Lack of funds snags streetnaming project–– Heinz

Unavailability of funds amounting to $800,000 to $1 million, and not disagreement on proposals, is holding up construction of signposts and nameplates for the much-delayed Saipan streetnaming project.

But Rep. Heinz S. Hofschneider, chair of the Saipan and Northern Island Legislative Delegation, said recommendations on the names of the streets will be taken up in the next Legislature in an amendment to the local law signed last year by the governor. .

“[The project] needs about $800,000 to $1 million to procure all signposts and signage. That’s holding it up. We need to work together with the Governor’s Office and the Mayor’s office to start procuring those nameplates,” he told reporters yesterday.

Mr. Hofschneider assured that once the money is set aside, construction can begin immediately. “If we give them the money now, in six months we can honestly say that we have signboards up in majority of the streets ,” he said.

The fate of the project has remained unclear a year after the local delegation mapped out the plan, largely due to differences on whether Chamorro or Carolinian names will be assigned in a particular street.

Island leaders have underscored the need to complete this project soon in the wake of mounting appeals from the U.S. postal service and the 911 emergency service of the Department of Public Safety which consider street names critical in their operations.

SNILD is scheduled to hold its last session today before calling for sine die, but it will only be passing an appropriation bill and “tap each other for good work,” according to Mr. Hofschneider.

Rep. Melvin O. Faisao, who has been pushing for the Mayor’s Office to include the recommendations drawn up by the Carolinian community on Saipan, said he will make sure that their proposal is discussed before moving ahead with the project.

Streetnaming for Saipan has been hampered by bureaucratic problems over the last 10 years and the task has yet been completed despite creation of the commission in 1997.

According to the law implemented in 1999, the situation is reaching crisis proportion and, especially in these tough economic times, the legislature finds that the CNMI needs organization of this sort to encourage economic efficiency on the island. (Benhur C. Saladores)