CUC: No decision yet on omnibus deal with CPA

The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. board of directors failed to come to a decision Thursday night whether or not to approve an omnibus settlement agreement with the Commonwealth Ports Authority that is supposed to resolve many of the disputes between them.

The board will, however, meet again tomorrow, Tuesday, at 10am so they can review everything in the draft omnibus settlement agreement, according to CUC executive director Gary P. Camacho last Friday.

He said CUC had a quorum for Thursday’s 6pm session, with four members showing up—chair Miranda V. Manglona, vice chair Weston Deleon Guerrero, director Jovita Paulino, and Commonwealth Development Authority chair Ike Perez.

The special session was originally set for Thursday at 10am to discuss only the omnibus settlement deal, but only Manglona and Paulino showed up. This prompted Manglona to reset the session to 6pm that day after she was informed that Deleon Guerrero and Perez would be able to make it.

CPA chair Kimberlyn King-Hinds, CPA executive director Christopher S. Tenorio, and CPA legal counsel Robert T. Torres were present for the 10am meeting. All three, this time with CPA comptroller Sky Hofschneider, attended the 6pm session.

Camacho said the 6pm session was held in executive session, but the board decided outside of the executive session to recess to Tuesday.

“They’re reviewing the [draft agreement]. They’re still looking at it,” he said.

Attorney General Edward Manibusan disclosed in an interview Thursday afternoon that his office has already reviewed the omnibus agreement and determined that it contains no legal issues. The Office of the Attorney General is counsel for CUC.

Last June 18, the CPA board approved the draft CUC-CPA omnibus agreement with some conditions.

The terms of the agreement would basically give CUC permanent easement for use and access to 67 water wells that are on CPA premises; the existing CUC water line transporting the water from the well to the CUC island system; CPA’s 20-million-gallon water tank; and the CUC sand filtration system on CPA’s premises.

Under the terms of the agreement, CPA will have continuous water supply from the water resources on its premises for free.

CPA will, however, pay a flat rate for sewerline charges.

CPA will pay CUC $7.2 million for the disputed water charges and penalty.