Sale of Easter spots will be reversed, if unauthorised - Minister

Sale of Easter spots will be reversed, if unauthorised – Minister

Apr 18, 2014 News

By Zena Henry
Town Clerk Carol Sooba might have to return monies collected for the purchase of spots on the seawall for the Easter holiday activities, since Local Government Minister Norman Whittaker says he is prepared to have the Town Clerk withdraw the initiative if it is found that she is selling the space without the permission of City Hall.

Minister within the Local Govt. Ministry Norman Whittaker

Whittaker told media operatives during a press conference yesterday that he is unaware that Sooba had been selling the seawall spots, and the little he knew about the issue was that which was published in the media. He said that no complaint has come to his office from the Mayor or any Councillor, but if it is found that the Town Clerk is selling spots, and against the consent of the Council, the ongoing sale will have to cease.
“I have learnt that it is not a Council decision. In that respect, our intention is to engage the Town Clerk on the matter, but for now I am guided by what is in the press. If it is not a Council decision, we will be engaging the Town Clerk to find out whether what was reflected in the press is true, and if it is correct, then we will ask the Town Clerk to reverse that decision.”
The Minister was also asked whether moves would be made to have Sooba reverse several other decisions which were not approved by the Council. He stated that the Town Clerk does not have to wait on a Statutory meeting to make certain administrative decisions.
When asked about the Town Clerk’s unauthorized decisions to use $500,000 of Council’s money; and to fire solid waste contractors without the Council’s permission among other things, Whittaker pointed out that, “there are certain administrative decisions, for example, an REO does not have to wait for the RDC to have a Council meeting before he takes certain decisions… It’s the same thing… So there are certain decisions that, administratively, the Town Clerk can make.”
In relation to a statement made by the Town Clerk (ag) which was felt to be “offensive and blasphemous” by Christians, Minister Whittaker said that he is unaware of any such information.
At a press conference on Tuesday, the Town Clerk stated, “Now… the most modern…thing that I’ve seen in the news is that ‘oh it’s a Christian holiday’…and the Council wants to have the Christians and others celebrate so that we should not sell spots…That’s the newest one we have to deal with. Well, all the people should wear their long gowns, the Christians with their Bible, and go out to those spots and fly their kites and resurrect Jesus Christ.”

Town Clerk (ag)
Carol Sooba

Minister Whittaker said he could not comment on that because he is unaware that that would have been said by the Town Clerk. “I don’t know that she said that,” the Minister stated.
However, Mayor Hamilton Green and the majority of Councillors remain firm that no permission was given for the sale of spots on the seawall for Easter Monday. The Mayor had expressed anger at the Town Clerk taking it upon herself to charge persons for commercial and recreational activities during the religious holiday. He said that the sale would not be authorized and warned citizens on Tuesday, “not to pay one cent” for the use of the seawall between the Bandstand and UG Road. Sooba had stated however that the sale of spots commenced three weeks ago and would end tomorrow.
The Council is again faced with this scenario, since in February they had to speak out against exorbitant prices for Mashramani spots. Although the Town Clerk was successful in raising more money than the previous year, several major companies declined to purchase spots this year.