17 priorities identified for $243M

The Northern Marianas Housing Corp. has come up with 17 priority projects that could be funded by the over $243 million the CNMI received in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds from U.S. Housing and Urban Development.

Topping the CBDG-DR Infrastructure and Economic Revitalization Ranking Results are two projects for the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. worth $3.9 million and $4.51 million, respectively.

Water System Mitigation Project No. 2 leads the rankings and calls for the procurement and installation of 10 back-up generators in strategic sites to provide emergency back-up power to 33 water wells in Kagman, Gualo Rai, Calhoun, Rapagao, Koblerville, and As Matuis/Marpi.

Second on the list is the Kagman Water Tank and involves replacing the existing 1-million-gallon water tank with a new pre-stressed concrete water tank. It will serve water to the Kagman areas with the ability to move excess water to Papago, San Vicente, and Dandan tank service areas.

No. 3 are badly needed classrooms for the Northern Marianas College, and aside from the $27.5 million that represents 10% matching for Federal Emergency Management Agency projects, this project has the largest price tag on the list at $16.1 million. It covers reconstruction of classrooms and laboratories destroyed by Super Typhoon Yutu in late October 2018.

NMHC also prioritized relocation and acquisition of a new home for the Northern Marianas Technical Institute. It comes at a cost of $6.05 million and would include the acquisition of the Koblerville property, where the gymnasium is currently located, and where NMTI will move its new campus.

Some $5.5 million in CBDG-DR monies will also be allocated to priority No. 6, which is the Department of Public Works and its Beach Road improvement project. It will involve the stretch of road from the American Memorial Park to the Pacific Islands Club Saipan. NMHC said that “rutting, potholes, and unevenness due to settling has made the road dangerous to motorists.” The project would include placement of a base course to be graded and compacted, pavement resurfacing, and inclusion of road markings.

The seventh priority project is replacing the CNMI Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management’s communications tower; it comes with a cost of $550,000.

The rest of the 17 priority projects under the CBDG-DR Infrastructure and Economic Revitalization Ranking are improvements for the Tinian Mayor’s Office west side connecting streets ($3.3 million); Department of Community and Cultural Affairs’ Kagman Shelter ($805,200); DPW’s flood mitigation of Chili St. ($715,000); Community Guidance Center’s Treatment and Recovery Office ($650,000); Rota Mayor’s Office sports facility in Songsong Village ($198,000); Public School System’s San Vicente Elementary School ($911,900); CHCC’s Transitional Living Center ($66,000); Micronesian Legal Services Corp.’s client office ($5,500); Department of Land and Natural Resources’ replacement and revetment of the Smiling Cove Marina ($4.4 million); and DLNR’s Outer Cove Marina floating dock ($1.1 million).

The cost of all 17 priority projects is $76.4 million and includes 10% contingency cost of the project.

NMHC corporate director Jesse Palacios said the criteria in selecting the government projects were based on the evaluation factors below:

1. Restoration of infrastructure damaged by Super Typhoon Yutu and Typhoon Mangkhut in order of priority;

-Support the restoration/improvement of utilities, water, and sewer facilities;

-Support the restoration/improvement of critical facilities such as the schools, ports, hospital, and that improve services to the general public;

-Support the restoration/improvement of roads and drainage system;

-Support the leverage of funding with other disaster assistance (such as FEMA and UCAE) to ensure resiliency in infrastructure;

-Support the restoration of other public facilities such as community centers, gymnasiums, etc.

2. Economic revitalization which includes any CDBG-DR eligible activity that restores and improves some aspect of the local economy. The economic revitalization activity may address job losses, or negative impacts to tax revenues or businesses.

3. Support the improvement/enhancement of the CNMI’s facilities that promote tourism.

NMHC also has two others lists for CBDG-DR funding—Main Project Ranking (Economic Revitalization) and Alternate Project Ranking—and will be published by the Saipan Tribune in the coming days.