While not the largest budget bill sent out of committee Monday, a $15,000 appropriation bill for the Ronald Charles Basketball League on St. Croix sent out of committee Monday may have had the strongest supporting testimony.
Kadeem Jones, a player in the league and a rising St. Croix Central High School senior with a 3.5 grade point average, testified the league, and its coach John Clenance, help young men in the community to a far greater degree than the small appropriation for uniforms and referees would suggest.
"To begin with, Mr. Clenance has always had an impact on the lives of the majority of his players," Jones said. Coach Clenance teaches young men both sports and sportsmanship, according to Jones, and always rewards players for maintaining a B average or better, he said.
"We know the time period we’re living in, and crime has always been a major problem. Most of all the participants’ kids come from different neighborhoods, which are constantly at war with one another. I’ve seen elementary students fight with one another because of what neighborhood they come from. On the other hand, Ronald Charles League has brought many of these same kids together. The importance of these team sports is not only teaching a player how to win or lose; it basically teaches these players to have trust in one another and this evolves into friendship."
Assistant Commissioner of Housing, Parks and Recreation Pedro Encarnacion said his department and the administration are in favor of the bill’s purpose, "which we do feel is important," but said money in the general fund was already allocated and asked the Senate to identify a source of funding.
Voting to send the bill on for consideration by Rules and Judiciary were Sens. Craig Barshinger, Wayne James, Carlton "Ital" Dowe, Terrence "Positive" Nelson, Sammuel Sanes and Patrick Sprauve. Sen. Louis Hill was absent.
The committee also sent forward a bill authorizing the V.I. Government to negotiate the purchase of 12.4 acres of land surrounding Creque Dam on St. Croix from well known St. Croix icon and WWII veteran John Tranberg. It appropriates "up to" $7 million from the territory’s Land Bank Fund to buy the land, which would be held "for purposes of conservation," according to the bill. The land was leased by the V.I. Government and used as a quarry from 1929 to 1940. In the 1950s, more than a decade after the quarry closed, zoning laws went into effect in the territory, and the land was zoned agricultural, prohibiting a rock quarry.
Marjorie Hendricksen Emanuel, director of the Comprehensive and Coastal Zoning Planning Division of the Planning and Natural Resources Department, testified in favor of the purchase, saying it would be a prime acquisition for conservation and preservation because of its environmental significance and location in the ecologically sensitive northwest section of St. Croix. She also argued Tranberg should be compensated if the land cannot be used as a quarry.
"The subject property was once a quarry and since such use in incompatible with the intended conservation … it is only fair that the government compensate the owner by the outright purchase," she said.
This is the third time the Legislature has authorized the V.I. Government to negotiate the purchase of the property, but the V.I. government has thus far declined to act on the authorization.
Deputy Commissioner of Property and Procurement Halvor Hart III said the V.I. Government had several reservations about the possible purchase. Chief among them were concerns about conditions placed on the title by the bill and by the previous acts authorizing the purchase.
"Why would the Government purchase the property without acquiring 100 percent of the mineral rights?" Hart asked. "The Government does not purchase property with said type of restrictions to the land. If land is given to the Government by deed of gift, we will accept the restrictions… however, when acquiring property the Government takes possession free and clear of any restrictive covenants."
Voting yea to send the bill out of committee were Barshinger, James, Nelson, Sanes and Sprauve. Dowe voted no and Hill was absent.
The committee also approved a bill to appropriate $40,000 to build restrooms and benches in Christiansted. Testifiers supported the purpose, but said a source of money needed to be found. Sanes said he would work to locate a source of funding before the bill is considered by the full Senate and recommended moving it out of committee in the meantime. Voting yea were Sens. James, Dowe, Nelson, Sanes and Sprauve. Barshinger and Hill were absent.
