Councillor instructs Town Clerk to ‘shut up’, apologises later

… comprehensive solid waste management policy needed

By Lakhram Baghirat

City Hall was temporarily converted into a battlefield when Town Clerk Royston King was ordered to ‘shut up’ by Councillor Gregory Fraser who was at the time addressing the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown (M&CC) Statutory Meeting on Monday. However, he was later forced to apologise but did so only after King threatened to walk out of the meeting along with his officers.

Earlier in the meeting, King told the Council that contrary to reports in certain sections of the media, the contract with Cevons Waste Management and Puran Brothers Disposal has not been terminated on the part of City Hall; rather it was on the part of the contractors.
Councillor Ivelaw Henry chaired the meeting since both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor were said to be out of the jurisdiction on official business and medical emergencies, respectively.
Garbage contractors Cevons Waste Management and Puran Brothers Disposal pulled their services for the second time in less than a month after being owed over $300 million. The companies decided to withdraw their services to City Hall, as the lack of payment to the companies continues despite promises to be paid.
Following the companies withdrawal of services, the Town Clerk wrote to both companies.
“I however, write on behalf of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown to inform you that the recent actions by your company to withdraw garbage collection services (from July 7-11) and the intended action to do so with effect from the 6th August, 2017, is viewed by the Council as a termination of the current contract, since there is no provision  within the current contract between the Mayor and City Council and your corporation for the suspension of garbage collection services,” King said in his correspondence.
At Monday’s meeting, he maintained that and while trying to address the situation, Councillor Fraser referred to the termination as City Hall’s move and lost all cool when King intervened to correct his statement.
“Mister Chairman, I have to discuss the termination of the contract of Puran and Cevons,” Fraser stated.
“Mr Chairman I want to make the point again that perhaps the Councillor missed the point I made,” King interrupted.
“Mr Chairman I am not speaking to the Town Clerk. Mr Town Clerk I am not finished speaking. Mr Town Clerk I suggest you wait until I am finished speaking before you rebut, you don’t know what I am going to say,” Fraser fired back amidst chatter from the Town Clerk.
“Mr Chairman I am not rebutting,” King continued.
“Mr Town Clerk you don’t know what I am going to say, you need to shut up!” Fraser exclaimed.
“I am here to guide this meeting. I am saying the Councillor used the wrong word ‘termination’ and I am saying that the word has been incorrectly used. We have not terminated the contract of Cevons or Purans,” King continued.
At this, most of the Councillors and administrative officers began raising their voices demanding an apology and withdrawal of the statement. In an effort to calm the situation, Councillor Henry withdrew the statement but that did not go down well with the other Councillors.
However, after approximately 10 minutes of back and forth between Councillors, Chairman Henry ordered Fraser to apologise and withdraw his statement, which he subsequently did.
When the commotion died down, former Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan, tabled a motion calling for a comprehensive and coherent, modern policy of the city’s solid waste management. In defending the motion, Duncan said the policy will be timely and in keeping with the transformation of Georgetown into a modern city.
The motion was carried by the Council and the Markets Committee is now going to be tasked with crafting the policy.