Sablan hopes to install street signs before 2001

Saipan Mayor Jose C. Sablan on Friday expressed intentions to install street signs all over Saipan before his term ends in 2001, as he appealed for the speedy release of funds from a federal government agency.

In an interview during the welcome ceremonies for the Mandarin Airlines’ maiden flight to the island, Mr. Sablan said he continues to stand pat on his plans to have the street signs installed before he steps out of office.

The mayor said everything has already been settled except for the badly-needed funds which will be earmarked for the Saipan street-naming project by the Federal Highway Administration.

Mr. Sablan said his office would consistently appeal for the fast-tracked release of federal funds in order to expedite the erection of street signs on Saipan’s major thoroughfares and secondary roads.

The Saipan street-naming project was previously derailed by a controversy surrounding the use of Chamorro and Carolinian names. Once this issue was settled, the project faced problems concerning the availability of funds to install the signs.

Mr. Sablan said the CNMI Department of Public Works is already gathering necessary documents to finalize the local government’s application for the grant under the Federal Highway Administration.

“We have been told that there are some federal money that will be made available for the street-naming project by the Federal Highway Administration. They are working on that right now with DPW,” Mr. Sablan told reporters.

The mayor could not say how much federal money will be made available for the project. He only said most of the federal grant will be used to install street signs in major Saipan thoroughfares and that the DPW is finalizing efforts to secure the grant.

Local laws designate construction of street signs, including request for proposals and bidding to the public works department.

According to Mr. Sablan, the CNMI government needs at least $800,000 for the entire project. He would not say whether the entire amount will be subsidized by the FHA grant but stressed that work is now underway to secure the money within the year.

“I hope the money will be made available within the year. That’s what they said they have been trying to do,” he said, adding that all the names for major streets have been finalized.

The government is fast-tracking installation of street signs amid public clamor due to the heavy dependence of important social services on the accessibility and easy identification of locations.

For one, the availability of the service depends on how soon the local government is able to put up of street signs and house numbers.

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has cited the need to fast-track the completion of the street-naming project which has been derailed by disagreements between legislative leaders of Chamorro and Carolinian descent.

Aside from the U.S. Postal Service, public safety concerns also demand that the island’s streets be immediately given names, since the project has been in its planning stage over the past 11 years.

Officials have also noted the importance of street signs to intensified efforts at improving the government’s emergency response capabilities, which kicked off with the rehabilitation and upgrading of the 911 phone system.