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Jules Vasquez reporting
The car dealers at Orange Walk Central Park - they've been parked here for decades, but for the past three years - the mayor has been trying to move them - and he sent word to the dealers that today would be their last day.

This morning at 8:00, Mayor Kevin Bernard came to meet the car dealers halfway - in the middle of the park.

Kevin Bernard, Mayor - OW Town
"I am asking this thing amicably as citizens of this town and as Mayor I am saying that we can solve this problem. This is not a problem, please man..."

Car Dealer
"I will not move just like that, because I am here for 20 years. Mayor come and mayor go...."

Kevin Bernard, Mayor - OW Town
"That is not my discussion and I am not going to get into any back and forth with you. We are saying it here to kindly relocate your vehicles. We are asking you all, to kindly move your vehicles over to the designated area. I will ask my officers that those vehicles are moved this morning. Thank you very much."

"A park is a park. A park is not here for vendors to sell. We don't want any vending in the park - vehicle vendors. These people, not only vehicle that are bringing, they put tools and all these things on the street, occupying the entire space. People want access to their park. Some people come here in the day to enjoy the park. They don't have anywhere to park. Jules, we have put this thing in the gazette. This issue has been published in the gazette for three consecutive issues in 2014. So, I am saying to them, you need to move and that is the decision that this council will stand on."

Employee - OW Town council
"Its public parking sir and you are not public parking. You are vending. You are selling vehicles. We've have allocated a new area for you."

Car Dealer
"How you know we are selling vehicles?"

Employee - OW Town council
"Because we know you are vehicle vendors. If you continue, then we will have to use what is necessary to move you and that is the police. That's as easy as God made daylight."

Jules Vasquez
"Mayor, it's clear that you will have to take a hard line."

Kevin Bernard, Mayor - OW Town
"Yes, I will and I will stand my ground on the issue that we need these people out of here."

And he did. Five minutes later a dozen staffers from the Town Board descended on the parking area with their ticket-books in hand.

It's a politically charged situation - the car dealers are UDP - and the town board is PUP - so tempers were quick to boil. But the traffic wardens were unfazed with their pink slips and dutifully got to writing up tickets for all the dealers.

Police arrived to enforce the council's position - and immediately sought to speak with the leader of the dealers to make sure no trouble started. And that meant getting this dealer's shotgun out of the picture.

But then in the middle of this ferment, compromise talks started breaking out led by this council staffer - who is there second in charge of the town's transport's office.

Aldair Lima, OW Transport Dept.
"We have the barracks St. Peters Street. It's already cemented. I will put the necessary traffic signs for you guys to have exclusivity to the area. We will demarcate the area. We could even arrange to close the area as a flea market during the weekends. $30 for the 11 of you for the month. It's very cheap. You all cannot get better than that. Do we have a deal?"

Car Dealers
"Yes. That sounds reasonable."

Aldair Lima, OW Transport Dept.
"Okay, let us start move from now and arrange and clear the area - the problem is finish."

And easy as that - a problem that had been plaguing the council for years, was over.

After decades of occupation - the car dealers at Orange Walk Central Park/Queen Elizabeth Park were finally on the move to another location - two blocks across on St. Peter Street - which had already been prepared for them:

A problem that had been festering for years - solved in a few minutes of soft-spoken negotiation - all because the price and the place was right:

Darrell Flowers, Car Dealer
"Well, it sound like a good deal Jules, because they are charging us $30 a month for all 11 vendors, so it's a good deal and so we will take it."

Kent Flowers, Car Dealer
"If it was me I would have never moved, because the people are already use to us out there and they have gazette the sign and so I guess we have to move."

Jules Vasquez
"You have an old country and western song that say "I fought the law and the law won." Is that what happened out here today?"

Kent Flowers, Car Dealer
"I guess so."

But, looking at it you might say the vendors won too - they've got this new space for a dollar a day - to be shared between 11 of them!

But for these UDP dealers they remain convinced of the position

Jules Vasquez
"How much of this is politics and how much of it is town administration?"

Kent Flowers, Car Dealer
"I think 100% of this is politics and the Mayor has a personal vendetta. He wanted to move us from the time he got in office."

Jules Vasquez
"I don't see how you could say it is political and the man is giving you all this spot for $30 a month."

Darrell Flowers, Car Dealer
"It's a good deal Jules, but its politics."

But before we could say, "and they lived happily ever after…" - How about these ladies - to make way for the car dealers, these businesswomen got bumped:

Alma Patt, Clothes Vendor
"One of the people who are working for the town council, they came this morning and they never advised us. They should advised us, even for one week, to find a place or to give us a special place where to put out tent. But they came all of a sudden this morning and they told us to remove our things and we are great supporter of the PUP. They shouldn't treat us like that, because when they came and ask us for support, we say yes and Mr. John knows that I am a great PUP."

Jules Vasquez
"And they moved you all. So now..."

Alma Patt, Clothes Vendor
"They should give us one week or two. They chance us."

Jules Vasquez
"How will you make your living now ma'am?"

Alma Patt, Clothes Vendor
"I don't know what will happen to us now."

And so now by placating these UDP car dealers, the mayor has to jilt these PUP voters - proving that no matter what you do in public life, you're always going to be on someone's bad side.

Later this week we'll follow up with Alma Patt to see if she's gotten any relief.