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CPA board approves $466K for Rota ARFF building renovation
The Commonwealth Ports Authority board of directors has approved a request for supplemental funding in the amount of $466,611 to complete the renovation of the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting building at the Benjamin T. Manglona International Airport on Rota.
The CPA board adopted CPA executive assistant/project manager Wendi L. Prater’s request during a meeting in the ARFF classroom at the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport last Friday morning.
In his request, Prater said CPA anticipates reimbursement for 15 percent of the grant amount from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, which totals to $363,611.
Prater said the remaining $103,000 will come from CPA’s recently approved passenger facility charges, where funding for this project has been included.
She said this funding was necessary due to change orders and two construction management amendments that were executed during the course of the project.
Prater said the substantial amount in change order No. 1 was due to the lack of aggregate and a federally-approved quarry on Rota, required under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act for federally-funded projects.
The MSHA Act was not imposed until after bids were opened.
Prater said aggregate had to be imported from Saipan to meet the federal MSHA requirement.
CPA board financial affairs committee chair Kimberlyn King-Hinds said the supplemental funding was basically to cover the increase in the cost of the aggregate.
King-Hinds said because of the implementation of the Mining Act, they have to look at other places like Hawaii, Japan, or the Philippines to provide the aggregate.
