Ada wrote to Gov. Eddie Baza Calvo, saying he is “particularly concerned by over $10 million of ARRA funds granted to GEO for the purpose of retrofitting 45 different GovGuam project sites to improve energy efficiency.”
The grant was awarded in April 2009, and it took GEO until May 26, 2011 before the necessary documents to encumber the majority of grant funds were transmitted to the Department of Public Works for the initiation of the procurement process.
“Compounding the problem, DPW was not provided adequate advance notice that such a large-scale, time-sensitive procurement effort would be required of them,” wrote Ada.
“Given the apparent poor communication between agencies and slow implementation of the grant over the past two years, the Sept. 30, 2011 deadline to obligate these funds is especially alarming,” the senator said.
Ada is asking the governor to “intervene and ensure that GEO and its partnering agencies remain diligent in seeing that this fast-approaching deadline to obligate funds is met.”
“Even though DPW is implementing procurements for the grant, this should not release GEO in any way of the responsibility to oversee a successful execution of the grant,” wrote the lawmaker.
GovGuam cannot afford to forfeit millions of dollars of federal grants due simply to bureaucratic delays, he added.
The Guam Power Authority, A.B. Won Pat International Airport, the Port Authority of Guam, Guam Waterworks Authority, the Guam Veterans Affairs Office and DPW testified that they had all applied for stimulus fund grants with GEO, but many are having trouble getting feedback from the agency.
All were not clear as to when deadlines needed to be met.
Four agencies were awarded grants, and memorandums of understanding were signed, but they were later cancelled for various reasons given by GEO.
