PSC insists on public debate on parking meters

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PSC insists on public debate on parking meters

Sep 14, 2016 News

Chairman of the Private Sector Commission, Edward ‘Eddie’ Boyer, told this publication that the organisation’s position on the parking meter contract remains the same. It is demanding full disclosure and Public Debate on the subject

PSC Chairman,
Eddie Boyer

despite amendments.
Recently, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council announced several amendments to the contract via the media. It was reported that the Contract Term had been reduced from 49 years to 20 years, subject to the approval of the City which would not be unreasonably withheld.
Equally notable was the inclusion of a clause whereby the vehicles belonging to persons with disabilities will be given special parking considerations. Additionally, there were changes to the City Fees Consideration.
The amendments were to the effect that instead of 20% gross of parking and enforcement revenue, 10% of gross garaged parking revenue and 10% of net value added services, there will be a collective 20% for the first nine years, 25% for years 10 to 19, and 30% for years 20 and onward.
The salary for Traffic Wardens was also amended resulting in an increase from $50,000 to $78,000 per month. A Joint Project Review is to be held once a year instead of once every five years as was previously agreed.
The Council made these and other amendments in light of the reviews of the contract which were made by the Ministry of Legal Affairs and the Ministry of Finance.
The PSC having learnt of the Parking Meter Project last June, held the position that the Mayor and City Council, in particular the Mayor and the select few she chose to surround her, had dealt with the project in an unacceptable manner.
The organisation believes that an initiative of this magnitude, affecting as it does the entire citizenry of the city and beyond, demands public consultation, transparency and open debate.
The Commission has been calling for full disclosure of the contract details and information about the contracting company so that they can be publicly scrutinized. The organisation had made it clear that it cannot and will not support the attempt to impose parking meters on the population until there has been full public debate and support for the matter.
According to Boyer, yesterday, his entity has not been contacted on the amendments and as such the PSC’s position on the matter has not changed.

1 thoughts on “PSC insists on public debate on parking meters”

carl veecock September 14, 2016 at 12:42 am

Well thanks for the sort of update on this disreputable deal the City Mayor and her cohorts concocted.

What about the alleged exemptions from Vat, income taxes, NIS deductions and payments, etc etc??

I am still not clear how the Mayor and Town Clerk could bind the City Council without the approval of the very same City Council.
It well past the time to send packing the TC and the M.