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Lawmaker wants creation of Tinian Stevedoring Division
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Posted on Feb 19 2012
Senate Vice President Jude Hofschneider (R-Tinian) pre-filed last Friday a local bill that would establish a Tinian Stevedoring Division within the Office of the Tinian Mayor, four months since the island lost the services of a private firm, Tinian Stevedore, that loads and offloads vessels at its port.
Hofschneider, chairman of the four-member Tinian Legislative Delegation, said it may be more expensive to commission a private stevedoring firm than to establish an entity in the mayor’s office to perform stevedoring functions.
“In the absence of anyone in the private sector providing these vital services, the Tinian Legislative Delegation finds it necessary to establish a stevedoring function within the office of the Tinian Mayor,” he said.
Rep. Trenton Conner (R-Tinian), in a separate interview, said last Friday he supports the bill’s intent.
Conner, one of the shareholders of the now closed Tinian Stevedore, said he believes this approach intends to have the government provide the stevedoring service initially and if in the future there’s interest from private firms or members of the public, they could become shareholders. But he pointed out that he has yet to see the bill.
He said Tinian Stevedore, which ceased operation on Oct. 31, tried to stay in business but the operational costs were just too high and the volume of cargo coming in was too small.
Under Hofschneider’s Senate Local Bill 17-5, the proposed division will be managed by a director that the Tinian mayor appoints with the advice and consent of the Tinian Municipal Council.
The director is responsible for providing the necessary services to loan and offload vessels at the ports on Tinian, establish and impose charges for stevedoring services, and enter into contracts and hire employees to provide stevedoring services.
The director will also have the authority to control all funds appropriated by the Tinian Legislative Delegation, the CNMI government or the Tinian Stevedoring Division.
