Top Barbudan officials refute complicity in Katel Hill Development

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By Elesha George

[email protected]

Barbuda MP Trevor Walker and Barbuda Council Chairman Devon Warner have dismissed allegations of complicity in the government’s proposed development plans for Katel Hill, describing the claims as misleading and unfounded.

The allegations were made by Senator Knacyntar Charles, who – in a Facebook post on January 25 – alleged that the Chairman failed to raise objections during a January 23 meeting, suggesting that his concerns only arose under public scrutiny.

Walker characterized Senator Charles’ remarks as “total foolishness”, asserting that her claims were a deliberate attempt to confuse the public by conflating separate issues.

“Based on what the chairman has said, is that they want to build 12 homes, either 10 or 12 homes, at Louis Hill, not at Katel Hill. So that idea of mixing up that meeting with what they’re doing is completely two different things.”

The meeting in question, according to the Chairman, was convened to discuss the allocation of funds donated by the Steve Morgan Foundation to rebuild homes for Barbudans affected by Hurricane Irma. Warner emphasized that no discussions about the government’s proposed development at Katel Hill or Louis Hill were on the agenda.

“We’ve been writing to the government and they finally said, listen, we’re going to deal with that money and try to, even if they can’t get it from Global Bank, the government is going to make it available. So they convened the meeting on Thursday to discuss that matter,” he further explained.

“It is important to note that this meeting had no connection to the government’s proposed development plans for Katel Hill/Louis Hill,” Warner stated. “At no point during the meeting was the government’s proposed development project at Katel Hill/Louis Hill discussed.”

The meeting, chaired by Senator Charles, included representatives from the Steve Morgan Foundation, the Ministries of Finance and Barbuda Affairs, and other stakeholders. Warner said the minutes of the meeting, which were shared by Senator Charles herself, clearly show that the discussions focused solely on ensuring the transparent use of the Foundation’s US $1 million donation.

“Furthermore, during the meeting, I explicitly stated that any decisions or discussions regarding major projects would need to be presented to the Barbuda Council for review and approval—a point with which Senator Charles agreed,” Warner added.

The Council Chairman reiterated his commitment to representing the collective will of the Barbuda Council and the people of Barbuda, emphasizing that unilateral decisions on major developments are not part of his mandate.

“I respectfully urge all stakeholders to engage in accurate and constructive dialogue as we work together for the benefit of Barbuda,” Warner concluded.

The area being developed is known to Barbudans at Katel Hill. However, the government continuously references Louis Hill as the development site which has seemingly caused further confusion as to the development slated for the site.

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