City Council says vendors could have found refuge in market

Phillip Willoughby

Earlier you heard angry vendors cast blame for the loss of produce squarely on the shoulders of the Belize City Council. Councilor Phillip Willoughby, who is responsible for markets, says that’s not quite so. Willoughby contends that works have been carried out in the area and vendors affected by the rain could have sought a temporary space for business inside the Michael Finnegan Market. After all, he says, it’s in black and white.

Phillip Willoughby, City Council

“Several weeks ago coming up to this week, the sanitation company; namely BML, did remedial work with the drainage. If there is any backlog of additional water there due to drainage, then I am presuming that we need to have a bigger culvert to facilitate the runoff. But that runoff will only work out in the case of low tide. If you have the rains and you have a high tide, then you will have a back flow. Some of them I believe lifted their produce. I believe the others should have utilized the Michael Finnegan Market where these temporary stalls are. And if you look on the ground and you see that it is a small quantity or volume, then those vendors should have utilized the Michael Finnegan Market.”

Andrea Polanco

“But was this communicated to them? Were they given this go ahead beforehand to say in case this happens, you guys can go into the market?”

Phillip Willoughby

“Yes. It’s spelt right out in the memorandum of understand that we signed off with them.”

Willoughby says the association hasn’t request a meeting with him but he didn’t bar one.