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DPNR Head Satisfied With Budget Recommendation

July 13, 2006 – A General Fund budget recommendation of $7.9 million is enough to carry the Department of Planning and Natural Resources through fiscal year 2007, DPNR Commissioner Dean Plaskett said during Thursday's budget hearings.
Plaskett said the funding makes up only 19.5 percent of the department's $40.6 million overall budget – most of which is sustained by federal funds. However, he said the local money is needed to fund approximately $4.6 million worth of personnel costs, various initiatives and programs within DPNR's divisions and the purchase of new vehicles for the Permits Section, among other things. Approximately $66,000 would also be used to purchase testing equipment for the Environmental Protection Division.
According to information provided by the Senate's Post Audit Division, the recommendation represents an increase of $752,675 over last year's General Fund budget.
Plaskett said federal grants awarded to the department – which make up 61.3 percent of the department's budget – have also increased by almost $10 million, while revenues generated by DPNR are projected to yield $7.77 million, or 19.1 percent of the overall budget.
After the meeting, Plaskett explained those revenues are usually deposited into various special fund accounts and earmarked for specific purposes.
During the meeting, Plaskett also said a percentage of local money allocated to the department for the current fiscal year – primarily to fund vacancies – can be reprogrammed, along with some federal grant money. In response to a question from Sen. Neville James regarding the excess funds, Plaskett said the department currently has 34 vacancies (worth approximately $979,000) paid for by the General Fund – 25 percent of which represent "critical positions."
Plaskett explained that DPNR has had "problems in the past" with filling the vacancies, since the salaries provided by the government were "unattractive" to individuals applying for various positions. And, while the department has tried to recruit young Virgin Islanders to fill some of the slots, many do not have the "required skill set" to work within the divisions, he added.
However, recent salary increases negotiated through the Office of Collective Bargaining have since made several positions more attractive, Plaskett said.
Adding to Plaskett's statements, Claudette Lewis, DPNR's acting assistant commissioner, said the department is currently working "closely" with the Personnel Department to create a "special" salary base for individuals with Ph.D.s.
Lewis further said some of the money earmarked for vacancies would go toward funding new personnel within the Division of Libraries, Museums and Archives.
To curb the need for more inspectors in the Building Permits Division, Plaskett added that the department would also be moving to hire more individuals from the private sector, which would allow DPNR to focus on final inspections and reduce the amount of illegal construction activities. During the meeting, Plaskett called this plan "progressive," and said it would help the department run more efficiently.
Not included in the budget, however, are funds to develop a data collection system for local fisheries and $315,000 for the completion of a comprehensive land and water use plan – a document which has spurred much discussion from local activists and environmental groups over the years.
"What we're basically doing is refurbishing the draft of the old land and water use plan submitted to the Legislature many years ago," Plaskett said. "At that time, we had had several town meetings on the matter, then sent a draft of the plan to the Legislature. However, there was still some opposition to what we had come up with, so we basically went back to the drawing board."
He added that the plan is currently 80 percent complete, but would have to go through another round of public scrutiny before it can be resubmitted to the Legislature. Plaskett said a supplemental budget request to fund the $315,000 might also be submitted at that time.
Plaskett said the plan could have significant impacts on both St. Croix and St. John. In response to a question from Sen. Craig W. Barshinger about a recent town meeting held on St. John, Plaskett added that the plan would be the "ultimate solution" to improving the island's infrastructure while balancing the need to preserve natural resources.
"Because of the restriction of space that exists on St. John, it is incumbent upon DPNR to be very stringent as it pertains to the application of building permits and zonings," Plaskett said. "However, the island's infrastructure is in need of improvement, so when we're thinking about things like fixing roads, providing potable water and electricity, we have to be very cognizant of the limitations we're working within. So, I think a comprehensive land and water use plan would definitely allow us to balance out the need to develop with preserving the environment."
Plaskett added that such a plan could also help to preserve St. Croix's resources, and establish an industrial district on the island's south shore.
In response to a question from Sen. Pedro "Pete" Encarnacion about development on St. Croix, Plaskett further stated that the Coastal Zone Management Commission is not intentionally holding up capital improvement projects on the island.
"In St. Croix, we're suffering," Encarnacion said. "And there are about four hotel developments, which have not yet been constructed. I keep hearing that CZM is responsible for holding them up."
Plaskett said that many permit applications submitted to CZM are held up because they are "deficient" and "lacking information."
Adding to Plaskett's statements, Victor Somme III, head of CZM, said many permit applications – including those for the proposed Annaly Bay and William and Punch Resort developments – have not yet appeared before the commission for approval. "Most of these things are still in the planning stages," Somme said.
Part of the conversation during Thursday's meeting also centered around allegations that Plaskett is one of the individuals involved in the Elite Technical Services fraud case (See "Two Plead Guilty to Defrauding V.I. Government").
However, Plaskett has yet to be named by the Department of Justice as a participant in the scheme.
Plaskett defended himself during the meeting and denied any wrongdoing on the part of the department. Since the matter is currently under investigation, Plaskett said he could not comment further.
Present during Thursday's meeting were Barshinger and Sens. Roosevelt C. David, Liston Davis, Encarnacion, Juan Figueroa-Serville, Louis P. Hill, Neville James, Norman Jn Baptiste, and Ronald E. Russell.
Sen. Usie R. Richards was absent.
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