THE Commonwealth Utilities Corp. on Friday morning received a $2 million grant from the Infrastructure and Recovery Program or IRP for the design and construction of the Garapan sewer line replacement project.
The project includes replacement of 1,240 linear feet of eight-inch and six-inch gravity main, installation of new sewer manholes, service laterals, temporary bypass system, and asphalt road restoration.
The funds are from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, or ARPA, through the CNMI Treasury.
The grant award is for the budget period of May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023.
For this project, key staff are CUC Executive Director Gary Camacho, Management Analyst Betty Diaz, and Chief of Administration Betty Terlaje, while key personnel are Grants Coordinator Carl Castro, Deputy Director Kritien Voerge, and Acting Chief Engineer Larry Manacop.
“CUC is one of our collaborating agencies and they are going to be one of the first ones that we are going to be cutting a check to from our IRP operations account, which is the money set aside through our program to help the CNMI upgrade infrastructure,” said IRP Coordinator Marianne Concepcion-Teregeyo.
“One of the first projects is the Garapan sewer line/waterline replacement…. I think at the end of the day, it’s really important to harden our infrastructure. The team has been busy working and ensuring that regulatory permits are complied with for not only CUC’s project, but the biggest one down at the Oleai Sports Complex for the upcoming Pacific Mini Games,”
She said the team will be counting down the days until the project’s completion.
“Handing the check is one thing, but the greatest impact is when the projects are completed and the people are able to realize the upgrades to infrastructure in the Garapan area,” she said.
Concepcion-Teregeyo thanked Gov. Ralph DLG Torres for allowing IRP to move forward with this project.
IRP Civil Engineer Mariano R. Iglecias, for his part, explained that this particular project took priority because of its overlap with other infrastructure revitalization.
“It would’ve been a disaster had we not flagged this. This is one of two projects that overlap that project…. We’re happy to get this project moving ahead of the…revitalization project, so that we save the CNMI further costs down the road in terms of having to have [the revitalization] project move ahead, only to… come back and rip up a newly-paved road,” he said.
CUC Executive Director Camacho also extended his appreciation to Governor Torres for his support on various CUC projects throughout the CNMI.
He likewise thanked IRP for its collaboration with CUC, and also recognized the Garapan Revitalization Project committee for being at the forefront of this development.
“This is a huge project. This is a major part of our economic hub, this particular area, and this will help and obviously improve the support for economic growth and government as we move forward. Again, sanitation is the biggest concern for CUC and the other two services we provide, and I think that this is essential and critical to have at the forefront,” said Camacho.
To the CUC board members, he said the award is another thing that they can report on, in addition to the many other successes of CUC.
“Collaboration is critical. With the number of things going on in the island and the speed in which our governor wants us to move, it’s essential that we collaborate — and we collaborate well — and that we keep the momentum going,” said Camacho.
For her part, CUC Board Chair Miranda Manglona also thanked Governor Torres and IRP. “I know that this is a huge project and, like the executive director mentioned, we would like to get moving with this. I know the Garapan area is a major district now…. I know that the CUC can continue providing vital, reliable services to our community and also to the businesses that we have on-island which are part of our economic growth. We need our businesses also, so this is one of the important parts: to continue our economy to grow,” she said.
Governor Torres congratulated CUC and IRP.
“I know that, again, there’s a lot of questions as to why IRP was created. Its creation is to assist other departments. It’s not to compete, it’s to assist on projects, because I do know with $180 million from ARPA — aside from CDBG-DR with the additional $210 million — is to assist projects like this, because I know that DPW is overwhelmed,” he said.
He noted that Garapan is a central business hub, adding that the businesses will definitely appreciate this project.
“I would like to ask our business community, and our people, while this construction is ongoing, I ask your patience. Please allow the construction company, all those workers, ample time and space while they do their work. Let’s be nice and courteous to all the construction companies. Trust me, they want to get this project finished as soon as possible, and we need our community to show their support as well,” he said.
From left, Infrastructure and Recovery Program civil engineer Mariano Iglecias, IRP coordinator Marianne Concepcion-Teregeyo, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, CUC Executive Director Gary Camacho, CUC board chair Miranda Manglona, and CUC board members Aubrey Hocog, and Janice Tenorio pose for a photo with the check for $2 million awarded to CUC on Friday.
From left, Infrastructure and Recovery Program coordinator Marianne Concepcion-Teregeyo, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, and CUC Executive Director Gary Camacho share a laugh as they converse on Friday.
