Dear Editor,
CLEARLY there is a complete lack of understanding by the administrative and political heads of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown as to the role and responsibilities of the Georgetown Municipality, particularly as it relates to their legal obligations and duties to the citizens of our capital city.

It is extremely disconcerting to know that senior municipal officials do not realise that they are not the owners of city reserves, of green spaces, of playfields and other open spaces in Georgetown, but rather are merely custodians of reserves and open spaces in our capital. The covenants on the deeds of these open spaces, and reserves are very clear in their delineation of what they are to be used for.

The filing of an appeal by the Town Clerk against the recent ruling by a judge on the controversial Bel Air Park Playground which blocks the municipality from selling or leasing the reserved community lands to a private developer, shows the level of arrogance and lack of knowledge by the Council on these matters.

But what is just as distressing is the flagrant disregard and disrespect by officials of the Council for their subject Minister and Ministry and central government. Examples of this include their disregard for the Minister’s instructions with regard to the prescribed parking meter fiasco when the Minister ordered the suspension of the Georgetown parking meter bylaws for three months and was forced to obtain the assistance of the Public Security Minister, who had to advise the Commissioner of Police to ensure that citizens and their vehicles would receive the protection of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to prevent them and/or their vehicles from being unduly hindered or restrained in any way, whatsoever, by the City Council and/or its agents.

In the Bel Air Park area despite the residents appealing to the Minister of Communities for his intervention to stop the City Council from continuing land clearing works on their playground, they continue around the clock, which can only be considered a violation of a recent court ruling. The Council through its two favourite contractors who did not have to bid for this project, continue to destroy that playground, bulldozing trees which nests endangered species and killing wildlife under the guise of playground maintenance.

Sincerely,
Jermain Johnson