The board of the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. will meet with the board of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. soon regarding a proposed payment agreement between the two agencies.<\/p>\n
Esther Mu\u00f1a, CEO of CHCC, said a meeting is set \u201cnext Tuesday [July 21].\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019d like to sit down with them. Our chairman of the board is invited to be there also,\u201d Mu\u00f1a said.<\/p>\n
In a letter, CHCC proposed a monthly payment of \u201cat least\u201d $150,000 after the CHCC pays CUC a $250,000 payment for the month of June.<\/p>\n
CHCC said it would make the monthly payment thereafter \u201cusing current allotment and other revenue sources until CHCC completes installation of a renewable [energy] system.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is not a one-sided agreement, despite what [CUC] claim,\u201d Mu\u00f1a said, adding that \u201cwe basically made it clear that we cannot afford the rates.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also mentioned that CUC continues to charge the CHCC government rates, which are the highest in the CNMI.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government cannot afford the rate, but you don\u2019t sue them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Mu\u00f1a faced lawmakers for a Senate budget hearing this week where she presented CHCC\u2019s proposed $10 million spending plan for the next fiscal year. She said her priorities will be employment retention and equipment upgrade, among others.<\/p>\n
CUC last July 6 said its board of directors has set a period of 30 days to review a draft payment proposal from CHCC.<\/p>\n
CUC board chair Adelina Roberto said the board has started the review last June 30 and will come out with a decision on July 30.<\/p>\n
She said after a decision has been made, the CUC board will inform CHCC and \u201cdiscuss our own board\u2019s findings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roberto disclosed the CUC board\u2019s intent to conduct the 30-day review period during a meeting with lawmakers on Capital Hill.<\/p>\n
She also stressed to lawmakers that the proposal from CHCC is a \u201cdraft proposal\u201d and that the board will still need to discuss the proposal.<\/p>\n
John Riegel, chief engineer and acting executive director of CUC, commenting on the proposal, said the CHCC board may \u201cfeel comfortable to pay the $150,000 now.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the proposed payment plan did not indicate how long CHCC plans to pay the $150,000 per month. He also confirmed that this is a \u201cconcern\u201d because CHCC\u2019s power consumption in a month is about $500,000.<\/p>\n
Sen. Sixto Igisomar (R-Saipan), head of the Senate Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation, and Communications, earlier called for a meeting with CUC.<\/p>\n
After hearing the updates from CUC, the lawmaker said he now wants both the CUC and CHCC boards to meet with legislators in about \u201ctwo weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Igisomar said he wants \u201cto know more\u201d about the situation between CHCC and CUC regarding the draft proposal.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the negotiations fail, and the CUC takes the CHCC to court, the government is again paying attorney\u2019s fees and other unnecessary costs,\u201d Igisomar said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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