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SHEFA to receive $3.1M from local bill
The Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance is set to receive more than $3 million once Gov. Ralph DLG Torres signs House Local Bill 19-75 D1 into law.
Introduced by Rep. Blas Jonathan T. Attao (Ind-Saipan), the co-authors of HLB 19-75 in the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation are Reps. Lorenzo I. Deleon Guerrero, Antonio P. Sablan, Edwin K. Propst, John Paul P. Sablan, Ramon A. Tebuteb, Vinson F. Sablan, Edmund S. Villagomez, and Ralph N. Yumul.
HLB 19-75 would appropriate $3,817,000 for various programs and purposes for the Third Senatorial District. The money is from anticipated revenue that would be collected from the poker fees in fiscal year 2017.
The delegation passed HLB 19-75 in their session last Tuesday at the House chamber on Capital Hill. Rep. Joseph Leepan Guerrero (R-Saipan) introduced floor amendment that would require all recipients of the appropriated funds to submit a report of their expenditure.
SHEFA will be receiving $3,170,000 with $170,000 reserved for its daily operations while the Saipan Mayor’s Office will be allocated $117,000 and the Saipan Zoning Office $75,000. Five projects will have $38,000 each of allotment with the money for Precinct 1 to be used for the construction and paving of Obyan Road.
The same amount would address the flooding problem in District 3 of Precinct II while another $38,000 would buy a booster pump and other materials for repairs needed in a water line connection for Mt. Tapochau residents. Upgrading the Capital Hill softball field and other sports facilities in Precinct 4 are alloted $38,000.
The last $38,000 will be spent to fix the drainage system of Nikka PL in Kagman I and the road paving of Pine Drive.
The Joeten Kiyu Public Library would get $30,000 in assistance for its renovation, and the Northern Islands Mayor’s Office and Saipan Little League would receive $25,000 each. Precincts 1 to 5 are allocated $20,000 each to fund the construction of bus stops in Dandan, San Antonio, and Koblerville (Precinct 1); repairs of Pacho Park and drainage systems (Precinct 2); construction of a bus stop in Chinatown and lights for the basketball courts in Garapan, Oleai, and Gualo Rai (Precinct 3); removal and construction of the retaining walls in As Matuis and road bumps for Sisonyan Drive (Precinct 4); and Kagman 4 water system (Precinct 5).
The delegation has reserved $20,000 for its operations, the same amount allocated for next year’s Liberation Day activities. The CNMI outrigger canoe participants in last October’s Micronesian Cup in Palau would get another $20,000. The Flame Tree Arts Festival would have $15,000, while the Saipan International Fishing Derby and Stellar Marianas get $5,000 each.
