Acting Town Clerk, Carol Sooba says that illegal roadside vendors are the main cause of the garbage pileup on the streets of Georgetown, and she indicated that soon decisive measures will be taken to change this situation.

At a media briefing yesterday at City Hall, acting Town Clerk  Sooba said that  lately the situation has gotten out of control and it is high time that  serious measures be taken to remove these vendors and to ensure  that there is absolutely no more illegal roadside vending.
Sooba said that she is somewhat shocked at the illegal roadside vending situation in areas of Water Street , Regent Street, Wellington Street and other locations  in Georgetown where people have erected large sheds and illegal vending “contraptions” to ply their trade.
According to Sooba, the pileup of garbage is mostly because of these persons, while the enforcement arm of City Council has been lacking in their duty to  legally prosecute them.
She noted unsatisfactory job performance not only in the enforcement of the law dealing with illegal vending, but in all other areas the necessary enforcement has been lacking.
She added that one cannot say that the council has been “on top” of things in relation to its general functions.
Meanwhile, the town clerk said she is expecting that all arms of City Hall will assist her to bring enforcement to a better level, as departments such as  City Constabulary, Solid Waste and others  have not been performing up to standard.

BATTLE SITE
She further stated that it will be a very significant task to bring some form of orderliness to the City Council which she described as being a “battle site.”
However, she assured that in her capacity as the town clerk, she will employ all necessary legal measures to bring the situation under control.
She acknowledged, in the meantime, that mixed messages are being sent to the public. Sooba stated that she has heard that vendors were told that they can continue vending as long as the place is kept clean but this was the arrangement long ago  which caused the garbage  situation in the city to arise in the first place.
The practice of taking a cleansing fee and allowing illegal roadside vending is now intolerable, Sooba added.
She noted that the land opposite Republic Bank on Water Street was purchased by the government at a significant sum to have vendors relocated from street corners.  However, the council can do much more to assist in this situation although works will be difficult, especially where persons are intervening and the works are not being carried out.
She further stated that she would be involved in talks this week for certain changes to be made in the administration to deal with the enforcement of laws.
And the City Constabulary will soon be out in new uniforms to do what they are supposed to do.
“Georgetown City Hall has become a lawless place,” Sooba remarked.
She said that the council is appearing to have no care and concern over the flooding situation and health hazard issues that arise from time to time because of these vendors and their wanton garbage disposal.
She said that in her nine months as town clerk, she has never called a media briefing to address these matters  but the public can be  assured that this will happen more often.
Sooba also decried the behavior of persons who feel that they can dump garbage because it is the council’s duty to cleanup. However, she advised that this should not be the thinking of anyone as she reminded that if persons are found dumping rubbish where they are not supposed to, they  will be arrested and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
In conclusion, she said  that as town clerk, she is the chief executive officer of the council and, “I have my mandate clearly spelt out, and will do all that is legally possible to ensure that Georgetown is rid of illegal roadside vendors and garbage.”