…LGC to make final decision on City Engineer’s “dismissal”
Just after a motion was tabled by Councillors of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) to have City Engineer Colvern Venture terminated, Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine said the M&CC are waiting approval from the Local Government Commission in this regard.
Mayor of Georgetown Ubraj Narine
On December 7, 2021, a vote was taken by all members, and the majority voted for the City Engineer’s dismissal. However, neither the Mayor nor the Councillors have the power to dismiss the engineer; they can only recommend.
The motion was then documented and sent as a recommendation to the Local Government Commission, which is expected to make the final decision on whether or not the engineer would be dismissed.
According to the Mayor, the motion was tabled and passed based on the laws that govern the City Council. It was also tabled by two APNU/AFC councillors, Heston Bostwick and Clayton Hinds.
However, following the motion, Venture said he does not plan to leave his post, and has sent a lawyer’s letter to the Mayor. Venture’s letter to the Mayor states that the motion collides violently with the order made by the Chief Justice on May 13, 2021, which prohibits, restrains, and prevents the Mayor and Councillors from exercising any disciplinary action against him.
It also states that permission must be given by the Local Government Commission, which the Mayor claimed is currently being sought.
Realising that its action to debate a motion for Venture to be fired was not in keeping with the High Court ruling, the Mayor attempted to pacify the situation by saying that they did not “fire” the City Engineer.
City Engineer Colvern Venture
“We did not fire Mr Venture… we recommend to the Local Government Commission, who has the authority, and they will have the final say… the Council did their part, and that is what we are missing,” the Mayor said on Wednesday.
At Wednesday’s press conference, the Mayor also presented what he described as “evidence” against Venture. “What more evidence do you need more than these files or letters? What more evidence do you need when you go around the city and see the clogged drains? What more evidence do you need when you see five and six people every day running from the Engineering Department to the Office of the Mayor to deal with plans,” the Mayor ranted.
The Mayor further alleged that, on countless occasions, he would visit the City Engineer’s Department to find the workers simply doing nothing productive.
But according to Venture, City Hall has starved his department of funds, and now in turn is claiming that it is not functioning.
In contempt
Meanwhile, last year, the Council made the decision to suspend Venture for one month without pay, which resulted in him taking them to court. The suspension came on the ground of Venture allegedly abusing his sick leave.
On May 13, 2021, Chief Justice Roxane George ruled in favour of Venture in the case of Venture vs. Town Clerk.
“And it is ordered that an order of Prohibition is hereby issued directed to the Town Clerk of the City of Georgetown and the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown, restraining, prohibiting and preventing them personally or acting through their servants or agents from exercising any disciplinary functions or imposing any disciplinary sanction against the applicant Colvern Venture, City Engineer of the City of Georgetown, or from terminating or purporting to terminate the employment of the said applicant Colvern Venture, City Engineer, without the approval or permission of the Local Government Commission,” the Chief Justice had ordered.
Venture’s lawyer, Ronald Burch-Smith, wrote to the Town Clerk in a letter stating that, by allowing the motion even as so much to be debated by the Council, she and the Council would be held in contempt of court.
