City Hall to proceed with parking meter negotiations, consultations

Apr 27, 2017 News

The Georgetown Mayor and City Council will begin consultations and negotiations with the relevant stakeholders to arrive at a favourable position on the parking meter issue for all Guyanese.
This step is in line with the Council implementing Cabinet’s recommendation to conduct consultations with stakeholders and renegotiate the parking meter contract during the three month suspension of the project.
The Extra-Ordinary Statutory Meeting began at 14:00Hrs yesterday in the Chambers of City Hall and lasted three and a half hours. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Georgetown M&CC elected a sub-committee which will carry out Cabinet’s recommendation on behalf of the council.
Councillor Malcolm Ferreira was elected Chairman of the seven-member team and Councillor Noelle Chow-Chee was elected Vice-Chairwoman. The other members of the committee are Councillors Carlyle Goring, Tricia Richards, Ivelaw Henry, Roopnarine Persaud and Heston Bostwick.
The members of the Committee were all nominated by Councillor and Chairman of the Finance Committee Oscar Clarke following the approval of the Terms of Reference (TOR) which will guide the operations of the Committee.
Arriving at a final decision on the TOR absorbed the majority of the meeting. At the onset, Deputy Mayor Lionel Jaikarran commended Mayor Patricia Chase-Green for recusing herself from being a part of the consultation and negotiation process.
He further suggested that those councillors who would have acted as additional witnesses to the signing of the May 2016 contract should also recuse themselves from being a part of the committee. The councillors referred to are Councillors Junior Garrett and Oscar Clarke.
When it was time for Council to deliberate on what the TORs should be, Mayor Chase-Green presented a document to the Council which she suggested can be used as a guide to councillors as they decide what should be the TORs.
However, from all indications, it was only the Mayor who went to the meeting equipped with TORs to contribute to the process. It was suggested by Deputy Mayor Lionel Jaikarran that Councillors return on another date with their own contributions to the TORs but appoint the committee in the interim.
Responding to the suggestion, Town Clerk, Royston King advised the council that the TORs must be established before the Committee is elected since it will inform councillors when they make their nominations for members.
He said that the TOR forms the scope, nature and character of the work to be done by the negotiating team as it relates to the parking meter contract. It was suggested by Councillor and former Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan that the Council reject the TORs suggested by the Mayor since it would be ironic for her to recuse herself from the negotiations but still play a role in deciding how those negotiations should be undertaken.
The Town Clerk sought to defend the Mayor’s contribution by saying that the suggested TORs are not imposed on the council. He said that in her capacity as Mayor, Chase-Green has the right to offer guidance to the Council.
Further, he said that it is the Council’s choice whether to take the recommendations as is, subtract, add or reject altogether. Councillor Heston Bostwick then moved a motion for the council to resolve itself into committee for 30 minutes to consider the TORs as prepared by the Mayor before making a decision. This motion was seconded by Councillor Chow-Chee.
Following the 30-minute break in discussions, 18 councillors voted to accept the TORs as the final guide for the Committee.
After all the procedures were followed, Councillor Oscar Clarke asked for Council’s approval to table at the next meeting of the Finance Committee to discuss a stipend being offered to members of the Committee. This approval was given.

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City Hall to proceed with parking meter negotiations, consultations

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