The Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has leased a section of prime city land to a private developer but several councillors are claiming that the transaction was done in secret.
Construction works are already ongoing at the site, which is located on David Street behind the GuyOil Gas Station in Kitty, Georgetown, where the city abattoir was housed.
This prime city land was leased to a private developer but according to some city councillors, due process was not followed.
News Room understands that the approval of the council is needed in order for properties belonging to the city to be leased.
Bishram Kuppen, a People’s Progressive Party (PPP) councillor, said this matter never came up during the council meetings.
Both councillors expressed concern that the decision to lease the land was done seemingly unilaterally. The councillors said they only became aware that the land was leased after seeing the private property sign that has since been erected on site.
This is not the first time that councillors have complained about not being involved in decisions of the M&CC.
When contacted by the News Room, Mayor Patricia Chase-Green insisted that the decision to lease the land was done through the council.
“It would have passed through, as usual, before those lands are leased, it passes through the committee and then to full council,” she said.
When pressed for further details such as when the decision was made and who is the private developer, the Mayor said she does not know. She undertook to provide the information to the News Room tomorrow (February 8, 2018).
News Room understands that the lease documents require the signature of the Town Clerk Royston King who is the city’s administrator.
When News Room visited the construction site, the workers declined to divulge information on the project. They also refused to provide the name of the developer.
From all indications, it appears as though the Mayor and Town Clerk leased the land without informing or seeking approval from the council.
