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Water panel gets $750,000 grant
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Posted on Oct 02 2008
The CNMI Water Task Force has received notification from the Economic Development Administration that it will receive a grant in the amount of $750,000 for the replacement of old and leaking waterlines in Garapan, according to task force chair Lt. Governor Timothy P. Villagomez yesterday.
“I am very pleased to be able to announce this award. The Water Task Force went after this grant vigorously and it took over a year to complete the entire process, but the mission was accomplished,” said Villagomez. “It has been several years since the CNMI has received any grant assistance from EDA.”
EDA is a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce and awards grants to economically distressed areas of the United States for economic development, including needed infrastructure projects. EDA’s grant will be matched with $250,000 in task force CIP funds for the million dollar project in Garapan.
The Garapan project was proposed because Garapan is the center of the CNMI’s main economic pillar—tourism.
“Currently, the tourism center cannot be provided with 24-hour water because of the deteriorated water system between Chalan Pale Arnold and Beach Road, said program manager Pedro Sasamoto. “This project will resolve that situation and make 24 hour water possible.”
The task force thanked the Hotel Association of the Northern Marianas Islands, the Hyatt Regency Saipan, Hafadai Beach Hotel and Century Hotel for their submissions in support of this project.
“We also thank the Governor’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Commission for approving this plan and supporting the project,” said Sasamoto.
The task force hopes to award a contract for the project by December and complete the work by the end of 2009.[B][I] (WTF)
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