Aug. 24, 2006–In addition to approving a large group of nominees to various government boards and commissions, senators spent more than eight hours during a recent legislative session attaching a plethora of amendments to a rezoning bill.
Many of the amendments appropriated funds to government departments and agencies, along with numerous community organizations, while others sought to revise laws currently on the books (See "Amendments, Appropriations the Order of the Day at Legislative Session").
One of the most significant amendments, however, appropriated approximately $18 million to the Education and Human Services departments to cover the costs of federally funded programs. According to Sen. Louis P. Hill, the appropriations were taken out of a $34.4 million supplemental budget bill recently submitted to the Legislature by Gov. Charles W. Turnbull.
At a recent Finance Committee meeting, Office of Management and Budget Director Ira Mills said the funds would be reimbursed by the federal government once a third-party fiduciary is in place. He added that a contract would be awarded to a third-party fiduciary agent — responsible for managing federal grants within the local Education department — by the end of the week.
While Hill's amendment generated concerns for a few senators, the measure was approved and attached to the rezoning bill.
Other amendments attached to the bill include:
–an $8,000 appropriation for the steel pan orchestra at the St. Croix Educational Complex;
–a $60,000 appropriation to the JROTC program at St. Croix Central High School for the purchase of a van and for other operational expenses;
–a $1.1 million appropriation to complete the water line installation project in the William's Delight area on St. Croix;
–a $400,000 appropriation from the Internal Revenue Matching Fund for the territory's Summer Science and Humanities Enrichment Program;
–a $50,000 appropriation to purchase textbooks for the Evelyn Marcelli Elementary School;
–a $25,000 appropriation to the Committee for the Betterment of Carenage for Father's Day activities in 2006;
–a $300,000 appropriation to build a multipurpose recreational facility and basketball court in Estate Castle Burke on St. Croix;
–a $1 million contribution from the Internal Revenue Matching Fund to the Frederiksted and Christiansted Rehabilitation Revolving Fund;
–a $100,000 appropriation to fund activities commemorating the 90th anniversary of Transfer Day;
–a $110,000 appropriation for the Youth Build Program;
–a $92,000 appropriation to install a sewer line on the Queen Mary Highway between Estate Sion Farm and Estate Peter's Rest on St. Croix;
–a $20,000 appropriation to the St. Croix Foundation to complete a boat storage facility;
–a $500,000 appropriation from the Tobacco Settlement Bond proceeds to establish a pilot breast and cervical cancer screening program at the Juan F. Luis Hospital on St. Croix;
–the deletion of approximately $5.4 million from the Omnibus Authorization Act of 2005, and the appropriation of $4.1 million for road projects throughout the territory;
–the prohibition of minors from entering all night clubs or bars, and the requirement that all club or bar owners have to check the IDs of younger customers at the door;
–allowing funds appropriated in the Sustainable Agriculture bill to be available until expended;
–requiring new Economic Development Commission beneficiaries to pay a minimum of $3,000 annually to the territorial scholarship program; and
–removing the "Casino I" category from the Casino Control Act.
Senators also unanimously approved the nominations of:
–John George, to serve as director of the Bureau of Information Technology;
–Marangeli Cruz-Hendricks to the V.I. Board of Social Work Licensure;
–Wesley Williams to the University of the Virgin Islands Board of Trustees;
–Sirri Hamad, M. Thomas Jackson and Donald "Ducks" Cole to the Public Services Commission; and
–Frances Molloy and Carmelo Rivera to the St. Croix Health Hospital Facilities Board.
Present during the session were Sens. Lorraine L. Berry, Craig W. Barshinger, Roosevelt C. David, Liston Davis, Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, Juan Figueroa-Serville, Hill, Neville James, Norman Jn Baptiste, Shawn-Michael Malone, Terrence "Positive" Nelson, Usie R. Richards, Ronald E. Russell and Celestino A. White Sr.
Sen. Pedro "Pete" Encarnacion was absent.
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