Harmonyville Plans To Proceed Soon
Audrey Matura-Shepherd
Matura-Shepherd says that the agreement will be taken to court and returned as a court order. She says that they expect implementation to go smoothly because they were very judicious in their discussions and detailed with the terms in signing off on the agreements. Matura-Shepherd told the media that with the mediation completed, the issues between the two parties are pretty much a done deal.
Audrey Matura-Shepherd, Attorney for BGYEA
“Like where we said that Government is the owner of the buffer, they agreed that they will clean it. And for it to be specific, we agreed that it will be three times a year, so that it is concise and not general. In the issue with the planting of the corn, they have defined the areas and one of the details that went into that, they will sign with BGYEA, five year agreements. This reserve is for cemeteries, parks and so. It will not be used in perpetuity but will used by five year term as they agreed. With the issue with the squatter for example, it will be forthwith. At the point where we are right now, the points were written up and we signed off on it. It will be taken to the courts and be converted to a court order. I don’t see, anytime soon, a problem with it in terms of implementation.”
Andrea Polanco
“We’ve seen this before the courts for a very long time; would you say this is the end of the problems or the issue?”
Audrey Matura-Shepherd
“Yes. It has to be the end. The only issue is the cost. When the injunction was brought against BGYEA, we won’t the issue of the cost and that money is yet to be paid to us and now, BGYEA was brought to court through Mr Petillo and now he is saying you have to pay my legal fees because you dragged me to court. But because we couldn’t reach a decision on that, we go back to court and the court makes a decision because there are provisions and rules how we deal with the issue of cost. But the legal issues, the heart of the dispute have been dealt with through mediation.”
As soon as the order has been made in the next few weeks, BGYEA is expected to resume their plans in Harmonyville.
