Public market

(1) No person shall expose or exhibit for sale the flesh of any animal other than a wild animal shot in the bush, in any place within, or within one mile beyond the limits of the city of Belize other than in the Market or such place or places as the Council may appoint. (2) (a) The enclosed portion of the Market premises shall be fitted with stalls and collapsible tables which shall be numbered and lettered with distinguishing numbers and letters and shall be appropriated for the sale of meat, turtle, fish, fruit, vegetables, groceries, bread, confectionery, and such other articles as the Council may determine, and may be let by the day, week, month or year at the rate specified in Belize City Council 213 Eighth Schedule. the Eighth Schedule. to these By-Laws to persons or firms approved by the Clerk of the Market, subject to these By-Laws. (b) The unenclosed portion of the market premises situate between the Belize Swing Bridge and the North Western extension of the Market building shall continue to be set apart as heretofore for the sale of fish, fruit, vegetables, groceries, bread, confectionery and such other articles as the Council may determine, and spaces may be let for this purpose by the day at the rate specified in the Eighth Schedule to these By- Laws to persons approved by the Clerk of the Market, subject to these By-Laws. Eighth Schedule. (c) No person shall sell, or offer, or expose for sale, or deposit for sale or otherwise any meat or any article whatever in the Market, or in any part thereof, other than in, at or upon a stall, table, standing-place, or space which at the time of such sale, offer, or exposure for sale, or of such depositing, is let and allotted to such person by the Clerk of the Market. (3) No person or firm shall, except by permission granted by resolution of the Council, directly or indirectly hold more than one stall in the Market or sublet the same to another person or firm. Stalls shall be rented only to those who occupy them personally or by an agent on their behalf who does not rent or manage any other stall in the Market. (4) Persons renting or occupying any market stall shall keep the same together with the fixtures, fittings and appurtenances thereto clean and in proper order and shall be responsible for any damage to the same other than by fair wear and tear and shall not without permission in writing from the City Administrator affix extra fixtures or lights and shall not leave any food material in or on it in any way whatever. 214 Belize City Council (5) All rents shall be payable in advance. (6) No person shall sell any article whatsoever on the Market premises otherwise than from a proper stall or place set apart for such purpose by the Council, provided that nothing herein contained shall prevent the sale of grass fodder for horses and cattle between the Belize Bridge and the North Western extension of the Market building. (7) The covered and enclosed Market Place shall be lighted, and the stallholders and their assistants admitted to their stalls at 4 a.m. daily (Sunday excepted); such Market Place shall not however be open to the general public or for purposes of sale until 5 a.m. daily (Sunday excepted). Meat and turtle stalls may be opened daily (Sunday excepted) at 5 a.m. and may be closed as soon as all the meat and turtle being exposed for sale thereat shall have been sold or otherwise disposed of, but such stalls covered and enclosed may remain open after noon. On Saturday’s meat and turtle stalls may be reopened at 1 p.m., but such stalls and the said covered and enclosed Market Place shall be closed at 8 p.m. On Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and Good Friday the said covered and enclosed Market Place shall be lighted and the stallholders and their assistants admitted at midnight but shall not be opened to the general public or for purposes of sale, until 4 a.m., provided that in any special circumstances the above hours may be altered at the request of the stall-holders, provided however that such stallholders shall pay a fee of fifty cents per hour or part of an hour to the Clerk of the Market during such times as he is engaged or that the Market is kept open for the purpose. (8) Fish stalls may be opened at 5 a.m. daily (Sunday excepted) and shall be closed at 6 p. m. Belize City Council 215 (9) All other stalls may be opened at 5 a.m. daily (Sunday excepted) and shall be closed at 10.30 p.m. On Saturdays they shall be closed at 12 midnight. (10) On Christmas Day, Good Friday and the 10th September in every year the Market shall be closed for all purposes whatsoever at 9 a. m. (11) No livestock except poultry or game shall be brought into the Market. (12) No person shall expose for sale or have in his or her possession in the Market any bad or unwholesome meat, fish, fruit or vegetables. (13) No dogs shall be allowed in the covered and enclosed Market Place. If any dog is so found the owner thereof shall be deemed to have committed an offence against these By-Laws. (14) A receptacle shall be provided by the Council for rubbish and refuse and no rubbish or refuse shall be thrown or deposited in the Market elsewhere than in such receptacle. (15) Any lessee or stallholder soiling the Market shall immediately thereafter thoroughly wash and clean the part so soiled. (16) No barrels, blocks or private property whatever shall be permitted to be placed in or about the Market, other than such as may be deemed requisite by the Clerk of the Market for stall- holders in the pursuit of their business and any such barrel, block or private property placed in or about the Market shall at all times be kept covered and clean to the satisfaction of the said Clerk. (17) No quarrelsome or riotous conduct, swearing, obscene language, indecency or impropriety of any kind whatsoever shall be committed or used in the Market. (18) No person shall smoke or spit in the Market. 