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Bill imposing fees for public park use vetoed
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Posted on Jul 23 1999
Noting the haphazard drafting of the proposal, acting Gov. Jesus R. Sablan has vetoed a bill creating a government office to oversee public parks on the island and impose fees on the use of the sites for repair and maintenance of facilities.
“I know that this measure has been long awaited for. As much as I would like to see it become law, there are several corrections that must be addressed before this bill can become law,” he wrote to the presiding officers of the Legislature.
“The citations of virtually every sections proposed to be amended throughout the bill are erroneous,” added Sablan, who urged lawmakers instead to review previous laws related to the proposal.
He said this would avoid potential confusion or conflict in the future as to the intent of the measure.
Offered by Rep. Oscar M. Babauta, House Bill 11-167 had sought the establishment of the Division of Parks and Recreation within the Department of Lands and Natural Resources which, under the existing law, is the lead agency supervising various parks in the CNMI.
It would have been provided authority to undertake landscaping and beautification of these parks as well as to assess fees to generate its own revenues — a proposal backed by the House Natural Resources Committee.
The committee said in its report on the measure the DLNR currently has not enough manpower to continue performing its functions on these public parks, whose number has increased since 1979.
Lawmakers also maintained that an absence of a single government entity to look after these sites may result to destruction and improper use of available recreational facilities and other amenities built by the government.
The proposed division “is the most appropriate agency to charge with such powers and duties,” the report said, adding that its staff will still have to report to the DLNR secretary for proper disposition of its functions.
Among the employees to be hired by the division will be park rangers, who will be given police powers to enforce laws as well as rules and regulations adopted by the office, according to the measure.
