Edith Deleon Guerrero
THE Commonwealth Economic Development Authority opposes Senate Bill 23-36, which would extend the deadline in appointing and confirming members of the Commonwealth Zoning Board.
The zoning board, for its part, supports an amended version of the bill.
Authored by Senate President Edith Deleon Guerrero, S.B. 23-36 would extend the timeframe for the governor to appoint and for the Legislature to act on appointments to the zoning board from 30 to 90 days.
In his letter to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Government & Law chairman, Sen. Karl King-Nabors, CEDA acting Executive Director Derek T. Sasamoto said given the critical nature of the zoning office in the establishment of private businesses in the CNMI, CEDA does not agree with the extension of the deadline for the Legislature to act on zoning board appointments.
Sasamoto said the zoning law intends to provide for expediency and efficiency in not only appointing zoning board members but also in confirming them. He said CEDA believes that the original intent of the law should be followed to ensure that business activities in the CNMI “do not stagnate” due to “burdensome administrative processes that may turn investors away.”
In her letter to the Senate committee, Zoning Administrator Therese T. Ogumoro said the zoning board agrees with the intent of the bill, but believes that the proposed 90-day review period “appears protracted….”
She said the zoning board is concerned that vacancies may prevent a quorum and would stall decisions on applications that require board actions, such as conditional use applications, which require public notice of at least 45 days before the board decides on them.
Further, she said, the risk of a drawn-out wait by applicants while zoning board vacancies go through a 90-day advice and consent process may run counter to any effort by the government to encourage economic activity.
Considering the potential risk of delay in filing vacancies, the zoning board recommends that a period of 45 days should be workable, she added.
