THE office of Infrastructure & Recovery Program has spent $916,579 in fiscal year 2021, according to the annual report submitted by its coordinator, Marianne Concepcion-Teregeyo.
Created by Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ Directive 2021-005 on May 1, 2021, IRP aims to aid the governor and the CNMI government in executing federally funded projects.
IRP will dedicate “resources and subject matter experts to agencies to ensure timely completion of federally funded projects with limited performance time.”
The goal is to “streamline the permitting process to assist in expeditiously realizing federally funded projects for a more robust infrastructure in the CNMI.”
In her report, Concepcion-Teregeyo told Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez that IRP has been working diligently to fulfill the governor’s directive.
She said, IRP’s team of archeologists, anthropologists, biologists, endangered species specialists, inspectors and engineers “continue to assist agencies with federally funded projects.”
By the end of FY 2021, its report said IRP had spent $376,480 on personnel and $540,099 on “all others” for a total of $916,579.
IRP said aside from the administrative staff that “have been working tirelessly to set up the IR Program office and bring in a team of experts,” an archeology team has also spent over 200 hours working with the Historical Preservation Office.
In addition, an engineering team worked 516 hours assisting the Department of Public Lands, the Department of Public Works, the Department of Lands and Natural Resources, the Northern Marianas Housing Corp., the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp., Northern Marianas College, the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. and the Municipality of Tinian.
IRP said it also has a biology team which spent 300 hours “shadowing and assisting” Division of Fish and Wildlife staff in conducting surveys.
According to the governor’s directive, the IRP “shall utilize funds appropriated or otherwise available to the Office of the Governor and designated for such purpose by the Governor or Legislature; and may utilize federal grants or other sources of funds available to the Commonwealth to fund personnel, operations, capital expenses and programs.”
Marianne Concepcion-Teregeyo
