SAIPAN Mayor Ramon “RB” Camacho said he is sincerely apologizing to the public for not securing materials to repair roads.
“I am asking for the community’s patience as we try to repair roads in need of repair. I have been receiving many calls, but the secretary of the Department of Public Lands is still holding onto the quarry materials needed to repair the roads,” Camacho said in a phone interview on Monday afternoon.
The dispute between the mayor and DPL over access to quarry materials has been going on for over a year now.
The mayor wants quarry permittees to provide an unlimited amount of materials to his office, but DPL said this would significantly reduce the revenue it can collect, and similarly reduce the amount of funds to be remitted to the Marianas Public Land Trust.
Gov. Arnold I. Palacios has said that he will not intervene, adding that the mayor and the DPL secretary are “adults — [and they’ve] got to figure this out.”
Camacho on Monday thanked Eric Cruz for donating base materials to repair the road in Chalan Kiya.
“I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused the community,” the mayor added, referring to the flooded roads over the weekend as Tropical Depression Kong-rey 23W moved away from the CNMI.
His staffers were seen in many areas on Saipan, clearing rocks and soil erosion debris from main roads.
In other news, Mayor Camacho told Variety that he will be meeting next week with the Department of Public Safety, the Office of the Attorney General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding the “surging” criminal activities in Chalan Kanoa.
Saipan Mayor’s Office personnel repair a road in Chalan Kiya on Sunday.
Saipan Mayor’s Office personnel repair a road in Chinatown on Sunday.
