PUBLIC Works Secretary John Reyes blames Rota’s elected officials for the delay in the construction of the island’s capital improvement projects.
Reyes said the Rota officials could not decide where they want the CIPs constructed.
“I think these people should fix their house first before they talk. I am not stalling the projects. It is them who are stalling the projects,” he said.
Reyes was reacting to Rota Mayor Benjamin T. Manglona’s letter urging DPW to expedite the construction of the CIPs.
According to Reyes, DPW has already selected contractors for the architectural and engineering designs of the planned convention center, the judicial and Department of Public Safety buildings as well as the Rota courthouse.
He said Architect Pacific, Inc. was for the convention center’s A&E; Efraim Camacho & Associates for the DPS building; and Tanaguchi Ruth for the courthouse.
Reyes said the projects have not moved because actual cost estimates could not be made in the absence of confirmed sites.
“Confirming the site will affect the plan. To negotiate the price, we have to know exactly the location,” Reyes said.
He said he has sought opinion from Gov. Juan N. Babauta’s legal counsel, Pam Brown, on whose decision should DPW follow—the Rota mayor’s or the island’s lawmakers.
According to Reyes, the Rota legislative delegation had approved a site, but the Marianas Public Lands Authority ruled that the area is on private land.
MPLA is still reviewing the delegation’s proposal, Reyes said.
In his letter to Reyes, Manglona urged the DPW secretary “not to get bogged down in a confusion of mixed signals.”
“We ask that you look to the mayor as the overall administrator of public services and appropriations in the first senatorial district. The people entrust us to decide the location of key CIPs. Please listen to our voice on this location issue,” the mayor said.
“When we indicate where to build a particular CIP project, we ask that you agree on that decision. Let us not stall over the issue of location. If you hear different voices on location, please listen to the mayor’s voice,” Manglona said.
