NMC fails to get $3M funding request

The Northern Marianas College’s funding request for construction projects has failed to muster support from the administration and the reviewing legislative committee.

The House of Representatives’ Ways and Means Committee said the proposed $3-million earmark for NMC is not feasible, as the funds have been reserved for other important projects. The committee urged the House to shelve the appropriation bill.

The committee’s decision is a setback for NMC’s efforts toward getting its accreditation reaffirmed. One of the chief concerns raised by the college’s accrediting commission was the poor condition of NMC’s physical structures.

House Bill 16-28 would re-appropriate $3 million from funds that had earlier been committed to the closure of the Puerto Rico dump, the Kalabera Cave development, and the Lake Susupe boardwalk trail. The funds would be used to pay for NMC’s building improvements and a master plan for a new NMC campus.

The committee came up with the decision after consulting Virginia Villagomez, who administers the Commonwealth’s capital improvement projects. Villagomez has said the projects from which the bill proposes to take the money “are vital to the economy and the environment and must be retained.”

According to Villagomez, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could impose a $32,000 daily fine if the CNMI government fails to comply with the funding mandates and established timeline for the closure of the Puerto Rico dump. She also said the design for the closure is complete, and construction will begin soon.

The Kalabera Cave project and the Lake Susupe boardwalk trail are key to efforts to enhance Saipan as a tourist destination.

The Kalabera Cave project includes the installation of colorful lights, staircases, and metal walkways. It is designed “to enhance the existing conditions by providing a trail for visitors in search of history and adventure and a first-hand appreciation of the natural scenic view,” Villagomez said.

The CNMI government also plans to construct a one-kilometer boardwalk across portions of wetlands and along the shoreline of Lake Susupe as an added destination enhancement. “The outcome of this project will contribute to educating the public on the values of wetlands and wildlife while also providing revenue-generating attractions for tourists,” Villagomez said.

She said the administration is willing to help NMC comply with the recommendations of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, but the college should develop an updated list of its priorities, so funding can be properly identified for critical projects. She noted that some projects in NMC’s list have already been funded. One example is a technology upgrade project for which the U.S. Office of Insular Affairs has already issued a grant of $417,000 in March 2008.