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DPW starts year with new backhoe for beautification
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Posted on Jan 03 2005
By Marconi Calindas
Reporter
The Department of Public Works began using yesterday the new backhoe it recently acquired as part of its goal to continuously beautify and maintain Saipan’s public works and highways, according to DPW Secretary Juan S. Reyes.
He said they started using the equipment from Chalan Galaide for a road clearing operation.
The equipment was acquired in a turnover ceremony held at the Mid-Pac Micronesia showroom, which was attended by Mid-Pac general manager Ricky L. Itaas and DPW’s Traffic, Highway and Beautification coordinator and manager Frank C. Sablan last Dec. 27, 2004, at 10:30am.
The department previously only had two backhoes and, according to the secretary, these are now dilapidated.
“We decided to obtain a brand new one so that our beautification project will not be delayed,” he said.
Currently, the department is implementing a number of beautification projects on Saipan, Reyes said. “And I’d like to fully maintain it. Our two old backhoes are not functioning well. They’ve been there for the longest time.”
He also said that, instead of investing time fixing the department’s old backhoes, the office opted to release a bid bulletin for the new one. “We decided to get a new one. So we decided to put out a bid and Mid-Pac came out with the lowest bid.”
Mid-Pac won with a bid price of $75,000 for the new backhoe—a John Deere 410G Loader Backhoe with engine power of 92(69) net power hp at 2,200 rated revolution per minute.
The department is “very satisfied” with its new acquisition Reyes said.
As for the funding for this new equipment, the secretary said he was able to reprogram some funding within the operations budget. “I was able to find some lapsed funds and this is strictly from the local funds.”
He said he also did some reprogramming of funds from other sources within his department.
“Hopefully this will really help us in our beautification program. That backhoe is going to be with us in the next 20 years,” he added.
