I wasn't accusing Azan of political interference

THE EDITOR, Sir:

The Sunday Gleaner dated April 7, 2013 carried a front-page article headlined 'Mayor blames political interference for market controversy' and interpreted me as blaming MP of North West Clarendon, Richard Azan, of political interference. That is not accurate!

My reference to political interference was taken out of context.

At no time during the interview did I accuse or blame MP Azan for any form of political meddling. My response to your reporter was that I thought it was political interference from the previous (Jamaica Labour Party) administration who couldn't achieve what we have accomplished in 12 months and they are throwing a spanner in the wheel of progress, by making public mischief of this matter.

Here is a brief history: When the issue was brought to the Clarendon Parish Council's attention in October 2012 that monies were paid directly to the contractor for rental of the shops, the then commercial services manager with responsibility for markets in the parish was instructed to formalise an arrangement with the contractor to turn over the handling of the shop rentals to the Clarendon Parish Council.

The council had also hired the services of an attorney to write to the contractor to cease and desist with immediate effect renting shops in the Spaldings Market.

INSTRUCTION IGNORED

In making my enquiries, it was brought to my attention that, up to January 2013, that instruction was not carried out, and the contractor was called into a meeting to discuss the matter at hand.

Two proposals were put the contractor: (1) to allow him to lease the section of the premises from the council; or (2) sell the parish council the shops. The contractor settled for the second option. Since then, the parish council has had full responsibility for the wooden structures.

We engaged our technical staff to assess the value and then report this to council. At one of the council's committee meetings, the matter came up for discussion and a decision was reached for the monies already collected by the contractor for the rental of the shops to be deducted from the cost of the shops and a payment arrangement for all the structures made with the contractor for a specified period.

The other matter of the council and Mayor Barnswell having no knowledge of the wooden shops is also not accurate. The knowledge the council lacked was that of monies being paid to a third party. But we were very much are aware that the shops were built by the contractor.

This information was known and accessible to ALL Clarendon councillors. At one meeting, there was a very robust debate as to whether or not the council should consider demolishing the wooden shops. The final decision was that the shops would remain as they served a vital purpose and the council would compensate the contractor for same.

GREAT RELATIONSHIP

MP Azan was instrumental in the construction of the Spaldings Market while he was a councillor from 2007-2011. It continued with the then MP Michael Stern for a short period and stopped. The construction restarted in 2012 by the parish council, under my stewardship, and a section was completed to accommodate the vegetable and ground provision vendors.

MP Azan enjoys a favourable relationship with the leadership of the council and he has been working closely with the council to restore public order to the town of Spaldings.

I am, therefore, requesting of your editorial team to withdraw statements from that article which would paint a grim picture of the current relationship between me, the council and MP Richard Azan.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Sunday Gleaner stands by its story that the political interference comment was directed at Mr Azan and that no approval was sought from the council for the construction of the shops.

SCEAN BARNSWELL

Mayor of May Pen