Mayor Darrell Bradley Challenged on ‘Strip’ Enforcement
Darrell Bradley
This morning, business owners and promoters gathered at City Hall to take on Mayor Bradley in open forum, following last week’s abrupt decision to enforce noise abatement regulations within the area of the entertainment strip. While the Department of the Environment has sided with the mayor, his councilors aren’t fully in support of the brash decision to come down hard on bars and nightclubs along Newtown Barracks. In fact, Councilor Phillip Willoughby was present at this morning’s press conference and publicly clashed with the mayor, siding with business owners. He says that not only does the entertainment industry provide additional revenue for the council, but that the mayor should also consider the political ramifications of such a decision come election time in March 2018.
Voice of: Phillip Willoughby
“Can they not, can the council not accept the recommendation with the lowering of the music so it does not affect the quality of life for those people that have the concern and then we continue the dialogue and discussion with the residents, as per se, with the committee but just have the residents of the city attend their favorite entertainment spot and with the lowering of the music and then just have the business continue on and then further the discussion, so that we just not kill Pier One or we just don’t kill Pickwick or we don’t affect Jungle, that is opening, and so forth.”
Darrell Bradley, Belize City Mayor
“I want to be very clear. Thanks for that intervention Councilor Willoughby. I want to be very, very clear on this point. The city council has taken no steps to close down businesses. I have heard that on social media and I’ve heard that on the media. No person’s license has been revoked. No person’s license has been affected. No person’s license has been changed. All we have done is that we have said is that with relation to clear laws that are set out in the trade license act that we would enforce that. I understand that certain business opted to close last week. That is not as a result of any action that was taken. That is as a result of their own decision.”
Voice of: Manager, Pickwick Club
“I am the manager from Pickwick and you said earlier that the license has not affected anybody. Yes it has affected me and my employees because we have twenty-five people without a job right now, because the whole entire poolside has been closed down. You said it never affected anybody. The meeting was last week Wednesday. We got a phone call on Thursday in the morning stating that we have to cease and desist any activity at the poolside.”
Darrell Bradley
“No. Nobody would have told you that.”
Voice of: Manager, Pickwick Club
“Yes, we received a phone call.”
Darrell Bradley
“You, again, I… The large issue, and decisions from government will affect anybody, when I tell you, if I tell you right now, you know what, continue to operate your business, somebody will be affected. Somebody in that neighborhood will be affected.”
