Sablan updates Kia’aina on PSS projects after Soudelor

Typhoon Soudelor’s damage to public school facilities may require a reassessment of the first phase of a federally funded deferred maintenance project.

That DM project—the Office of Insular Affairs’ “Assessment of Buildings and Classrooms” Initiative—is one of several Department of the Interior-funded projects for the CNMI Public School System.

Education Commissioner Dr. Rita Sablan disclosed that during a meeting on Tuesday with Esther Kia’aina, the U.S. Department of the Interior assistant secretary for insular affairs, they discussed three Interior-funded projects: the Marianas High School’s solar energy bid project, the “Connect Youth to Career” program, and the deferred maintenance project.

On the DM project, Sablan said they completed the “work plan” so hopefully they can get started with the project as soon as possible.

She said the project is one of things they are going to start working on immediately.

“We gave [Kia’aina] a rundown of our damage estimates and our list of hazard mitigation [plans] that we are working on,” Sablan told Saipan Tribune.

When asked how Typhoon Soudelor affects the DM project, Sablan pointed to how a lot of their projects were related to electrical systems. In fact, “Phase 1” of the ABC initiative centers on electrical.

“There was additional damage to our electrical assessment,” Sablan disclosed.

“I believe the Army Corps of Engineer or the [ABC project] consultant will probably have to revisit and see what is wrong with the additional damage to the Phase 1 project.”

“I think it would be necessary to do that,” Sablan said. “For example, Garapan Elementary School sustained electrical damage in their roofs—tin roofs flew away. It’s not only a piece of electrical outfit now but we are talking a major outfit,” she said.

Sablan said they toured Kia’aina around Marianas High School, which was heavily damaged and rained out by the storm, and informed her of their progress on the public assistance application for federal aid.

Kia’aina on Tuesday also visited the Northern Marianas College and the Commonwealth Utilities Corp., among others.

During her trip in the CNMI, which reportedly ended yesterday, she focused on what the CNMI plans for its hazardous mitigation plans, and committed on Wednesday to find remaining Interior fiscal 2015 funds, including for Capital Improvement Projects, for reprogramming to meet the immediate needs of the Northern Marianas.