The Town Clerk sets out his case

Jun 27, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor;
The installation and operation of the parking meters are just small components of a wider system designed by the council to properly organize the city. Our objective is to redesign and modernize the capital in a way that allows it to be efficient culturally, socially environmentally and economically; it must stand shoulder to shoulder with the great cities of the world. This requires a new mindset; the way we think about Georgetown. It demands that the city government- the Mayor and City Council- rethink the use, conservation, protection and sustainable development of its resources. These include human resources, water, and space.
Perhaps, the most important resource is space because nothing can exist outside of it; everything exists inside of space. Mostly what the city has to offer is this resource- space. At the level of the city, all of our activities- from the cradle (Maternal and Child Welfare) to the grave (cemetery) – focus on creating, developing and designing, renting, giving and leasing space. A substantial portion of our laws deals with the good management of this resource.
It is a scarce resource that has been taken for granted for generations, in Georgetown. It is also, collectively owned by all the citizens of Georgetown. They were born into it; they pay taxes for its maintenance; they have a legitimate right to access it.
If a private individual or group of individuals, a company or corporation wishes to use public space for business or any other private enterprise then citizens could be denied their rightful access to their space. Therefore, such private enterprise or business must adequately compensate citizens for using their space. This must be done through their local governments.
For ages, in Georgetown, individuals and corporations have been taking up public space without even offering adequate compensation to citizens. For example, many big businesses have concerted portions of our alleyways and other drainage infrastructure, without permission, making those portions impervious facilitating overtopping during heavy rains. Others have appropriated parapets, pavements and other thoroughfares making it very difficult for ordinary citizens to use those facilities.
Then there are those who store shipping containers with an assortment of goods, on the shoulders of our roadways for days. These containers narrow the width of council roads and, in some cases, damage the shoulders of our roads and contiguous parapets and street drains. In addition, storage of such containers for inordinate periods of time encourages traffic congestion and inconvenience shoppers and other citizens.
A few businesses are refusing to pay the measly container fee of $2500 per container to the city; many are operating for free while denying citizens the right to use freely their collectively owned space. Then we have parking. For as long as anyone can remember motorists have been parking for free.
In the Central Business District, motorists just park for as long as they wish, wherever they find space. It is so free and easy that, taxi operators, who are registered with established companies with bases and radios, find it more lucrative to park on council roads wherever whenever for free, apparently, without a care in the world.
Also, many of the taxi bases are on council’s reserves; the owners pay zero to the council. Yet, the municipality has to deal with all the challenges posed by this so called free parking including high economic, social and environmental costs to the city and local residents.
Again, there are those who construct large high- rise buildings. In some cases, only the first two floors are used; the other areas are left to waste- empty. Such buildings are a lean on city space. There are other economic and social issues related to such waste of space.
Again, utility companies are using our air space, at certain altitudes, and below the surface of the earth, to install and run cables, conduits and fixtures. And yes, while they make millions the city does not receive one cent from those companies that continue to use our space to conduct their businesses. Of course, one can argue that those utility companies provide services to citizens. But they do that with the intention of making profits; they are running big businesses. It is only fair that they pay the council; they do not.
One way by which we can do this is the installation and operation of parking meters, particularly in the Central Business District of the city. This will allow, inter alia, reduction of traffic congestion; improve mobility; increase in parking space availability; incentive for people to use public transportation; reduction in pollution and its attendant evils; revenue for the city; and boost investors’ confidence in the city.
We are aware of the view held by a few that the city does not have to install parking meters to raise money. The trouble is that, those very individuals have not been able to suggest practical and viable alternatives by which the council can have the requisite funds to fulfill its statutory mandate independent of Central Government.
The city provides a plethora of services including solid waste management, environment and public health services, roads, street lighting, and drainage. It is very expensive to provide these services and to maintain city infrastructure. The council must find about 4 million dollars to collect and dispose of its garbage on a daily basis. Again, in 1996, the then Chief City Engineer estimated a cost of one billion dollars to properly desilt the city’s drainage system; it was not done because there was no money; we are in 2016 and still cannot do it because there is not enough money.
Add to that the fact that we have not had valuation of properties in the city for more than two decades; that many residential buildings which were changed to commercial are still paying residential rates; that many property owners have not been paying their rates (property rates account for 71% of total revenue of council). The lack of valuation is really affecting our operations. For example, a typical three-bedroom house, 26x 40, in Bel Air Gardens pays about $60,000 in rates annually. However, the cost to collect garbage from that house, at$300 per 45 gal drum, per day goes way beyond annual rates of that property. This is just one service. We have not added costs for other services such as drainage, roads, street lights and other environmental and public health services.
Again, add to that the fact that costs of materials and equipment needed by the council to provide vital municipal services and facilities have increased several hundred percent since the last valuation of properties over twenty years ago; the effects of climate change and global warming on the natural and built environment of Georgetown; the changing demography of the city; and the increasing burden placed upon the city’s waste management system by high consumerism.
Royston King,
Town Clerk

1 thoughts on “The Town Clerk sets out his case”

Keith Williams June 27, 2016 at 10:02 am

Why does the Central Government continue to suffer the existence of these kinds of disingenuous and obtuse pratings from King and the Mayor. Most people are not against parking meters. They are troubled by the process you used to select a vendor. They are troubled by the clear and unambiguous parallel between how you went about this, and how the PPP’s Town Clerk operated. That you beat on your chest and wailed against how she operated, and in less than a year replicated to a greater degree what she was doing, suggest that you are so inebriated with power that you cannot grasp and understand the most simple facet in this issue.

What is the matter with your Guys?