Mondale Smith

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Procurement of materials begins – Deputy Mayor WilliamsSome infrastructural as well as other issues at Bourda Market should have been improved years ago however Deputy Mayor Robert Williams says his municipality is set to speed up enhancement and repairs at the location with some major improvements beginning June 1.This will also see the disciplinary hammer falling on some city staffers in the engineers department for negligence.As part of an over all five year plan to make the market into a more organised aesthetically pleasing and sanitarily comfortable Williams has made several commitments to vendors in the City Hall council chambers.Noting that the council will be seeking alternative funding to complete the total rehabilitation of the market he announced on Friday that he has signed several vouchers for cash amounting to about $2.5M.He noted that rehabilitation works at Bourda, as was done for Stabroek Market several years ago, will be a separate programme and added that “cash has been allotted for the procurement of materials to repair and maintain some areas of the market at this time.”He said, “The guttering to prevent further leakage during rain fall, the security, the electricity, the standpipes to provide water to the markets are among the things that we are going to complete within a week and a half at Bourda Market.”These were among Williams’ many announcements while performing the duties of Mayor on Friday evening during an interactive session with vendors.Issues including lack of security, the need for rehabilitation and maintenance, increased stall rental rates and the unsanitary conditions were among complaints from vendors who ply their trade at Bourda market.The interaction, though mostly cordial was sometimes heated but the objective was to charter the way forward for solutions and better conditions at the municipal market and to the majority, the meeting was one of hope and a move in the right direction.It focussed on the development of the Bourda Green to the level of the vendors’ mall and upgrading of the current aesthetics of the municipal market.Age-old complaints included parking and availability of water to create the necessary sanitary conditions to service the market including its general environs etc.Fingers of blame and allegations of negligence as well as council’s many unfulfilled promises formed some of the core reasons for disgruntlement regardingcouncil’s proposed stall rental increases.Explanations were that as at May 1 stall rentals will increase by as much as 105 percent for some in five years.Reactions to explanations that the rental rates have moved to equal grounds regardless of trade being plied were mixed.However, Errol Brisport Deputy Clerk of Markets explained that this would be phased in with stall holders paying no more than 35 percent increase for the first year.But after outpouring and demands for council to answer vendors many issues, explanations as well as proposals for a vastly improved environment amicable and workable solutions were arrived at with implementation starting from today. (Mondale Smith)