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Two federal budget officials check out NMI
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Posted on Oct 12 2008
A new program examiner for the U.S. Office of Management and Budget was on island late last week to learn about the issues and funding needs in the Commonwealth.
Charlie Stern, the new OMB examiner for the U.S. Office of Insular Affairs, was accompanied by OIA budget director Tom Bussanich on his two-day orientation trip to Saipan.
Stern and Bussanich on Thursday came to Saipan from Guam, which they visited for the same purpose. They left for the Republic of Palau on Saturday to continue with their tour of the U.S. insular areas.
Bussanich said that OIA initiated the trip to provide Stern, who is the White House’s analyst for programs concerning the insular areas, with “a better understanding of what goes on out in the Pacific.”
During their visit, according to Bussanich, they met with Gov. Benigno R. Fitial to discuss various issues, primarily those related to the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. The CNMI government has asked the federal government for funds to rehabilitate Saipan’s dilapidated power system and to improve the Commonwealth’s water and wastewater facilities.
The two joined Fitial in inaugurating a finished waterworks project in Koblerville Friday. The project involved the enclosure of 44 electrical control panels for water wells and 25 chlorination stations by retrofitting chain link fences into solid concrete structures for added protection. The project cost $993,000, with part of the money coming from the Interior Department.
Bussanich said they also met with federal representatives based on Saipan.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey website, Stern is also the OMB examiner for the USGS and the backup examiner for the Fish and Wildlife Service. Before joining OMB, he also served as an intern for the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress, where his work included reports on the Bureau of Reclamation and the Army Corps of Engineers.
