City Council Round Up
With Cecil Griffith
Stabroek News
May 28, 2001

The Minister responsible for Local Government, Clinton Collymore is being asked to act immediately against owners of immovable properties "for the purpose of obtaining sites where vendors can be located..."

A motion to this effect was passed last Tuesday when councillors met at City Hall to resume discussions on an agenda, which was before them on May 14, 2001. It was noted that more than six months ago a similar request had been made to the minister and he had turned it down.

"The crisis of the pavement vendors now calls for urgent action...." Minister Collymore is being reminded in the resolution which was moved by Good and Green, Guyana, GGG, councillor, Gwen McGowan and seconded by another GGG councillor, Llewellyn John.

The decision by former Chief Justice Desiree Bernard calling on the council to apply by-law 10 (1) in its dealings with the vendors on Water Street seemed to have awakened city 'fathers' and 'mothers' from their slumber.

That by-law reads ... "no person shall leave, place, or store, or cause to be left, placed or stored any vehicle, cart, dray, barrel, box, dust bin, tree trunk, branch, limb or other thing upon any street, parapet, pavement or footpath, or in other way encumber any street, parapet or pavement".

Stelling View

Meanwhile, new approaches are in the pipeline for carrying out works at Stelling View market to accommodate some of the vendors from Water Street as well as transforming the Bourda cemetery into a general area for possible use as a flea market on certain days. Consideration is being given to securing the remains of the various tombs in a monument-type facility.

At a meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat, chaired by Dr Roger Luncheon on May 11 and attended by Mayor Hamilton Green, deputy Mayor Robert Williams and Town Clerk Beulah Williams, the city council team was told that the intention is to institutionalise a formal arrangement between Central Government and the municipality, in the execution of certain projects in the city.

The meeting was told that the initiative was at the request of President Bharrat Jagdeo and other attendees were the Finance Minister, Mr Collymore, the Ministry of Works and Communication's permanent secretary and his opposite number at the Housing and Water Ministry.

Prime Minister, Sam Hinds in this newspaper's letter column yesterday made yet another pitch for an earlier suggestion, which was shot down even before careful consideration was given to it, for combining vending and minibus parking on Parade Ground and St Phillips Green.

The MOH concern

The Medical Officer of Health, Dr Vibart Shury has expressed his concern over the lack of security at the dump site. In a report to the Public Health and Markets committee recently, Dr Shury said he had visited the site on two separate occasions and there was no security personnel there. The Chief Constable in response said security personnel are located at the inner part of Broad Street, but the Chairman of the committee, deputy Mayor Robert Williams wants the council to revisit the security arrangements at the site which is being used as an area for cooking purposes.

Mention was also made by councillors attending the committee, meeting of the need for the site to be properly managed and for attempts to be made to recruit 'litter pickers'. The MOH has been called upon to submit a report on the operations of the area, because according to the deputy Mayor "all is not well at the site..."

When asked at the resumed statutory meeting last Tuesday for an update, the Chief Constable acknowledged that the constabulary lacks the capability to monitor so as to prevent unauthorised persons from visiting the site.

Et cetera

***The blocking of the pavement outside a business place at the corner of Robb and Savage streets was for the umpteenth time brought before the council, with People's Progressive Party/Civic councillor Rocky Mann leading the charge. He wanted to know why this particular businessman is being allowed to expose his goods made up mainly of ready-made clothing, on the pavement resulting in pedestrians having to resort to the busy Robb Street.

The Chief Constable in defence said constables "take action on a daily basis" pointing out that those who vend on the pavement outside the business place are not the concern of the owner.

***The chairman of Toolsie Persaud Limited is seeking the city council's intervention for the removal of vendors who are restricting that entity from commencing the construction of the building at Lot 49-52 Water and Robb streets in Georgetown.

A Sad Loss

My sympathy goes to the sorrowing family and relatives of the late deputy Town Clerk, Mr Anthony Braithwaite... I knew him as 'Braff'. I shall miss the chuckle and smile which was his hallmark even in the face of adversity. He never seemed ruffled... May his soul rest in peace.