216 Belize City Council (19) No boat shall be tied or made fast to the piles, pillars, or other parts of the Market longer than is necessary for the purpose of loading and unloading produce therefrom. (20) The City Administrator, the Clerk and the Assistant Clerk of the Market shall not directly or indirectly be concerned in the buying (except for the use of their respective households) or selling of any article exposed for sale in the Market. The Clerk of the Market shall attend at the Market as required by the Council and be responsible for the maintenance of order and the general management of the same. (21) No person shall loiter about, sit or lie on any of the stalls in or about the Market and any person so doing besides rendering himself liable to the penalty provided by this by-law may be ejected by the Clerk of the Market, Assistant Clerk or any police constable. (22) No stall-holder or person in the employ of a stall-holder either directly or indirectly at any place within the Market beyond the limits of his or her employer’s stall shall solicit any person to make any purchase. (23) Any person who shall at any stall in the Market sell or offer for sale– (a) any part of a loggerhead turtle at the same time and at the same stall at which he is selling or offering or exposing for sale any part of a green turtle; or (b) any part of a turtle unless a legible notice be exhibited in a conspicuous place on such stall stating the kind of turtle offered for sale, namely: green turtle, hawksbill or loggerhead; or (c) any part of a sheep or goat unless a legible notice be exhibited in a conspicuous place on such stall Belize City Council 217 stating the kind of mutton offered for same, namely: sheep mutton or goat mutton; or (d) any meat that has been frozen unless a legible notice be exhibited in a conspicuous place on such stall containing the words “Frozen Meat”, shall be guilty of an offence against this by-law. (24) (a) Any vendor in the Market who retails any article by weight shall himself supply the necessary scales and weights of a type approved by the Clerk of the Market and he shall keep all such scales and weights and other appliances used by him free from rust and verdigris and in a thoroughly clean condition to the satisfaction of the Clerk of the Market. (b) Every article retailed by weight shall be properly weighed and in all cases of dispute in respect of weight, the vendor shall, if required so to do by the purchaser or intended purchaser, cause the article about which dispute arises to be weighed in the presence of the Clerk of the Market or a constable. (c) No vendor or his assistant shall have in his possession or under his control in the Market any false or unjust weighing machine, scale or weight. (d) No person shall sell or deliver any article in the Market of less weight, measure or number than has been bargained for. (e) No person shall by any contrivance or device or in any manner whatever, tamper with any scale, balance, beam or weight in the Market whether 218 Belize City Council such scale, balance, beam or weight be the property of, or in the possession of, or under the control of such person or not. (25) Any person who shall engage in the Market as a butcher or seller of beef, pork, mutton, or meat, or as an assistant or servant to any such butcher or seller, shall at all times while engaged in the Market– (a) be decently and neatly dressed and shall besides wear a clean white overall and cap; and (b) have in his possession a valid certificate of health duly signed by a Government medical officer or by a registered medical practitioner in the form prescribed in the Ninth Schedule of these By-Laws that he is free from any infectious or contagious disease and is in a fit state of health to be employed in the Market, such certificate to be valid only for the ninety days immediately succeeding the day on which it was dated and signed by a Government medical officer or a registered medical practitioner. Ninth Schedule. (26) The Director of Health Services, or any Sanitary Inspector, or the Clerk of the Market may at any time require any butcher, seller, assistant or servant as aforesaid to produce his Certificate of Health for inspection by the Director of Health Services, Sanitary Inspector or Clerk of the Market as the case may be and any butcher, seller, assistant or servant who shall fail or refuse to produce a valid Certificate of Health when so required shall be guilty of an offence against this by-law. Seventh Schedule. (27) The fees specified in the Seventh Schedule to these By- Laws shall be paid on demand to the Clerk of the Market for all meat and turtle brought to the market for sale except where such fees have already been paid at the Slaughterhouse. The weighing of such meat and turtle where necessary shall be done by the Belize City Council 219 owner or his agent in the presence of the Clerk of the Market and according to his directions. (28) Any person committing a breach of or being guilty of an offence against this by-law shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding one hundred dollars and in the event of a continuing offence to a further penalty not exceeding ten dollars for each day on which such offence is continued. The tenancy of such person as a lessee or stall-holder may be forthwith determined by the Council and no part of the rent paid shall be refunded unless the Council by resolution shall so direct and if the Council so determine any tenancy as aforesaid it may declare such lessee or stallholder to be disqualified from holding any stall for such period as the Council may determine not exceeding six months.