GOVERNOR Arnold I. Palacios told reporters on Monday that he supports what is in the best interest of the Commonwealth.
He was asked to comment about the opposition of marine sports operators to the proposed amendments to the rules and regulations of Managaha’s commercial use.
“I had a frank discussion with the Department of Public Lands Secretary [Teresita Santos]. DPL has its own mandate, so we got to figure…this thing out. As you all know, this issue came up [in] 2012 — it’s coming back to repeat itself,” Palacios said.
In 2012, the Superior Court granted the request of Island Marine Sports Inc., Aquatic Marine Co. Inc., d.b.a. Amigo Aquatic Sports, Automarine Inc., Seahorse Inc., and BSEA Inc. for an injunction against DPL and Tasi Tours, the then-Managaha concessionaire.
The five marine sports operators sought to invalidate DPL’s proposed rule forbidding them from picking up customers from Managaha and taking them on water sports activities such as banana boat rides and parasailing.
Palacios said “short of exercising my inherent responsibility, I’m going to give them [DPL] the opportunity to help resolve this with the members of our marine sports operators and [the current] concessionaire,” Marianas Global Inc.
“It certainly could be done,” he added. “How they are going to do that? Well, that’s their job and if they don’t do it, eventually I have to step in. I don’t want to tell you specifically what my position is, because you know what my position is…I used to be a beach boy,” the governor said.
Since DPL announced the proposed amendments to the Managaha Island Master Concession Operator Agreement, many members of the community have expressed their concerns.
According to the agreement between DPL and Marianas Global, the concessionaire “shall pay an annual base rent of $800,000.” In addition, the concessionaire “shall pay DPL 9% of its business gross receipts derived from the agreement.”
Last week, DPL stated that MGI had failed to pay rent and was not in compliance with the Managaha Island Master Concession Operator Agreement.
