The news has been percolating for a few weeks that vendors at the temporary market would have to pay increased rental fees at their pound yard bridge location. Last night that percolation came to a boil as the city council held a meeting at the Commercial Center to tell vendors that it's true, they might have to double their rental fees.
But as with taxes and death, there's no "maybe" in an increase; market vendors made it clear that they flat out, did not want to hear even the suggestion. 7news was at the commercial center when the bad news spilled out unto Regent Street.
Jules Vasquez, Reporting
The vendors at least the vocal ones, weren't happy with the City Council last night; there was lots of shouting, finger pointing and hard talk - and it went both ways as a passing Minister of Works Boots Martinez defended his position.
(Loud back and forth between Hon. Boots Martinez and market vendors.)
The issue seems complex and nettled with passions, but really, it's simple. The owners of the property for the temporary market are proposing a sharp increase in rental charges - a portion of which the city may have to pass on to the 76 vendors who are renting space at the market. Last night's meeting was a heads up:
Kevin Singh, Councilor with Responsibility for Markets
"Nothing has come to agreement as yet, Mr. Hotchandani has asked for certain amount. We went in and talked to him and we told him that we as the Council didn't agree to give him what he wanted. We are telling the people for them to know (that) for us to give Mr. Hotchandani what he wants, we will have to charge them five dollars more on top of what they are already paying. We will still be at a loss."
But the vendors don't want to hear it, not one bit. This man who actually does not have a stall in the market was among the most vocal
Market Vendor
"Why do we have to pay an extra 6 months for us to be on this man property? When we could have gotten our own money to finish our market? The same money we are paying this man we could have pay to finish our market!"
Jules Vasquez
"It will not happen, what will happen is you have to pay the extra the difference. Can you pay it?"
Market Vendor
"I can't pay it, so I say I might have to go home and maybe try to sell a little marijuana to try to survive, because it is not working."
Market Vendor
"From 50 to 60 quarts a week is what I usually sell, it went down to 20 sometimes 23, now and again."
Jules Vasquez
"Why did it go down like that? Is it because of the economy? Or is it because of the location?"
Market Vendor
"Not only the economy, the location is also bad and the customers don't want to come into the market because of the five dollars charge to enter the market. Some of them only come to buy two sweet pepper and they run short of money. If they park outside they will get a traffic ticket and when they come inside it's five dollars."
Market Vendor
"I have had a lot of time working in this market and we still have not gotten any money because we have a lot of lazy people in this play; and the security is sleeping and they robbed him; and what the government is doing is employing people that's taking away our right to import"
For this woman, the math does not add up:
Market Vendor
"There are 77 vendors paying ten dollars a day, which is seven hundred and seventy per day. If you calculate that by week, then by month, then by 6 months, how can they say they can't pay that?"
Jules Vasquez
"So you thing they are over charging you to make money from you."
Market Vendor
"Hell yes, definitely"
And while the vendors raised an uproar - the City Council has its own grievances with them.
This is a list of arrears that over 50 vendors have with the council. It is a culture that is not used to paying its rental fees and Singh inherited the arrears when he took over markets.
Kevin Singh
"They gave me this list and they showed me that between 58 of them the owed $174,000.00 and more in arrears between the 55 of them. So I went in and I told them as of today everybody will pay what they are supposed to pay which is $125.00 a month. So between those 6 months they can't say that this councilor was over charging for the market. Now over that period of 6 months between 67 or 76 of them that we have here already owed $59,000.00. We are operating at a loss. Now I could feel their pain that they have to pay more money, because it's the same way we think that Mr. Hotchandani wants too much."
Jules Vasquez
"How much does he want?"
Kevin Singh
"He wants $17,000.00 to $18,000.00 per month for six months. His thing is if we can't give him what he wants he will put them out not us."
Jules Vasquez
"He is not in politics, he will not run for elections, so it doesn't matter."
Kevin Singh
"He is a businessman and that's his place. There are two options, Mr. Hotchandani will either take them out or they agree with us to pay five dollars more. We will still have to take the loss because five dollars more a day won't bring us to what Mr. Arun wants. And we still have to maintain the market."
And the council is in this position because the market was not completed on time, no work is ongoing, and it is delayed by 6 months:
Kevin Singh
"The contractor has told us from before that he only need 3 to 4 more months to finish the market. We have given the vendors and Mr. Arun 6 months."
So for at least 6 months there will be no peace in the marketplace.
According to Singh, the council is currently paying $4,500 a month for the temporary market. The council has been paying Hotchandani with a combination of fixed payments and write-offs of taxes. The write offs for last year and this year - according to Singh - amount to sixty thousand dollars.
The term for that agreement is expired and according to Singh, the new proposal from Hotchandani is for a combination in payments and "write offs" totaling one hundred and five thousand dollars.
