AGO slammed for delay in Koblerville housing project

The Senate yesterday lashed out at the Attorney General’s Office for allegedly holding up approval on the contract of the Koblerville expansion project that has been awarded to Telesource more than three months ago.

A resolution offered by Senate Vice President Thomas P. Villagomez is asking the AGO and the Office of Procurement and Supply to hasten review of the agreement with the Northern Marianas Housing Corporation on the $7 million project.

It would also throw support behind the initial request for proposal conducted by the government housing agency early this year and junk a plan by AGO to send the whole project again on an entirely different bidding process.

Members of the upper house adopted the measure during their brief session yesterday on Tinian, but the resolution has no force of law.

According to Villagomez, the government is losing an opportunity to spur the local economy with the anticipated windfall from the construction of the 45-unit housing project.

“We have to expedite this project. NMHC has been very careful in seeking contractor for this project and the Office of the Public Auditor has no major objection,” he said in an interview after the session.

“I believe the AG is not privy to the whole process, but I understand that they don’t like the way the project was put out through the request of proposal,” Villagomez explained. “Now they want it to go through a new bidding process.”

Although NMHC has already announced the selection of Telesource as contractor of the 45 housing units, the agency is still awaiting compliance by the contractor on several requirements before construction starts.

Marylou S. Ada, corporate director of NMHC, earlier has disclosed that there are still some issues that need to be resolved with Telesource, and thus no contract has been executed yet by the housing corporation.

Last April, the contractor won over nine other construction firms that submitted proposals to NMHC after almost six months of deliberation to undertake the project, which has been viewed as a measure to spur the slumping economy.

The Koblerville expansion is intended to provide housing units to first time homeowners who will pick among the 19 models designed by a Honolulu-based architectural firm.

According to the housing agency, the subdivision is designed to be an innovative and ideal community for local families with restrictive agreements to be implemented to ensure that high standards are maintained.

More than 100 applications were received by NMHC. Out of the 45 eligible families, five will qualify for the two-bedroom house, 25 for the three-bedroom house and 15 for the four-bedroom units.