THE 16th Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council in its sine die session on Thursday last week adopted three resolutions to the incoming members of the 17th Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council, and three resolutions to the incoming members of the 23rd Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature seeking their support and urging the elected officials to continue the progress of three important projects embarked by the Council critically important to the community in municipal governance, the status of the native inhabitants, and the safety of our residents and student who are bus riders.
Additionally, the 16th Municipal Council adopted a resolution urging the CNMI Office of Personnel Management to address some pressing issues that affects the employment of current government employees and prospective employees with respect to Public Law 20-66 or the legal use of marijuana or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the CNMI.
Outgoing Council Chairperson Ana Demapan-Castro in her “Chairperson’s Report” reiterated some of the Council’s challenges during their tenure such as the impediments to finish the construction of the Council building from the damage of Typhoon Soudelor in 2015; the repair and renovation delays for the Municipal Council’s memorial building from the damages of Super Typhoon Yutu in 2018. And the impact in moving forward to implement some of the Council’s project such as the closed-circuit television or CCTV Camera at the pilot project site beginning at the As Teo/Santa Lourdes as the commemorative and memorial site of students Faloma and Maleina Quitugua Luhk who have been missing since 2011.
The CCTV camera pilot project was critically important to the Council to provide a pathway for the Legislature to appropriate funds to support the CCTV camera project to be installed at the nearly 200 bus-stop shelters on Saipan to provide a sense of assurance to the families and community on the safety of the school children at the bus-stop sites throughout Saipan, and to include Tinian and Rota.
All these challenges were further impacted from the ripple effect of the coronavirus or Covid-19 pandemic statewide shutdown due to the governor’s public health emergency declaration early on during the 16th Council’s tenure in March 2020.
But despite the challenges, Chairperson Demapan-Castro shared the accomplishments of the Council such as the completion of the Kiosku Memorial building repairs and renovation headed by Council Secretary Danny Aquino; the completion of the Memorial buildings CCTV Camera replacements headed by Chairperson and assisted by the Council’s contractor; the delivery of programs and services to the community at-large in support of the public health emergency headed by the Council Chairperson and Council staff; and community outreach on proposed initiative and projects conducted by Council Chairperson Demapan-Castro and Vice Chairperson Antonia Manibusan-Tudela.
Council Chairperson Demapan-Castro closed her remarks by recognizing the works and cooperation of her colleagues and thanking the Council staff for their support during her tenure. Reiterating the need for cooperation in moving the Council programs and projects forward in the next Council especially those projects already provided for or funded in the American Rescue Plan Act or ARPA “Spending Plan.”
The following are brief content of what the Council resolutions called for and are heading to the incoming elected public officials for the 17th Municipal Council and the 23rd Legislature, including copies to the incoming CNMI mayors:
• Resolution No. 16SMC-05: To respectfully request the incoming Twenty-Third Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature to support the intent of a Constitutional Amendment under Article V1 to allow a chartered municipality for the island of Saipan, and to amend certain constitutional provisions under Article VI for the municipality of Tinian and Aguiguan, and the municipality of Luta (Rota) through Article XVIII, §1 of the CNMI Constitution, and for other purposes.
• Resolution No. 16SMC-06: To respectfully request the incoming Twenty-Third Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature to support and appropriate funds on the intent of the Sixteenth Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council’s “Faloma & Maleina Luhk CCTV Camera School Bus-Stop Project of 2022” to construct and install CCTV Cameras at all existing CNMI Public School System Bus-Stop to further support the protection and safety of all public and private students, and for other purposes.
• Resolution No. 16SMC-07: To respectfully request the incoming Twenty-Third Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature to support and appropriate from the general funds including funds transferred under CNMI Constitution Article XI, Section 6 (d) on the intent called for in the Sixteenth Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council’s Resolution No. 16SMC-02 for a three-year comprehensive study on the status of the indigenous people, the Chamorros, of the Northern Mariana Islands; and for other purposes.
• Resolution No. 16SMC-08: To respectfully request the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Office of Personnel Management to revisit Public Law 20-66, including the legislative intent of Senate Bill 22-01, SD1; and to be consistent with the application of the law not to penalize employees for use during non-working hours; and for other purposes.
• Resolution No. 16SMC-09: To respectfully request the incoming Seventeenth Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council members to support the Sixteenth Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council members’ support and endorsement of a Constitutional Amendment under Article XVIII, §1 to amend Article VI, §3, §6, §7 and §8 to allow a chartered municipality for the island of Saipan, and to amend certain provisions for the municipality of Tinian and Aguiguan, and the municipality of Luta (Rota); and for other purposes.
• Resolution No. 16SMC-10: To respectfully request the incoming Seventeenth Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council members to support the intent of the Sixteenth Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council’s “Faloma & Maleina Luhk CCTV Camera School Bus-stop Project” to construct and install CCTV Cameras at all existing CNMI Public School System Bus-Stop to further support the protection and safety of all public and private students, and for other purposes.
• Resolution No. 16SMC-11: To respectfully request and urge the incoming Seventeenth Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council members to support the intent called for in the Sixteenth Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council’s Resolution No. 16SMC-02 for a three-year comprehensive study on the status of the indigenous people, the Chamorros, of the Northern Mariana Islands; and to urge the incoming 23rd Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature to support and appropriate funds transferred under Article XI, §6 (d) of the CNMI Constitution for the study; and for other purposes.
• Resolution No. 16SMC-12: To respectfully request and urge the Seventeenth Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council to support the intent of the Council Resolution No. 16SMC-08 in seeking the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Office of Personnel Management to revisit Public Law 20-66, including the legislative intent of Senate Bill 22-01, SD1; and to be consistent with the application of the law not to penalize employees for use during non-working hours and the requirement of testing for THC as a pre-employment procedure; and to update the Council’s Employee Handbook to this effect.
From left, 16th Saipan and Northern Islands Municipal Council Secretary Danny Iwashita Aquino, Chairperson Ana Demapan-Castro and Vice Chairperson Antonia Manibusan-Tudela.
