New projects eyed as a compromise

The Legislature is likely to add on the list of capital improvement projects a proposed water drilling on Saipan and several secondary road construction on Rota and Tinian in apparent move to appease lawmakers dissatisfied over the CIP master plan.

Rep. Karl T. Reyes, chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, said he would sit down with finance officials to try to identify local funds for the additional projects which might not be eligible for federal grants provided under Section 702 of the Covenant.

The proposal, however, will be limited only to the water improvement plans on Saipan, particularly in the northern part, as well as road projects on Rota and Tinian, at a cost of millions of dollars in additional infrastructure expenditure.

It will not include expansion of the Rota airport runway and the Tinian Airport — two pet projects pushed by their respective legislative delegation, but were rejected by Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio.

According to Reyes, water drilling project was left out of the plan inspite of it being included in the initial proposal by the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation, but is now being pressed by members of the Legislature due to a serious water shortage on the island.

“The proposal will address some immediate needs of the people,” he told in an interview yesterday.

The representative also brushed aside perception that it is meant to calm widespread dissatisfaction in the Senate after some provisions of the initial CIP bill, which was amended by senators to include pet projects, were vetoed by the governor.

“We would seek local funding for these projects,” Reyes said, noting that the master plan has already laid out use of the $154 million in both federal and local funds.

The next batch of local projects is expected to be unveiled by the administration in the next few weeks once officials have identified local funds to match dollar-for-dollar the Washington’s financial aid.

Tenorio agreed two weeks ago to sign the measure, sponsored by Reyes, to begin construction on the new prison for the Division of Corrections as well completion of the Marianas High School Gymnasium, which are both included in the plan.

Eight other proposed projects approved by the Legislature were vetoed in fear that inclusion of pet projects inserted at the last minute by legislators would compromise the integrity of the seven-year master plan.

The list of 50 priority projects on Saipan, Tinian and Rota was the result of nearly one year of deliberation by a government task force which whittled down the plan from the huge $600 million cost to its final form.

Island leaders are pinning hope on the CIP funds to spur the local economy which has suffered heavily on the heels of the prolonged recession in Asia, NMI’s main source of tourism revenues and foreign investments.