Town Council Served with Injunction
PUP Requests Decent Answers from UDP- Press Release - The PUP has in its possession a copy of a court order in which the Supreme Court will listen to a case brought by Kevin Gonzalez and Yolanda Parham against the San Pedro Town Council. The court order is for the San Pedro Town Council to stop selling or dealing with land immediately- land which was formerly property of Caribbean Coves. In lieu of property taxes which were in arrears to the Council, 500 acres of land were then turned over to the San Pedro Town Council. This is the land in dispute because the town council is now selling but Kevin Gonzalez and Parham claim to have a vested interest in this same land. Not happy with the turn of events, Gonzalez and Parham have gotten a lawyer to take the Council to court.
Channel 5 News in Belize City could not obtain any responses from Mayor Elsa Paz who said Deputy Mayor Juan Alamilla is in charge of that land. Alamilla in turn said that he is not in charge of that land and that it is the Honorable Manuel Heredia. The San Pedro community deserves to know why any one person in the UDP is in charge when the entire town council has to approve or disapprove such dealings.
Who gives Kevin Gonzalez authority to sell this land which belongs to the Town Council and he is (was) only a UDP advisor and chairman of NEMO? Who gives Yolanda Parham authority to sell this land when she is only a UDP campaigner and chairperson of the Lands Committee? Who gives the Honorable Minister of Tourism authority to sell this land which belongs to the Town Council? And most important where is all of the money on sales going to? We all await the court ruling but in the meantime the PUP insists that all these high ranking UDP's give San Pedro an explanation. Go over to the Reef Radio Morning Show to explain.
/s/ PUP Executive Committee
Editor's Note: Upon request from both parties involved the San Pedro Town Council sent over the following press release explaining their side of the story. Mr. Gonzalez refused to send any explanation on his part.
Re: Response to Parham/Gonzalez Land Injunction Issue
Press Release - San Pedro Town Council - September 2, 2008 - When the Council decided to embark on the street rehabilitation project, the Council decided to finance the project with the sale of land previously acquired in the Caribbean Coves Area.
With respect to the injunction against the San Pedro Town Council by Mr. Kevin Gonzalez and Ms. Yolanda Parham, the Deputy Mayor received a proposed subdivision from licensed surveyor, Mr. Kenneth Gillett. Mr. Gonzalez expressed interest in purchasing a plot of land from within the proposed subdivision. Mr. Gonzalez and Ms. Parham, accompanied by the Deputy Mayor, went to try and locate the parcel of land but due to the inexperience and lack of professional map reading skills they pinpointed an island which they thought was the specific lot they were interested in purchasing. After negotiations were done both investors entered into a contract for the said island referring to that island as the one provided to the Council by Surveyor Gillett. Following the signing of the contract, another surveyor was hired to survey the island and this is when it was discovered that the island did not measured 19.69 acres but only 7 acres. The investors were immediately informed by the Council about the mistake. In lieu of the mistake the Council was willing to relocate the remainder acres or to negotiate another price for the island since it was less acres than previously anticipated. Until today, the Council remains committed to finding an amicable solution to this error as the sale of this land will benefit the community of San Pedro.
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