Feb. 20, 2003 – The issues surrounding the Coral Reef National Monument relate to self-determination, St. Thomas resident Gaylord Sprauve said at a meeting Thursday night called by Delegate Donna M. Christensen to update fishermen on the implications of the new federal designation.
About 25 people, many of them fishermen, attended the meeting at Julius E. Sprauve School on St. John to discuss the national monument, which was created by former President Bill Clinton during his waning days in office.
Sprauve said the United Nations should take up the matter.
He had particularly harsh words for the delegate. "You're in bed with them," Sprauve told her, referring to the National Park Service, which has jurisdiction over the 12,708-acre monument as well as the V.I. National Park.
Christensen scrambled to distance herself from the park. "I'm here as an advocate on your behalf," she said, adding that she had worked hard to stop Clinton's designating the monument right up until the night before the proclamation went through.
Earlier in the meeting, she said it would be up to residents to mount a legal challenge against the federal government to take back the waters included in the monument. She said such an effort could include convincing the local government, an agency such as Legal Services, or an attorney willing to take the case without pay to pursue the matter.
Christensen pointed out that in the face of the V.I. government's contention that the designated waters in fact belong to the territory, the federal General Accounting Office rendered an opinion that the federal government does own the submerged lands.
A 1,100-acre strip on the south side of St. John and an 83.8-acre piece on the north side do belong to the local government, and Christensen said it will be up to the Planning and Natural Resources Department to manage those areas.
While all of the comment was from fishermen or other residents adamantly opposed the monument, park Superintendent John King pointed out that the purpose of the monument is to protect the fish. He said this would improve fish stocks in the wider area. "It's been adequately proven in other areas," he said.
King said the interim rules and regulations now making their way through the bureaucratic pipeline call for no anchoring in the monument. Fishing, with two exceptions, also is not allowed. Bait fishing will be allowed by permit only in Hurricane Hole, and fishing for hard nose, also called blue fish, will be allowed by permit on the south side of St. John.
St. Thomas resident Harry Clinton complained that there is no "wiggle room" for traditional uses in the monument waters. Sprauve followed that up by charging that the park has changed the rules since its inception in 1956 to prevent traditional uses. King responded that people are still allowed to fish with traps in national park waters but will not be allowed to do so in the monument waters.
Sprauve also alleged that the park is killing hogs, goats, sheep and donkeys. "What's going on here?" he asked.
King didn't respond to Sprauve's charges. However, the park has made numerous announcements about its program to rid the park of non-native species, which include hogs, goats and sheep. It has not yet taken up the donkey issue.
In the context of the national park occupying two-thirds of the island of St. John, resident Lorelei Monsanto said residents have no place to bury their dead or educate their children.
Christensen said a plan to exchange land owned by the local government with park land is under discussion, with an area in Catherineberg being considered.
Christensen held a similar meeting on St. Croix on Wednesday evening. After several people complained Thursday that she held the meeting on St. John for both St. Thomas and St. John residents, she said she would schedule a third one for St. Thomas residents on their own island, tentatively on March 17. Specific information will be announced.
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NO QUICK FIXES FOR HOVENSA, SENATORS ARE TOLD
Feb. 20, 2003 – Full rehiring of the hundreds of workers recently laid off at the Hovensa oil refinery is likely a long time off, company spokesman Alexander A. Moorhead told a Senate committee on Thursday.
Moorhead, Hovensa's vice president for government affairs and community relations, said the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the mainland accelerated the decline of U.S. and world economies, both reducing the demand for petroleum and increasing security costs.
Last year, the situation did not improve, he told the Labor and Veterans Affairs Committee. "That, coupled with a sharp increase in the cost of general liability insurance coverage, caused Hovensa to have a net loss of approximately $90 million in 2002," he said
A lengthy, crippling strike in Venezuela, which had been providing 60 percent of the refinery's crude oil for processing and export, halted oil shipments in December and January, Moorhead said, and the South American nation currently is supplying about one-third the normal amount of crude oil.
Hovensa is a joint venture of Amerada Hess, parent company of Hess Oil Virgin Islands Corp., and Venezuela's state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela. It was created to secure financing for a $600 million coker facility that took two years to build and that began operating last summer, enabling the refinery to process lower-grade and less-expensive crude oil.
Until regular oil shipments resume and the U.S. economy improves to its pre-Sept. 11 level, Moorhead said, "it is unlikely that Hovensa will resume all of the programs that it has deferred or curtailed at the refinery."
Along with his grim projections, Moorhead did say that the refinery's financial situation has improved somewhat in the last week. Cold weather on the mainland increased the demand for heating oil, and shipments from Venezuela resumed in part, making it possible for Hovensa to increase production, he said.
"However, I must caution that this may only be temporary," he added, explaining that spring will bring warmer weather and the crude shipments could be sporadic, as the strike is ongoing.
