The funding will allow PSS to build more public school buildings and other facilities, and will help revive the local construction industry.
Fitial said the CNMI stands to get up to $100 million in non-competitive stimulus grants but must compete with other states to get an additional $338.5 million.
During yesterday’s media conference, Education Commissioner Rita A. Sablan said PSS is very grateful for Fitial’s support.
Only $35 million was originally earmarked for PSS but Fitial said he decided to increase its funding.
Under the stimulus law, the governor is given discretionary authority to allocate the funds.
“The governor is in charge of that fund. I have the discretion to reprogram money between [Northern Marianas College] and PSS — 82 percent will go to PSS and the 18 percent will be given to other projects,” Fitial said.
He appointed Commerce Secretary Michael Ada to lead the CNMI stimulus team that will write the grant applications to be submitted to the federal government.
Ada, the governor said, “is now working on other projects like infrastructure. Stimulus money can only be used to create jobs. These are temporary, timely and targeted projects. They are not projects three years from now. All this money should be obligated this fiscal year.”
Ada said the CNMI stimulus team will try to come up with the grant applications within the next two weeks.
The problem, he added, is the very limited pool of grant writers in the CNMI.
“We’re looking for grant writers who have written competitively for grant dollars,” said Ada.
He said they have decided to prioritize grant applications for projects that will have an immediate impact on local community — energy-related projects, for example, that will help address the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.’s unreliable power supply.
Reliable water supply is also on top of their agenda, Ada said.
“CUC has dedicated a technical person to assist us in gathering information, history and data — everything needed for the grant application,” he said.
Fitial said time is of the essence.
“[We must] put together these grant application within the next two weeks. Competitive grant is competitive. In other words first come, first serve. Again they have to meet the basic criteria — like creating jobs,” he said.
