SAIPAN Mayor David M. Apatang on Monday informed the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation about the need to “clearly and accurately identify the boundaries separating one village from another.”
The “delimitation and demarcation of village boundaries [are] critical in addressing part of the entire street naming and addressing project,” the mayor said, adding that accurately identifying the name of the village where a specific street address number and name is located “makes a whole lot of difference than guessing an imaginary line.”
To achieve this, the Saipan Mayor’s Office needs funds to either contract the services of a private firm to develop the draft map or guide the mayor’s office in developing a master map.
In his letter to the Saipan delegation chairman, Senate Floor Leader Vinnie Sablan, the mayor also included a proposed spending plan for funds allocated by House Local Bill 22-7, which appropriates over $1 million poker license fees for Saipan and Northern Islands community projects, among other things.
The local appropriation measure is co-authored by Vice Speaker Blas Jonathan Attao and Rep. John Paul Sablan.
Under the proposed spending plan, the Saipan mayor’s office will use $100,000 of the funds for the street-naming project which includes the development of a demarcation master map.
“The allocation for our street-naming and addressing project will be used to develop draft village delimitation and demarcation master map, which we would eventually submit to the CNMI Legislature for adoption by enacting a law that identifies such map as the only village delimitation and demarcation map for Saipan.”
The mayor said his office may also need to hire the services of a person or firm with expertise in geographic information system or AutoCAD mapping application.
In addition, the mayor’s office plans to purchase and install street name signs that were lost or damaged since the adoption and implementation of the street naming master map 23 years ago.
Apatang said many street name signs were lost before and after Super Typhoons Soudelor and Yutu battered the islands.
Aside from the street naming and development of a demarcation map, the Saipan Mayor’s Office is also keeping the village and public rights-of-way clean and in good condition, he added.
“It is not at all difficult to see why we need funds to continue making sure our village neighborhoods and streets are clear of debris, and clean. Our residents do not just deserve a clean environment where they can enjoy peaceful and healthier lives, and prosper, but they [also] have a right to one. Neglecting our responsibilities even for a moment to keep our environment clean is risking the health and peace of our residents,” Apatang said.
David M. Apatang
