Questions abound in GTC-soccer project ruckus

Officials within the Public School System and the Legislature are at odds with Gov. Benigno Fitial about the recent decision to fund the construction of a soccer field over the renovation of dilapidated buildings at the Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School.

Last week it was reported that Fitial decided to rescind an $800,000 Northern Marianas Housing Corp. grant for GTC Elementary in order to build a soccer field in Koblerville.

But Fitial has no authority to reallocate NMHC grant money because it is a part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a federal program, said Charles Reyes, press secretary for the Governor’s Office. There is no documentation stating he overruled NMHC, which has its own standards and criteria for approving grant applications, the press secretary said.

“I don’t think the governor technically, legally has the ability to overrule,” Reyes said. “The governor doesn’t have the power, by himself, to tell an agency that is separate from the Executive Branch” what to do. The governor signs off on the grant, but it is a matter of course, he added.

Reyes said the governor is committed to providing funds to GTC using $1.2 million in Capital Improvement Project money from the Office of Insular Affairs that was reprogrammed to PSS. At least $66,000 of the money will be allotted to GTC for an electrical upgrade and termite treatment, according to a Dec. 17 letter from Fitial and CIP administrator Vicky Villagomez to NMHC.

Yesterday, Rep. Ray Yumul and House Floor Leader Joseph Camacho authored a resolution that “requests Governor Benigno R. Fitial to reconsider his decision and to allow NMHC to continue with the construction of classrooms for Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School for the benefit of students.”

Rep. Ralph DLG Torres has scheduled a meeting with PSS Education Commissioner Rita Sablan to check the status of other CIP projects within the school system.

GTC principal Charlotte Camacho said there must be a breakdown in communication between the parties.

“I hate to point fingers,” she said yesterday. “We understood that our proposal was approved by NMHC and that it needed the concurrence of the governor. That was our understanding. Now, things have changed and they said, ‘oh no, no the governor has no say-so.’ I don’t know where that came from.”

In a Sept. 24 e-mail, NMHC grant writer Jeannie Masfnas wrote to Camacho that the NMHC board of directors had approved $600,000 for rehabilitation and $200,000 for collateral improvement. Masfnas could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Camacho said she is trying to get answers from NMHC as well as meet with Fitial.

“They [NMHC] told me they fought tooth and nail for the project, but it’s not their decision,” she said. “But then I heard from the Governor’s Office that he has no authority to do that. I just don’t know who to believe.”

The school has only been able to remain open because school officials presented a plan stating they would get the funding for the repairs, Camacho said. The school is fumigated once a month and traps are laid out, but that is not enough, she said.

“That’s a band-aid approach to this problem. Come September, what happens when the contract ends?” she asked.

Reyes said Fitial has not been able to meet with the principal this week but hopes to do so next week.

Both the GTC renovations and the soccer field were eligible for the NMHC grant, but the soccer field is not eligible for CIP funding, Reyes said. The ideal situation, Reyes said, is to make both projects a reality.

“A sports facility does not qualify [for CIP funding],” the press secretary said. “On the other hand, the CDBG is open for that project. It’s available. Actually both projects—the GTC project and the soccer facility—technically qualify for CDGB funding, but the problem is, it may be more of a strategic decision,” he said, adding that there would be no other way to get the funding for the soccer field because there are no local funds available.

It’s important to remember, he said, that soccer is a very popular sport among countries like Brazil, China, Japan and countries in Europe.

“It’s a huge sport. The idea here is that we want to get the best return on our investment in the long term,” he said, noting that with a world-class facility, the CNMI could draw international tournaments, helping the local economy.