Cooler Heads Prevail, Fiestarama Impasse Over

A deal was struck and a contract signed between the Orange Walk Town Council and the National Sports Council this afternoon. Mayor Kevin Bernard along with his deputy mayor and town administrator met with Minister of Sports, Patrick Faber and Sports Council Director, Ian Jones to discuss Fiestarama 2018. As we have been reporting, both councils bucked heads over debts and the proposed rental fee for use of the People’s Stadium. The N.S.C. had informed the Town Council that a flat fee of five thousand dollars would be charged for the usage of the stadium. Mayor Bernard and his team objected, telling Jones that last year’s Fiestarama agreement allowed the N.S.C. to only collect ten percent of the gate’s proceeds. Jones responded, saying that the ten percent owed to the Sports Council had not been paid and as such any prior arrangement will not be repeated.  The Town Council’s debt was settled on Monday and this afternoon both parties agreed that one thousand dollars would be paid for the use of electricity, one thousand dollars to cover expenses relating to the sports council staff and a two thousand dollars security deposit which is refundable. After the meeting, Mayor Bernard told the press that the monies will be paid on Wednesday to secure the People’s Stadium for this year’s Fiestarama. 

Kevin Bernard, Mayor, Orange Walk Town

Kevin Bernard

“We will adhere to the conditions being set out. There is an operational expense fee which we have agreed to which covers electricity and personnel on the ground from the Sports Council. That is two thousand dollars. There is a security deposit refundable, a security deposit of two thousand dollars that we also have to pay which we will be paying tomorrow morning. At the end of the day Fiestarama will continue. It will be held at the People’s Stadium. We are please because there has been a lot of investment, efforts placed in the preparation for this year’s Fiestarama.”

Hipolito Novelo

“Sir why was it that the council did not settle those arrears previous to yesterday?”

Kevin Bernard

“It was not that we did not want to settle. At the end of the day we were contesting the figures that were being charged to us. We did not agree to some of the fees that were being levied. We were able to renegotiate that. That was settled. As well yesterday we paid two thousand seven hundred and ninety four dollars and tomorrow we will be settling the one for this new Fiestarama year.”