€27 million ESB project under way
ESB project manager Mary Keogh outlined to the last Westport Town Council meeting, last Thursday evening, how the significant infrastructure project is taking shape since it was announced in January of this year.
Landowners have been consulted, tenders have been sought and the station and 110KV lines are envisaged to be fully operational in September 2010.
Town Manager, Peter Hynes, said that the improved connection was a “vital component” to make the town a “viable location” to invest in, in the future.
Burglaries on the increase
Now retired, Superintendent Pat Doyle addressed the town council as regards policing in the area over the past year.
Unfortunately some statistics were not welcome, with burglaries having increased in the area. According to the superintendent a number of these were committed by criminal gangs from outside the area, but there is also a local element responsible for such crimes and a number of prosecutions have been made resulting in jail sentences. The superintendent referred to the spate of robberies from cars in the area in recent weeks and noted that these were currently under investigation.
Drink driving incidences and public order offences have also increased, but that increased figures for public order offences were a reflection on certain people being targeted, such as cracking down on underage drinking in areas like the Pinewoods.
The superintendent said that he would like to have seen CCTV installed in the town before he retired and hoped that a sanction would soon be made for the provision of CCTV.
Councillor Margaret Adams said that “these local groups” who were breaking into cars and houses was “distressing” for the local community, while Cllr Peter Flynn, who has been a victim of a break-in, said that the “revolving door system” seems to be in the favour of criminals, but that the professionalism and follow up of local gardaí in relation to the break in was “second to none”.
All councillors commended the superintendent’s hard work and professionalism in his job, with Cllr Tereasa McGuire referring to him as the “super Super”.
Supt Doyle appreciated all the “kind words” and said that of all places that you won’t find a better place for inter agency co-operation than Westport.
Destination Westport embarks on national media campaign
Michael Lennon, member of Destination Westport presented to councillors how a media campaign for this year would be executed.
Through a €25k contribution from the town council and an equal amount from local businesses along with a substantial investment from Fáilte Ireland over €85k will be spent on radio and national marketing campaigns to attract tourists to the town, with the campaigns focusing on family holidays through outdoor, heritage and cultural themes.
Councillors were enthusiastic about the campaign as more people would holiday at home this year, therefore this would reach the right target audience and it was also a good message for the town council to send out in that it was investing rates to promote the town.
Keane commended for his role as Cathaoirleach
Leas Cathaoirleach, Fianna Fáil Cllr Brendan Mulroy commended Cllr Martin Keane for his fantastic year as Cathaoirleach, with Cllr Tereasa McGuire calling him a “worthy ambassador” for Westport. All councillors thanked and congratulated Cllr Keane, with the town manager offering “sincere congratulations for extremely successful year” and added that Cllr Keane was an “exemplar of courtesy, decency and diplomacy”.
Cathaoirleach Keane said that he attended 286 functions wearing the chain and that he was proud of his term of Cathaoirleach which he carried out “in my own style of course”.
Cllr Flynn leaves the town council after 10 years
Peter Hynes wished “sharp observer” Cllr Peter Flynn well on his retirement from the town council. Speaking after the meeting Cllr Flynn said that he was honoured to have represented Westport as Cathaoirleach in 2004 and representing the town at Tidy Towns achievements, on the Multi Agency Enterprise Group and for being part of the council who backed one of the first affordable housing scheme’s in the country — Pairc na Coille.
Fine Gael’s Cllr Flynn said that he was leaving the town council to “allow new people to enter the arena” and that the decline in functions carried out by town councils is why he wants to represent Westport on a county level.
