THE Mayor and City Council (M&CC) on Thursday approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding the temporary relocation of stallholders previously occupying the Stabroek Market Wharf.

The document outlines a list of undertakings relating to the construction of stalls; monthly rent payments; the provision of orderlies, bins and security lights and the rights of stallholders.

According to acting Town Clerk, Sharon Harry-Munroe, the administration met with vendors on Wednesday and the involved parties agreed to the information.

Prior to its finalisation, copies of the MoU, which will be valid for 12 months, were given to the stall holders for their reading and highlighting of any necessary adjustments. Soon, they will relocate to a portion of reserve west of the Parliament building until the rehabilitation of the Stabroek Market Wharf is completed and the parties negotiate on such an agreement.

At the special statutory meeting yesterday, Mayor Patricia Chase-Green stated: “This is an issue that has been going on for some months now. We met with the vendors on many occasions. Myself, the administration, the Markets and Public Health Committee with vendors, we went back and forth and back and forth until we came to the understanding.”
She added: “So when they sign this they’re signing it with the full understanding of how the stalls will be constructed, when they’re expected to start building the stalls, when they’re expected to start paying after the construction of the stalls. All of that we went through on many, many occasions meeting with the vendors.”

According to the MoU, the stallholders will construct their own stalls in accordance with the specifications approved by the Council.

The grace period given for vendors to complete the works is placed at a maximum of six weeks beginning from their signing of the MoU.

The rental spaces for each stall will be at a monthly cost of $6,800 while a grace period of six weeks will be given after the completion of each stall before the payment of rent commences.

Meanwhile, the Council will be responsible for providing orderlies, bins, security lights and stallholders for installing and paying for their electrical lights in their stalls.

The councillors were given the opportunity to raise any concerns they may have about the document or to point out any grammatical errors. Coming to the end of the meeting, the decision to approve the MoU was carried, having being approved by 11 of the 13 attending while one vote was raised against the document and one other abstained.

CAPTIONS SAVED AS: VENDOR 1-2
VENDOR 1: The portion of reserve west of the Parliament building which will temporarily accommodate the stallholders (Samuel Maughn photo)
VENDOR 2: The current state of the Stabroek Market Wharf (Delano Williams photo)