Rep. Justo S. Quitugua, D-Saipan, said two of the bills are still unnumbered as he is waiting for the Department of Finance’s confirmation of the dollar figures indicated in one of the measures.
The other bill, H.L.B. 16-30, has already been introduced but Quitugua said he has amended it and will present a new version in the next House session.
H.L.B. 16-30 SS1, which has to be passed by the Saipan legislative delegation, appropriates over $224,000 of lapsed or unobligated funds for:
• The construction of a school bus shelter in Tanapag — $9,742;
• The instructional materials, tools and supplies of the Northern Marianas Trade Institute, $50,000;
• The installation of window and door shutters as well as the repair and renovation of the Saipan municipal council — $15,000; and,
• The extension of water lines in the Langasat area and power lines in the Bwooset Place area — $100,000; as well as the power line extension in Talofofo and upper As Matuis — $50,000.
In justifying his local bill, Quitugua said a school bus stop in Tanapag is without a shelter from the rain and the hot sun during pick-ups and drop-offs.
The trades school, he added, “registered an increase in its enrollment thereby necessitating program expansion.”
There are, moreover, remote areas in Precinct 3 and 4 where residents do not have utilities due to the lack of infrastructure, he said.
As for the Saipan council office, Quitugua said it has been burglarized eight times between Nov. 2, 2002 and Nov. 6, 2006, losing several office computers, accessories and supplies to thieves.
He said the council is requesting assistance to fund the installation of shutters to prevent more break-ins.
Quitugua’s other local bill, which is still unnumbered, appropriates $4 million in poker fee revenues for the following:
• The Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance program, $3 million;
• SHEFA operations, $100,000;
• CNMI Little League, $50,000;
• Fishing derby, $25,000;
• Saipan Zoning Office, $75,000;
• Agricultural Fair, $15,000; and,
• the Northern Marianas Trade Institute, $150,000.
Quitugua, however, said these are still “ball park figures” and have yet to be confirmed by the Department of Finance.
His other unnumbered bill will appropriate $3.35 million for the following:
• $300,000 to the Northern Marianas Trade Institute;
• $50,000 to the church-based charity group Karidat for its operations; and,
• $3 million to pay the Retirement Fund and “liquidate deficient contributions which shall exclude penalties for employees who elected to retire prior to and including fiscal year 2009.”
Quitugua said this will allow eligible government employees of agencies not paying employer contributions to retire.
The trade school, he added, needs more assistance because the food stamps office, the CNMI Department of Labor and the Workforce Investment Agency are referring local residents for enrollment at the institute.
According to the bill, “Due to the limited funding, the institute faces great challenges expanding into other trade areas to accommodate the many interested local residents. Additionally, many of these local residents are unemployed and do not have financial means to pay for tuition. The implementation of federal immigration law puts a lot of pressure for our local residents to obtain certain skills to be competitive in the job market.”
