“It’s beautiful to have more ideas coming in from every senatorial district,” he said as he announced the appointment of Jesus I. Wabol to the board which was established by Public Law 15-2 to serve as an adviser to the secretary of the Department of Public Lands.
Of its five members, four will be appointed by the mayors of Rota, Tinian, Saipan and the Northern Islands with the consent of their municipal councils.
The fifth member will be appointed by the governor.
“I am only trying to comply with the law,” Aldan told Variety.
In his Aug. 4 letter to Department of Public Lands Secretary Oscar Babauta, Aldan said Wabol is a bona-fide resident of the third senatorial district who will represent the residents of the Northern Islands and the Northern Islands Mayor’s Office on the board.
Aldan said it is important to have representatives to the advisory board so that the public interest in every senatorial district is protected.
Each member will be appointed for a two-year term without limitation to the number of terms he can serve.
According to P.L. 15-2, which was enacted in Feb. 2006, the DPL secretary “shall organize meetings of the advisory board as needed, but at least once a month, and shall prepare and submit by 10 days advance notice, an agenda for the board’s consideration and/or vote, which shall include subjects proposed by the members.”
Members “shall not be compensated by honorarium or otherwise but shall be reimbursed for their travel expense at the prevailing per diem prescribed by the Department of Finance.”
