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CRM raises ponding basin upkeep with NMHC
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Posted on Feb 27 2012
The Coastal Resources Management has informed the Northern Marianas Housing Corp. about its responsibility to take charge of the maintenance and upkeep of the Garapan ponding basin.
Housing corporate director Joshua Sasamoto said during Thursday’s board meeting that he received several weeks ago a phone call from CRM director Rita Chong-Dela Cruz, saying that they need to maintain the ponding basin, which has become “so overgrown that it’s not ponding water.”
The Garapan ponding basin is a gated area behind the NMHC office and across the Commonwealth Health Center.
According to Sasamoto, Chong-Dela Cruz is requesting if the corporation could help provide manpower or the gasoline needed to care for the ponding basin.
Sasamoto said the CRM director wants the task done “before the typhoons come.”
“I just asked the director to let us know what we’re talking about specifically. I’m just waiting to hear back from them,” he added.
Board chair Marcie Tomokane pointed out that NMHC owns the land where the ponding area is situated. “It is only right that we clean [it] up.”
Sasamoto noted, however, that there are “some jurisdictional issues with the Army Corps of Engineer” regarding the ponding basin. “But again, we’re coordinating with CRM on this,” he said.
Tomokane suggested that NMHC outsource the maintenance services and get at least three quotes from private firms, “if it’s less than $10,000.”
Tomokane also instructed Sasamoto to find out with CRM how to go about with the maintenance of the property on a monthly or quarterly basis “so that we can include this in our yearly budget to clean that area.”
