Just who will control the Merriman Mall and various spots along the Mash route is left to be seen after the city’s Social Development Committee decided not to attach a fee to spots for vending, while acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba has advertised the same spots for sale.
Mayor Hamilton Green announced at a press conference at City Hall yesterday that the Social Development Committee, under the stewardship of Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, has decided not to attach a charge for spots. Persons desirous of vending during the day’s celebrations will, however, be asked for a voluntary contribution to offset clean-up expenses.
The rental of the spots, according to Green, had always been the responsibility of the committee save for last year, when Sooba “hijacked the activity.”
Attempts by the chairman of the committee to have a meeting summoned by Sooba to discuss the event were fruitless since Sooba refused to adhere to the request.
According to Green, a secretariat was set up and it is responsible for allocating the spots and the procedure to obtain a spot requires an application through the mayor’s office. These will be accommodated by Monday afternoon.
Further, Green urged the public, potential vendors and revellers to ignore Sooba’s inopportune ranting.
He noted that last year had seen the withdrawal of a major vendor, Banks DIH, owing to the high cost of vending and the “unpatriotic assault” by Sooba.
Additionally, Green referred to a parallel issue of misuse of council’s funds by Sooba and the city’s treasury. He stated that the council recently discovered that in spite of a memorandum issued to Sooba and the treasury, a cheque was issued to certain persons without going through the necessary procedure, which Green referred to as unlawful.
Green further indicated his intention of bringing the issue to the attention of the Auditor General, informing him of the illegality and requesting the attention of Chief Constable and the Commissioner of Police to look at the alleged violations. “We express our grave concern, that while we hear the noises from the powers that be, the evidence that is before the public is clear of a regime that is committed to the misappropriation of the council’s funds and relentless efforts… of suffocating council of its ability and duty to generate and accumulate funds,” he said.
