REGARDING the creation of the infrastructure and recovery program office, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres said it has been done “the right way.”
“We followed the correct procedure,” he said.
The governor said the office has a civil engineer and an archaeologist on board and is currently working on enlisting more employees with technical expertise to fill the office.
“We continue to look for more professionals to fill the position. [The office is] working hard on the current projects that [it already has],” he said.
The new government office has been created to focus on procurement, permitting and construction management/engineering for infrastructure and recovery projects.
The governor named Marianne Concepcion-Teregeyo, former secretary of the Department of Public Lands, as coordinator for this office, which he said will consist of engineers, biologists, environmental planners, master planners, archaeologists, as well as attorneys who will help ensure that contracts are done right and expedited.
This new program will also assist with disaster recovery and public assistance hazard mitigation projects, including those of Northern Marianas College, the Public School System, the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp., the Commonwealth Utilities Corp., Routes 35 and 36 and other road projects, as well as working with the Marianas Visitors Authority to help make the CNMI a world-class tourist destination.
In a previous interview, the governor said the CNMI was looking at close to $1 billion of infrastructure projects in the next several years, including funding through the American Rescue Plan Act.
He said the new office will help streamline the permitting process for infrastructure projects, to ensure that federally funded projects will move forward in a timely manner, noting that the current local capacity is already “stretched thin” and will not be able to sustain and meet requirements.
Ralph DLG Torres
