Senate President Jude U. Hofschneider (R-Tinian), Saipan Mayor David M. Apatang, Commonwealth Utilities Corp. acting executive director William Gilmore, and Rep. Angel A. Demapan (R-Saipan) praised the administration\u2019s presentation of details of how the CNMI government plans to spend over $512 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding. <\/p>\n
In an interview shortly after Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig completed his ARPA presentation Friday at the Hibiscus Hall of the Crowne Plaza, Hofschneider said it was a very good presentation\u2014generally speaking\u2014and that he certainly appreciates it.<\/p>\n
Hofschneider said he wants to ask Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and his team to consider decentralizing a lot of the processes in executing the projects and programs using ARPA money. <\/p>\n
For example, he said, Rota and Tinian mayors should be given the authority to create their own processing or team so anything that\u2019s allocated to them for projects, they \u2018ll work on them with all the regulations and procurements, the request for proposals, and other processes.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it\u2019s time-sensitive, we need to devise, we need to decentralize,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
With the availability of the ARPA money, Hofschneider said, the challenge right now is the structure to carry out or execute all these projects, from groundbreaking to ribbon-cutting, especially infrastructure.<\/p>\n
He noted the time sensitivity of all the funds.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to hear the structural side of this. How are they going to flush this down?\u201d he asked. <\/p>\n
Apatang said it was a good presentation and that he\u2019s glad that Torres did that so now everything is clear with ARPA.<\/p>\n
Before the presentation, Apatang said, a lot of people were wondering what\u2019s going to happen and where the government is spending all the ARPA money. \u201cSo now that it\u2019s [spending plan] out, it\u2019s clear. We know where all the money is going. So I\u2019m very happy and now I can do what I need to do. I got a lot of things to do in the island of Saipan,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
On the state level, the CNMI will be appropriated $467,245,670; on the municipality levels, Saipan will get $22,803,551; Tinian, $11,334,010; Rota, $8,649,665; and the Northern Islands, $2,043,269.<\/p>\n
Apatang said with the ARPA money, he will build what the people of Saipan have been dreaming about\u2014its own Saipan Mayor\u2019s Office building. \u201cThat\u2019s my priority\u2014build the mayor\u2019s office so we can have a permanent building,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
Apatang said every Saipan mayor that comes in has to find a new location for the office.<\/p>\n
Gilmore said CUC is grateful for the opportunity to use ARPA funds for the benefit of the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery dollar is [going to] help us\u2026improve not only the water system but everything,\u201d Gilmore said.<\/p>\n
He said they are going to work with appropriate agencies to make wise use of the funding. <\/p>\n
Gilmore said he believes CUC will get at least $60 million to $70 million.<\/p>\n
Demapan said he is just grateful learning about the spending plan. \u201cIt\u2019s a very exciting time,\u201d Demapan said. <\/p>\n
The lawmaker said the CNMI has never had this opportunity to spend half a billion dollars to help the Commonwealth recover from a disaster or, in this case, the COVID-19 pandemic. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo I\u2019m grateful and, at the same time, hopeful after today\u2019s presentation. I really believe now that there\u2019s hope for our future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Demapan said he just would like to make sure that all work together to ensure that this ARPA money is spent in accordance with the guidelines, but most of all, to be spent in the two-year timeline. \u201cIf we don\u2019t do that, then we lose out on a very big opportunity. So I will definitely be there to support this initiative, and make sure that we do what we can to improve the lives of every person in the Northern Marianas,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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