During Monday’s statutory meeting, the Mayor and City Council passed a motion that barbers and cosmetologists operating on the Merriman Mall would have until July 31st to find themselves in enclosed spaces.
City workers led by Town Clerk Royston King, two weeks ago demolished stalls in the area where the cosmetologists operated. “We are just removing the ugliness to create a picture of excellence and beauty,” King had said, while noting that the area where some of the hairdressers and nail technicians operated had “stalls with old wood and vinolay and have left the area looking like a shantytown.”
The council spent over two hours haggling on the issue of whether to allow the beauticians to remain permanently on the strip between Cummings and Light streets, or to grant them an extension.
APNU+AFC Councillor Oscar Clarke after observing that the deliberations were not going anywhere, rose and moved a motion that the barbers and cosmetologists be given six months to, “find a permanent space other than the Merriman Mall to house their operations, and after which the City Council would take action.” After the motion was tabled it was seconded by APNU+AFC Councillor Junior Garrett.
However, Councillor Yvonne Ferguson of the APNU+AFC coalition moved a counter motion in which she said that operators should remain and be able to build permanent structures on the Merriman Mall. The motion was seconded by Councillor Trichria Richards also from the APNU+AFC coalition.
Eighteen councillors including PPP/C councillors Bisham Kuppen and Khame Sharma voted in favour of the motion moved by councillor Clarke, while six councillors voted against it, along with one abstention.
Meanwhile, on the motion of councillor Ferguson, three councillors, Andrea Marks, Richards and Ferguson voted in favour, with fourteen councillors voting against, whilst four chose to abstain. Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan was not present during the voting.
The council, before voting on the tabled motions, squashed the previous decision that gave the beauticians one month to relocate themselves.
Stabroek News on Sunday reported that the operators had met with Mayor Patricia Chase-Green and had voiced their concerns about having to be relocated, and had suggested that they be allowed to build permanent structures. Based on the motion passed by Council on Monday, their proposal will be not be carried.
Chase-Green had said that she was not being hard on the barbers and cosmetologists by removing them, but was only following public health guidelines, which state that they should operate in enclosed spaces, equipped with facilities to sterilize the instruments of their trade.
The operators were relocated to the strip between Light and Cummings streets last year from the pavements of America, Longden, Regent and Croal streets, after City Hall had embarked on a cleanup campaign of the city.
