City councillors on Monday voted to allow vendors being relocated from the Stabroek Market wharf to construct stalls at their own cost, thereby relieving City Hall of the financial burden of construction after it had already spent $23 million on preparatory works at Russell Square to accommodate them.
Chief City Engineer Colvern Venture disclosed the figure when he answered a query from Councillor Phillip Smith during a special statutory meeting convened on Monday at City Hall to discuss the vendors’ relocation.
Venture explained that the money was spent on the resurfacing and reconstruction of the drainage system, among other things, at Russell Square, west of the Public Buildings.
At a meeting last Thursday with Town Clerk Royston King, stallholders suggested that they construct the stalls themselves in a bid to cut time and cost.
Before voting, councillors argued the pros and cons, with some cautioning the council to be careful and clear in their decision making to avoid a confrontation in the future.
Subsequent to deliberations, the vendors were given the greenlight to construct their stalls. The voting saw 18 APNU+AFC councillors voting in favour of vendors constructing their own stalls. While the PPP/C’s Bishram Kuppen abstained, no one voted against allowing the vendors to proceed.
Councillors also agreed that in addition to the vendors being permitted to build their stalls to the specifications given by the Engineer’s Department, they will be granted a waiver on rental fees for a period of six weeks after construction.
The vendors will also be required to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which stipulates that the arrangement is temporary and that all structures constructed will be dismantled once they are allowed to return to the wharf.
The council has also agreed to erect lights and install sanitary facilities at the site.
The area for their relocation will accommodate 82 vendors, 66 of whom will be given priority to relocate as they retail produce that is considered perishable.
The stalls are expected to be 13 ft in height, 10 ft in length and 8 ft in width.
A rough estimate provided by Venture pegged the cost to construct the stalls at $400,000.
Councillor Oscar Clarke said the stalls should be uniform to improve the aesthetics of the environment. He advised that their construction be monitored by the Engineer’s Department to avoid any breaches. “We do not want this area to have the look of a shantytown. We should look to have this area developed and be uniformed…,” he said.
In addition, Deputy Mayor Akeem Peter indicated that he was against the vendors constructing their own stalls since there could be issues when it is time for them to be moved.
“How will it be managed? The vendors are investing their money now and when council decides to remove them after the wharf is constructed, what will happen then? How will we manage the construction and ensure everyone stick to their measurements?” Peter questioned, while cautioning the council to consider the possible consequences.
Responding to his queries, King explained that the vendors are aware that the arrangement is temporary and they have as a result opted to use wood as their construction material. He noted that they will sign an agreement before receiving the go ahead to begin construction. At this point, Mayor Patricia Chase-Green made it clear to the city administration that every vendor should receive a copy of the agreement they will be signing too. Meanwhile, Trichria Richards, Chairwoman of the Markets and Public Health Committee, and Councillor Alfred Mentore suggested that the rental fee of $6,800 be raised to garner more revenue for the council.
Richards pointed out that from her calculations, the council will not be able to recover the amount spent on preparatory works and the vendors will only be paying for services provided, leaving the council in a deficit.
Mentore argued a similar point, while noting that the location will open an avenue for increased sales for the vendors due to the high traffic in the area. Nonetheless, Mayor Chase-Green shot down the suggestion, while stating that the council cannot place a burden on persons who are trying to put food on their table for their families with a hefty rental fee.
Vendors had been required to cease operations on September 14th after a cease and desist notice was served due to the perilous state of the wharf.
