the public has already rendered its verdict.
The goat is doing a good job.
It is economical. It is environmentally friendly. It works without complaining, and it accepts payment in grass.
But the goat should not have to carry the responsibility for maintaining the commercial heart of Philipsburg.
Send out the proper cleaning crews. Inspect the work. Establish a visible maintenance schedule. Hold the responsible parties accountable and let merchants know where they can report neglected areas.
Then allow this hardworking goat to retire with honor and return to the meadow.
It has already done more than enough.
And if this article still does not get the ministry’s attention, perhaps we can tie a copy around the goat’s neck and send it directly to your office.
At least we know the goat will show up for work.
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Recommended reading:
Front Street Before the Cruise Boom
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