‘NMI moving too slowly for money’

CNMI Delegate Gregorio “Kilili” Sablan told members of the Legislature yesterday that the Commonwealth is behind the curve in preparing applications for the federal stimulus grant money.

Other states were preparing for the package, which President Obama signed into law on Tuesday, when it was in the planning stages, Sablan said.

The CNMI could be eligible for at least $96 million of the $787 billion stimulus package, but the Northern Marianas must compete for the money like every other state or territory. Governments across the country have been scrambling to prepare the applications in order to get a chunk of the billions of dollars.

“The problem is we’re not different. We’re the same as all of them. We have to apply,” Sablan said.

Sablan and other territorial representatives had pushed for language that would allow the Department of the Interior to distribute a pool of $536 million to the territories, but the representatives were unsuccessful.

Environmental Protection Agency projects worth $20 million are the only shovel-ready projects that Sablan said the CNMI currently has ready. In comparison, he said Guam has two projects already prepared that will cost $300 million.

“We, as a government, can only justify $20 million. That’s how far we are behind other states and territories.”

“It’s nobody’s fault but ours,” he added.

According to recovery.gov, a website set up by the Obama administration to track how the stimulus money is used, federal agencies are to begin reporting their grant awards today. By March 3, federal agencies are to begin reporting how the money is being used.

Sablan said he wishes other departments within the CNMI government would work as efficiently as the Public School System. Much of the money in the stimulus package is reserved for education, and Sablan said that he was pleased with the progress he saw PSS was making during a recent meeting with them.

“I would hope the government would have the same position as PSS and move forward,” he said.

PSS officials are handling their bid to receive grant money while Gov. Benigno Fitial has appointed Commerce Secretary Michael Ada to oversee the Executive Branch applications. Ada earlier said he will not fill out each application—each department will do that—but he will prepare a list of all the projects deemed shovel-ready that could be eligible for funding. He earlier said he hopes to have the list ready by today.

Timing is important, Sablan said. The stimulus package money is meant for projects that can be started very soon. Within 18 months there are several projects that could be ready, like renovations for the Northern Marianas College and CNMI health clinics, and fuel facilities for the airport, but 18 months may be too long. Many projects are stalled because required environmental assessments are not completed in a timely manner. The problem is not something new for the CNMI, he added.

“Plans are not a very high priority here,” the delegate said.