Bulkan to meet Town Clerk on way forward for consultations

Mar 24, 2017 News

Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, will soon meet with the Town Clerk of the Georgetown

Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan

Mayor and City Councillor, Royston King, to discuss the consultation exercises which are to take place during the three-month suspension of the parking meter contract.
This information was relayed to the media by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, during the post-Cabinet press briefing held yesterday at the Ministry of the Presidency, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown.
According to Harmon, Cabinet on Tuesday had further deliberated on the actions of the M&CC in relation to Cabinet’s decision to have the Georgetown Parking Meter Project suspended for three months to allow for a review of the contract and issues related to its implementation.
“Cabinet noted the inactivity of the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown in relation to its advice and directed that the Honourable Minister of Communities was to formally suspend the operations of the by-laws governing the project with effect from Tuesday March 21, 2017.”
Harmon said that Bulkan was also advised to call in the Town Clerk and iterate Cabinet’s concerns about the consultation that has to be held during the suspension of this period. The Minister of State was then quizzed on whether he believes Bulkan had the power to suspend by-laws as against dissolving the City Council as alternative of dealing with the issue.
He said that Bulkan would have received advice from the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, and as such is confident that Minister Bulkan acted within the scope of the law.
Asked what would happen at the end of the three month suspension, Harmon said that government will be giving full support to the process of negotiation and consultation which will result in a favourable outcome. He added, “That is to say that the council, the Smart City Solutions, the stakeholders and the citizens; that they all ad idem (agreed) on the issues relating to the parking meter project and the contract itself.”
Harmon said that government has not taken a position as to what will happen after the three months. However, he said that Government is of the firm belief that good sense will prevail and that there will be a favourable outcome.
As it stands, the by-laws governing all activities relating to the parking meter project have been suspended which means that for three months citizens will not be paying for parking within the City of Georgetown.

Georgetown M&CC Town Clerk, Royston King

The official suspension order of the by-laws was issued on Tuesday by Minister Bulkan at the request of Cabinet. In addition, Minister of Public Security has been instructed by Cabinet to advise the Commissioner of Police to provide protection to citizens and their vehicles ensuring that their vehicles are not unduly hindered or restrained in any whatsoever by the M&CC, its agents and employees of SCS.
Following the issuing of the suspension order by Bulkan, the company would be invited to enter into negotiations, and at that stage, it would be up to the company to determine what its response to the new action of the government would be.
Since the suspension of the by-laws, Smart City Solutions has terminated the services of 60 employees but stated in the termination letter that if their services are required at a later date, contact will be made.
Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor and Acting Mayor Sherod Duncan has said that the Town Clerk should do the honourable thing and resign. He said via Facebook that the events over the last week solely orchestrated by the Town Clerk beg the question of whose interest he is serving.
“If we had any doubt that he is serving the Coalition Government’s interest, it evaporated when in three instances in the last week the government’s orders we deliberately defied.”
Bulkan’s order to formally suspend the by-laws was his second order on the issue. His initial order was somewhat ambiguous whereby the wording sought to direct the City Council to suspend the by-laws.
However, in curing the ambiguity, the Minister was able to issue a subsequent order clearing up any misconception as to the government’s position.

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