News coming out of the Orange Walk Town Council tonight is that a $30.00 fee will be charged to vendors stationed at the east side of the Central Park. That’s right where vendors are constantly seen selling vehicles and other items. Nine spaces have been allotted to the 13 vendors and basically they will be paying $1.00 a day for their use of the space. Orange Walk Town Mayor Kevin Bernard shared more details.

Kevin Bernard, Mayor, O/W

“The council has earlier made a decision in terms of the changes we are talking about within the town when it comes to spaces used by vendors, whether vehicle vendors or market vendors we are putting cost to these things and assigning a rate to those vendors that are utilizing our space especially the prime space around the Central Park. I want to state openly for the record that this council intention is to bring back life to Central Park we want to renovate the park we already started doing some work there but the whole long term plan is to really bring back the park for the people of Orange Walk.”

Vendors were informed of the changes yesterday during a meeting held between them and members of the council. As was expected the news did not go too well for certain merchants.

Kevin Bernard, Mayor, O/W

“The council has decided that $30.00 per month will be charged to each vehicle vendor for the nine spots that are allocated to them. Yesterday we met with the vendors and some agreed to pay and some said they will not pay. Initially the charge would have been $50.00; I went back to the council and then took the response back and informed them that it was $30.00 and so there was a bit of back and fourth and I took the matter back to the council and the council made the decision that what will be charged is $30.00 and that would be the final decision.”

According to Mayor Bernard an official letter informing vendors about the council’s final decision was handed out to them this afternoon.

Kevin Bernard, Mayor, O/W

“We wrote Mr. Flowers who is the spokes person addressing it to him but referring it to the vehicle vendors that the deadline to pay the $30.00 will be May 31^st per space and they need to pay this ever end of the month so that they can utilize the spaces. I am aware that these people may not have been paying before but we need to put order in our town and we cannot allow people to just come into our town to make business and then not contribute anything for the maintenance of the area because we need to maintain the area and it costs us money . So we have to make sure that we collect some type of stipend from these individuals utilizing prime space in our town and so we decide that all vehicle vendors that fall under the group belonging to Mr. Flowers will have to make that payment. There is another space that will allocated to three or four other vendors that are already out there. In fact they have agreed without any hesitation to come in and make payments and some has already made that payment they have no problem with that. As far as I am concerned who don’t pay at the end of the month will be forced to move.”

Undoubtedly the council’s latest decision will not be too pleasing to everyone and definitely will attract negative attention and criticism. But Mayor Bernard says that the backlash is nothing compared to the support that will be received.

Kevin Bernard, Mayor, O/W

“I don’t think the council will see many backlashes I would rather say that there are over 17 thousand residents in Orange Walk that would really want to see us bring back Central Park for their kids for their family to have a good time, to have a peaceful time. We are working towards that so we are telling them we are allowing you to use the spots temporarily until we find a new location for you but you will have to pay and when relocate them they will still have to pay because its location the council will have to pay on to build up and ensure that they can utilize those spaces. So I am sure that a few will be upset but many Orange Walkenos will be much more happier once we put order in this town and return the Central park to the place it once was a family area.”

The Orange Walk Town council has formed a Park Committee which will be in charge of the development and refurbishing of the park.

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ORANGE WALK VENDORS OPPOSES NEW FEES

A number of vehicle vendors in Orange Walk Town have expressed concerns about a proposed fee.

Manuela Ayuso Cantun reporting…

“Vehicle vendors in Orange Walk are up in arms over a fee the Orange Walk Town Council is charging them to station at the Central Park. The Town Council has allotted nine vehicle spaces at the park for vehicle vendors and is charging them $30.00 per month for use of the space. The implementation of this new fee does not sit well with the 13 vendors who have long occupied the spaces.

Vendor 1

“We have been parking out here for the past 20 odds years. The first PUP Mayor came and we spoke to him, we negotiated and we did not pay anything, the second one came which was a UDP Mayor we talked and negotiated and we didn’t pay anything and we are still out there. The situation now with the new Mayor is giving a lot of trouble because he wants to charge us a big fee which is wrong and he wants to move us. The charge is $30.00 per month which is a total of $360.00 for the year. We are not with it.” The vendors have met with the mayor to address the situation . Vendor 2

“We don’t have a problem to pay something but we don’t agree with that price, that price is too steep. Be reasonable. He started at $50.00 then he went to $30.00, we tried to negotiate with him to see if he could come down a little.”

Vendor 3

Everybody from Orange Walk knows that this is the spot if they want to find a vehicle, this is the spot. Sometimes we are out there for three four months to sell one vehicle. We have to travel every day, buy fuel, buy food, insurance, sometimes by the time you sell a vehicle you don’t make any profit. On top of that you have to pay an extra money to the council to park out there. It is ridiculous; I mean if all of us move from out there he will still not make the money.”

Vendors say the Mayor had promised to speak with the council to negotiate a lower rate but a letter delivered to them on Wednesday indicates the price to be the same $30 they were trying to get lowered. In that letter signed by Town Administrator, Alberto Guerra, the council advises the vendors that payments for the vehicle spaces will become due on May 31st and that failure to make payment will result in their removal from the area. The letter also gives notice of intended reconstruction of the park and that when that happens vehicle vendors will be given notice of relocation. The vendors say they are not prepared to move.

Vendor 4

We will do what we have to do. We stand up out there and wait for him to come. If he wants to bring the Police, we will wait for him. Unless he comes to an agreement with us and we settle this matter once and for all and get it over with.”

We tried to get comment from Orange Walk Mayor, Kevin Bernard , but he was in a meeting.

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