ORIENT BEACH--The majority of tenants of the new restaurants on Orient Beach have been given keys and signed contracts days after meetings with the Collectivité in which complaints were raised about the new units, including what tenants perceived to be a very high rent.
The turn-around appears to indicate tenants have sufficient trust in the Collectivité to modify the rent, and on what First Vice-President Guillaume Arnell said must be compromises made on a basis of “give and take.”
Arnell told The Daily Herald on Friday he and Vice-President Wendel Cocks spent the last two days meeting with each tenant individually to discuss the issues, meetings that in the large part gave tenants satisfaction.
Apparently “two or three” tenants did not sign the contracts yet.
Arnell stressed, however, that neither he nor Wendel Cocks had authority to lower the rent, but would be providing “elements’ to the Executive Council which meets on Tuesdays, to assist the Council in its decision.
“For this project to go forward, with all the investment and effort put into it, if we have to fall back a little on the price of the rent, then we will do it, but it can’t be for free,” he said.
He said tenants signed the contracts based on the stipulated rent of 2,500 euros per month, but indicated, depending on what the Council agrees; it will be replaced by a modified rent figure.
“We also decided that they will not have to pay the rent until March 1, seeing as it is the Collectivité at fault for being a month-and-a-half behind schedule for completion,” he added. “And now that they have the keys, they will not lose any more time in getting organised.”
Tenants have also received assurance that issues they have complained about regarding the units themselves, incorrectly placed toilet doors, roofs for the wooden decks, installation of bars, etc., will be addressed.
“With regard to covering the decks, they want to assume this responsibility themselves financially, and we, with the architect, have emphasised that whatever is done must be in harmony. In other words what is built has to be approved by the architect and the Collectivité.”
Arnell said there would be no more discussion about the duration of the temporary occupation permit (AOT) and it will remain at three years, not five.
“We don’t want tenants having this sense of ownership of Government property. Three years is quite sufficient and it does not guarantee renewal. The contract states renewal is not automatic and three months before expiry you have to re-apply. Now, if you have been a model tenant and all payments have been made up to date, there’s no reason why the Collectivité would not renew the AOT.”
