Cabinet perusing feasibility study of Parking Meter project

Members of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) on Tuesday last appeared before Cabinet to make a presentation on the amended parking meter project.

At the end of Cabinet’s review, the Government will make a decision as to whether it will approve the By-laws governing the project.

At a press conference Friday, Town Clerk Royston King described the meeting with Cabinet as “cordial.”

“There was sympathy for the challenges we face as a municipality,” King said.

Those in attendance on behalf of City Hall were the Town Clerk himself, Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, Councillor Noelle Chow-Che and Deputy Mayor, Akeem Peter.

King said Cabinet requested a copy of the feasibility study and other documents which were supplied.

Asked when a response is expected, the Town Clerk said: “we will like to give central government, which of course must have an abiding interest in the nation’s capital, an opportunity to study the documents and to have discussions and perhaps there might be areas where we need to improve that they perhaps would notice and would bring to our attention.”

“We will like to give them time so that if or when we roll out a project, it is to the satisfaction of all and that we have noble revenue sharing with respect to that project.”’

The Parking Meter project was met with rejection by citizens and the business community in January 2017 and was suspended by the Government following mass protests in front of City Hall.

The Councillors also led the two re-negotiation teams which met with concessionaire of the Parking Meter project, Smart City Solutions (SCS), the Private Sector Commission (PSC) and the Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM) in an effort to address issues raised during widespread criticisms of the project.

As it relates to SCS, King said the company has been cooperating with the council and is exercising patience as it awaits the determination on the project.