THE New Amsterdam Town Council has notified several pavement vendors in the main commercial area of Pitt Street that they have until September 4 to cease encumbering the area.The Council has said that failure to adhere to the notice would result in a fine being imposed or legal action being taken in accordance with Sections 303 and 304 of the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28.01, Sections A, B, and C, which deal with by-laws governing encroachment.

The notice, seen by the Guyana Chronicle, was signed by Town Clerk Sharon Alexander and General Foreman Charles Johnson and copied to His Worship, Mayor Kirt Wynter.

“If any person encroaches upon any street or part thereof, or Council’s reserve, by building thereon, any part thereon, any house or structure, by erecting, planting or digging thereon… every such person shall be guilty of an offence under these by-laws and shall be liable to a minimum fine of ten thousand dollars and not exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars,” the notice read.

Vendors were told that they are required to remove such structures, leaving four feet from the wall of the street drain closest to their fence line, which is the Council’s reserve.
Consequently, several vendors operating stalls and stores along the western half of Pitt Street have met with the Mayor and Council on Friday; and following what was said to be a fruitful discussion, an extended period was given until September 4 for the removal of encumbrances, before the Council is forced to dismantle stalls along the pavement.

PEDESTRIANS ON THE STREET
At a press briefing, Mayor Wynter said, “We have the pedestrians walking on the streets, so we are working on the initiative of clearing the pavements. We met with the vendors, and after discussions we have given them until September 4 to continue their business, as persons would have invested in school items. But thereafter, we need to access the drains and return the town to its former glory.”

Deputy Mayor Winifred Haywood said she is optimistic that when the work commences, there will be no hostility displayed by the small vendors, as had occurred in Georgetown. She also appealed to New Amsterdam residents to bear with the Council as it seeks to transform the century-old township.

“We understand it will be challenging, but we want the citizens to co-operate with us,” she concluded.

Head of the Works Committee, Councillor William Moore, has called on residents to clear all encumbrances and inter-lot drains in their respective areas.