$400K contracts OK’d since Jan.

The Fitial administration has entered into service contracts worth a total of $400,000 since stepping into office last month.

The contracts involve various under agencies under the Executive Branch.

The most expensive service contract signed since Gov. Benigno R. Fitial assumed office is for manpower services for Tinian Health Center. The Tinian Mayor’s Office, which executed the contract, agreed to pay Saipan Employment Agency Service Inc. $131,522.75 for personnel services.

The Tinian Mayor’s Office has also entered into a separate contract with Marianas Medical Center for emergency physician coverage for the Tinian Health Center. MMC’s contract costs $30,000.

The Board of Accountancy has hired Mark J. Heath/Mark Ezzell Partnership C.P.A. to provide consulting service to the agency. The contract amounted to $90,000.

The third largest contract was executed by the Governor’s Office, which hired California-based attorney Joel Bergsma to serve as special legal counsel to Fitial. Bergsma, who continues to work in San Diego, will receive $50,000 for his legal services.

The Commonwealth Health Center entered into two different contracts. One is with Nancy Rushmer for an “early intervention training,” costing $28,000. The other is with Glimpses of Guam Inc. for two tobacco prevention commercials, costing $25,905.

The Coastal Resources Management Office is paying EFC Engineer and Architects $16,439 to design a stormwater control and public access facility for Laulau Bay and Obyan Beach.

The Office of the Public Auditor has hired Deloitte and Touche to conduct a single audit for the CNMI government for fiscal years 2001, 2002 and 2003. The accounting firm will be paid $13,000.

Contracts have also been awarded by the Department of Corrections to Juan S. Borja for consulting services for statistics, at $7,000; by Governor’s Office and American Memorial Park to GTS Security for security services for the park, at $5,596.68; and the Governor’s Council for Developmental Disabilities to Once Call Maintenance for janitorial services, at $4,000.

With the government’s projected revenues reduced from $213 million to 198.5 million, Fitial issued a directive prohibiting all government agencies from entering into any contracts including independent employment contracts.