Aug. 12, 2008 — The Senate's Rules and Judiciary Committee made a clean sweep of everything on its Tuesday morning agenda, unanimously approving three nominees to two different government boards and a bill that would provide incentives for developers interested in revitalizing and cleaning up contaminated properties.
Talk about revamping the territory's vocational education system dominated the first half of the meeting, as senators considered the nominations of Ilene Garner and Ronnie E. Jones to the V.I. Board of Vocational Education. Senators didn't hide their support of the two nominees, who they said could bring new leadership — and a fresh perspective — to the board.
"I'm glad the governor has finally decided to revamp this entity," said Sen. Liston Davis. "For years the board lacked stimulated leadership and vision, and it always appeared that there was a disconnect between this board, the Board of Education and the Department of Education. I had thought we should get rid of the board entirely — hopefully these new members could change my perception."
Jones and Garner discussed making vocational education programs more accessible to students, and focusing in on trades that cater to the territory's hospitality and marine industries.
"Out of more than 100 students that graduated from Ivanna Eudora Kean High School last year, only about 25 had some kind of vocational skills," Jones said. "This is too low a number — the students are not being introduced at an early enough age to know that these kind of things can be a career path. We need to put more emphasis on the fact that college is just one of many options — if our children are going to be coming back to the Virgin Islands, they need to be more prepared to build, own their own businesses, etc."
The nominees will also have to deal with the issue of block scheduling, where students are forced to give up vocational education classes so they can fulfill their high school course requirements, senators said.
"If you're a student enrolled in vocational education and there is a conflict with the classes you have to take, then you know what's going to be placed on the chopping block," Davis said.
Garner stressed that a concrete vocational education curriculum is needed to boost alternative programs throughout the territory.
Both nominations unanimously passed through the committee, along with the nomination of Donald Sussman to the University of the Virgin Islands Board of Trustees.
Senators also quickly approved the Brownfield Revitalization and Environmental Act, which garnered much support from Planning and Natural Resources officials.
"Brownfield" is a designation for a property that has been contaminated and is slated for reuse and redevelopment. Brownfield-designated properties have been hospitals, gas stations and industrial sites. These sites are eligible for a number of grants for cleanup, low-cost loans, liability protection and other incentives to developers who take on cleaning them up for reuse.
The bill's benefits include not only financial incentives for people in the territory who want to purchase, clean up and revitalize or reuse the properties, but it also provides a liability shield to the person who revitalizes it. (See "Legislation Would Give New Life to Contaminated Sites.")
Present during Tuesday's hearing was Davis, along with Sens. Carlton "Ital" Dowe, James A. Weber III, Carmen M. Wesselhoft, Celestino A. White Sr. and Alvin L. Williams.
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