‘Reports show Zoning has enforcement issues’
Based on the numbers being reported by the Commonwealth Zoning Board, there are obviously issues on enforcement inspections, according to Senate President Edith E. DeLeon Guerrero (D-Saipan) yesterday.
In highlighting some of the Zoning Board’s Citizen Centric Reports, DeLeon Guerrero noted that 701 inspections for compliance with Zoning requirements were done in fiscal year 2022, versus the 142 inspections done in fiscal year 2023.
DeLeon Guerrero talked about the Zoning enforcement issue, among others, during the confirmation hearing for Stephen P. Sablan and Charlotte P. R. Cepeda before the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation Judiciary & Government Operations Committee. Both Sablan and Cepeda are nominees to the Zoning Board.
The SNILD JGO Committee, chaired by DeLeon Guerrero, agreed to prepare a report that recommends that Sablan and Cepeda be confirmed by the entire delegation.
DeLeon Guerrero said the Centric Report talks about 278 cases that are ongoing and being monitored by the enforcement staff, and that 156 cases are under enforcement.
The president asked the status of all of these cases that are being monitored by the Zoning Enforcement Division.
“Similarly, if you look at the 2023 [report] it talks about the nominal cases. So the bigger numbers are in fiscal year 2022. So it’d be interesting to find out what is the status of that,” she said.
By looking at the numbers of Zoning permits being given out, it’s apparent that numbers are either going up or down in particular fiscal years, DeLeon Guerrero said.
She said that’s another area of concern when talking about how the CNMI is struggling financially and how the government keeps businesses in place so that they could continue operating in the CNMI, generating revenues, and thriving.
The president underscored the need for absolute collaboration between all the government entities that are responsible in enforcing and making sure that laws are followed. She said it is important in order to have a healthy environment for businesses and the community as a whole.
DeLeon Guerrero also noted that they just recently passed an anti-corruption bill and that in itself should serve as a reminder to elected government officials, including government employees, that they are governed by certain standards.
“And when we start to apply pressure to departments just because a business is calling us to get their permits out or something, we need to be reminded of that,” she said.
DeLeon Guerrero said employees need to be empowered, but at the same time be mindful, that a long time wait may not be conducive to the business environment and the economy.
Deleon Guerrero said during the committee’s hearing that one of the concerns that was brought up is a gap between the Cannabis Commission and Zoning.
She said they brought that concern to the Cannabis Commission to work together with the Zoning Board so that both entities can move forward with whatever the permitting issues are with respect to establishments that are waiting to be permitted, and so they could operate their cannabis establishment.
“And that’s again revenue for the Commonwealth,” DeLeon Guerrero said.
Edith E. DeLeon Guerrero
