THE new Georgetown City Council is working to have facilities such as lights, water and improved security in place for the former Stabroek Market Wharf vendors who were relocated to Russell Square, by mid- February.

This was revealed on Sunday by City Engineer Colvern Venture, who was present at a clean-up exercise being conducted on drainage in the vicinity west of Parliament building.
However, Venture said that these works have been delayed due to the slothfulness of the vendors to move to the new location, which he gathers may be related to cost.

“We were expected to complete these works at the end of January but based on the response of the vendors coming from the wharf, we’re getting a slow turn out and a slow response from them, so we will have to work along with them because at the end of the day we’re asking them to construct their own stalls,” he assessed.

Acting Town Clerk Sharon Harry-Munroe told the media that the majority of the stalls are completed, with the council now addressing concerns raised regarding water facilities; security issues and lights.

“Currently we’re addressing the issue as it relates to the lights and we’re looking at putting water and security into Russell Square where the vendors are,” she said, adding: “We’re expecting that very soon those facilities will be in place. Some of the vendors are already out there, and that is why we’re working assiduously to ensure that whatever is not there be put in place.”

In August 2018, the council had declared the area unfit for human habitation and later invited vendors to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which among other things, would see them constructing their own stalls in accordance with certain specifications.
Following these plans, a portion of the wharf was gutted by fire in November 2018, which further contributed to the deterioration of the facility.

Explaining further about the works being conducted, Venture said: “What we started off first with, is persons who basically deal with dry goods not the fresh fruits persons; those were given the first priority, thereafter, we looked at persons doing sewing and so forth, and as we continued the exercise of having a total removal of persons from the wharf facility we realised that we have to put water facilities in place; we have to put in a sanitary block for them to use and also lighting for security. So those are things we are currently working on and we’re hoping that by mid-February all of those things should be in place.”
Meanwhile, along with Mayor of Georgetown Pandit Ubraj Narine; councillor Trichria Richards and her colleagues and volunteers, were on a clean-up mission yesterday morning.

They managed to clean the entire drain which was severely clogged with garbage, along with the parapet area from overgrown weed.

“We’re trying to clean up the plastic bottles, the grass and the drainage. There are a lot of things to do but we cannot do all one time, it’s something that takes time and you can’t get it [done] overnight so we’ll do it phase by phase, the mayor said.

“I’m happy to be a part of this team so that we are able to do our best to bring back this beautiful city of ours.”

Yesterday, a similar group of persons conducted a clean-up exercise at Russell Square with the help of the M&CC Director for Solid Waste, Walter Narine.

They also tackled in the vicinity of the Blind Institute on Hadfield Street on the same day.
Speaking to the improvement of cleanliness in the city, the acting town clerk said: “We would have already raised it to a certain level, so we’re now just propelling it to ensure we can maintain it.”

Meanwhile, the mayor affirmed: “We are not at the council for play or any games; we’re there for team-work and to get the work finished.”

He confirmed that the clean-up measure is an effort the council is hoping to extend to every constituency, but these and other improvements to the city such as the minibus parks must first be discussed at the level of the council.

“It is a decision not to be made by myself, but that decision will come from the council; the full council,” Mayor Narine stressed.

Meanwhile, he noted that before the end of the month, he and his councillors are expected to pay a courtesy call to President David Granger.

“I have a saying that ‘team work is great and it’s not one hand that claps’. Two hands clap, so I’m looking forward to meeting with His Excellency with my team, so we can be able to do things differently,” he said.