Porteous accused of encouraging disorder
Published:Tuesday | May 17, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Angelo Laurence, Gleaner Writer
MANDEVILLE, Manchester:
SALLY PORTEOUS, councillor for the Mandeville division, was last Thursday chided by some members of the Manchester Parish Council for usurping a decision to remove vendors from a section of the Mandeville market.
Chairman of the parish council and mayor, Brenda Ramsay, said Porteous urged the vendors not to comply with an order of the parish council to move from the area known as Arcade, to stalls inside the market.
Deputy mayor and councillor for the Spur Tree division, Ervin Facey, accused Porteous of promoting "indiscipline and breakdown of law and order" by telling the vendors to disobey the council's directive to move inside the market.
The vendors were issued with a directive two weeks ago to move inside the market, in an effort to separate food vendors from those selling clothing and other miscellaneous items.
However, vendors objected to moving inside the market, saying it was not suitable for their type of vending.
porteous' justification
In a letter dated May 9 to Michael Morris, secretary manager of the parish council, Porteous cited a number of reasons why the vendors should not be relocated.
Porteous indicated that the area designated for the vendors to move was "dirty, unkempt, dark and smelly", among other reasons.
Meanwhile, Porteous, who was not present at last Thursday's meeting, told The Gleaner she was merely seeking to establish a line of communication with the disgruntled vendors and the parish council. She said her intention was not, in any way, intended to give the impression that she was subscribing to disobedience by the vendors, but instead trying to get all concerned to meet and hammer out some sort of suitable solution.