…issues cease order over Bel Air playground

ALL 30 City Councillors have been served with a ‘Cease and desist’ court order threatening fines and imprisonment if they refuse to desist from using the now controversial Bel Air Park Playground for anything other than for community purposes.
The document, seen by this newspaper, stated: “Failure to obey this order will result in contempt proceedings being brought against each of the named respondents which may result in the imposition of fines and/or an order of imprisonment being issued.”

Resident of Bel Air Park and a founding partner of London House Chambers Devindra Kissoon, filed the application and the High Court has since restrained the councillors from “using, leasing, transferring, assigning, conveying, licensing, selling, encumbering, dealing or permitting the use of the property for the purpose of building residential homes or otherwise other than for community purposes.”

“We’re all going to jail if we do not desist,” Deputy Mayor Lionel Jaikarran told the Chronicle on Wednesday. Although the order mentions all 30 city councillors, Jaikarran said only some councillors were served on Monday while they were at the statutory meeting.
At a subsequent meeting with Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, Jaikarran said he was assured that there was nothing to worry about. Notwithstanding this, he said he will be seeking the advice of his lawyers.

“I’m not going to jail for the Council or for the town clerk. While I’m committed to serving the citizens of Georgetown, I have to draw the line at the thought of imprisonment.
I like being the deputy mayor but I’m too old to do time for things I know nothing about,” Jaikarran said.

Last Monday, the mayor said nothing the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) did relating to the playground was ever shrouded in secrecy. She reminded councillors that it was the Investment and Development Committee that had brought this matter to the Council.
The Council, she recalled, subsequently granted its approval, subject to greenlight from the Central Housing and Planning Authority, among other agencies.

Town Clerk Royston King similarly commented that the Council had agreed in principle that the Bel Air Park land be reviewed and repossessed. Since that time, the matter has attracted the attention of the court, and an order has been issued. However, King said City Hall’s lawyers are now studying the matter and that the Council’s intentions were in keeping with the Municipal District and Council Act.

So far, King said, works have started on clearing the land and digging the drains. Over-hanging trees are being dealt with, along with the garbage pile-up. One person has even lighted a fire to burn refuse, King disclosed. “We want to fence it and keep it in good order,” he said.

Councillor Alfred Mentore stood up to say that as the constituency representative, he should have been informed about the works that the City Council is currently undertaking.
He said that in this way, he could have been in a position to “appease” all those residents who have been contacting him, thinking that the works were being done by a private developer.

Mentore reasoned that even though King may have had good intentions, the manner in which he went about it can backfire and cause the City Council harm.

The mayor said that with the feedback Mentore received from his constituency, he should have made contact with the town clerk to clarify matters. She reminded that the land is owned by the M&CC, and that the land was there all along and no one was doing anything with it. “I am not aware that anyone by the name of Taljit is doing any work there,” the mayor stated.

Terrence Taljit is a local housing developer whom the City Council was allegedly in negotiations with to transfer the land to him despite a restriction on the transport of the property for use as a playground and for other community purposes only.