Updates sought on projects under $243.9M typhoons recovery grant

Sen. Paul A. Manglona (Ind-Rota) has called for a public hearing with officials of the Northern Marianas Housing Corp. after expressing concern over the progress of projects and completion dates under the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery grant agreement of $243.9 million.

Manglona, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Communications, told Saipan Tribune Tuesday that there are award datelines to be met and good projects to be initiated under the CDBG-DR grant agreement.

“These monies are to be used for infrastructure programs, housing programs, and economic revitalization,” he said.

The PUTC chairman said the main purpose of the public hearing is to get an update from NMHC, which administers the funds, on the CDBG-DR grant agreement of $243.9 million for the communities’ recovery from Typhoon Mangkhut and Super Typhoon Yutu in 2018.

Manglona said the public hearing is supposed to be this Friday, in the Senate chamber, but he will reschedule it for Tuesday next week.

He requested NMHC corporate director Jesse S. Palacios, NMHC deputy corporate director Zenie P. Mafnas, and CNMI CDBG-DR Planning and Program Support program manager Kimo Rosario to be present and they may provide comments during the hearing.

Manglona also asked other witnesses to be present at the hearing—Governor’s Authorized Representative to the Public Assistance Office Patrick Guerrero, Office of Management and Budget special assistant Virginia Villagomez, CNMI Historic Preservation Office State Historic Preservation officer Rita Chong-Dela Cruz, Division of Fish and Wildlife director Manny Pangelinan, Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality administrator Eli C. Cabrera, and members of the NMHC board of directors.

The CNMI received an allocation of CDBG-DR funds as a result of the damage it sustained from typhoons Mangkhut and Yutu.

In order to address both the direct and indirect impacts of the two storms, the previous Torres administration stated that that the CNMI has developed the Rental Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, and New Construction Program to cover the eligible costs for repair or replacement of storm-related damage to individual site rental properties as well as to increase the stock of rental units with new construction or acquisition of individual units.