"I've listened to your testimony, and frankly, my spirit isn't lifted," Sen. Norman Jn Baptiste, committee chair, said. "I haven't seen the hope I had looked forward to."
Moorhead would not speculate as to how a war with Iraq would affect the refinery's finances. However, he said that the Gulf War in 1991 did increase the demand for oil by the U.S. military.
Finding ways to shrink the cost of general liability insurance and reconsidering a law passed by the 24th Legislature that outlaws mandatory pre-dispute arbitration agreements are ways that the 25th Legislature could help put the company back on track, Moorhead said.
In the case of liability insurance, Hovensa's costs shot up to $8 million from $2 million just last year, he said. The rise was likely caused by insurers incurring high losses in lawsuits, despite a mandated improvement in the safety performance of the contractor workforce, Moorhead said.
As for the arbitration issue, he pointed out that Hovensa and the V.I. government are both spending scarce dollars in litigation over dispute-resolution agreements. Hovensa and at least one of its major contractors, Wyatt V.I., require non-union employees to agree to have disputes resolved by binding arbitration rather than litigation.
Labor Department officials were at Thursday's hearing to answer questions about the plight of workers displaced by layoffs.
"Please bear in mind that the strike in Venezuela has only compounded an already staggering unemployment rate in the territory, specifically on St. Croix," Assistant Labor Commissioner John Sheen said, reading comments on behalf of Labor Commissioner Cecil Benjamin.
St. Croix's jobless rate in December, the most recent month for which figures are available, was officially 12 percent. However, the actual rate could be significantly higher because the figure covers only displaced workers registered with the Labor Department.
Sheen said that of 300 Hovensa workers laid off in the last two months, 183 have filed for unemployment insurance. The Job Service Division has seen a notable increase in clients since January, he added.
Economic Development Commission tax-break beneficiaries are required to employ a certain number of local workers. But Sheen testified that decimation of Labor's own Enforcement Division means that compliance is not being fully monitored.
The division staff has dwindled from 14 employees to two. "I wouldn't say there is proper monitoring of the EDC companies," Sheen said. "It's impossible to say that all of them are in compliance."
Nadine Marchena, assistant chief executive officer of the Economic Development Authority, said the EDC Compliance Division had duties to those of Labor's Enforcement Division. However, she said,"ours is a much more detailed process in regard to other things we're looking for, like procurement, investment, training, etc."
Sheen said the mandates do not overlap: "We look more for residency requirements and discrimination issues. We would like to have compliance officers on the scale of the EDC, but we don't have the money."
Committee members present at the hearing were Sens. Baptiste, Louis Hill, Raymond "Usie" Richards and Celestino A. White Sr. The fifth committee member, Sen. Douglas Canton, was absent. Also present were Sens. Luther Renee and Ronald Russell, who are not committee members.
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Moorhead, Hovensa's vice president for government affairs and community relations, said the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the mainland accelerated the decline of U.S. and world economies, both reducing the demand for petroleum and increasing security costs.
Last year, the situation did not improve, he told the Labor and Veterans Affairs Committee. "That, coupled with a sharp increase in the cost of general liability insurance coverage, caused Hovensa to have a net loss of approximately $90 million in 2002," he said
A lengthy, crippling strike in Venezuela, which had been providing 60 percent of the refinery's crude oil for processing and export, halted oil shipments in December and January, Moorhead said, and the South American nation currently is supplying about one-third the normal amount of crude oil.
Hovensa is a joint venture of Amerada Hess, parent company of Hess Oil Virgin Islands Corp., and Venezuela's state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela. It was created to secure financing for a $600 million coker facility that took two years to build and that began operating last summer, enabling the refinery to process lower-grade and less-expensive crude oil.
Until regular oil shipments resume and the U.S. economy improves to its pre-Sept. 11 level, Moorhead said, "it is unlikely that Hovensa will resume all of the programs that it has deferred or curtailed at the refinery."
Along with his grim projections, Moorhead did say that the refinery's financial situation has improved somewhat in the last week. Cold weather on the mainland increased the demand for heating oil, and shipments from Venezuela resumed in part, making it possible for Hovensa to increase production, he said.
"However, I must caution that this may only be temporary," he added, explaining that spring will bring warmer weather and the crude shipments could be sporadic, as the strike is ongoing.
"I've listened to your testimony, and frankly, my spirit isn't lifted," Sen. Norman Jn Baptiste, committee chair, said. "I haven't seen the hope I had looked forward to."
Moorhead would not speculate as to how a war with Iraq would affect the refinery's finances. However, he said that the Gulf War in 1991 did increase the demand for oil by the U.S. military.
Finding ways to shrink the cost of general liability insurance and reconsidering a law passed by the 24th Legislature that outlaws mandatory pre-dispute arbitration agreements are ways that the 25th Legislature could help put the company back on track, Moorhead said.
In the case of liability insurance, Hovensa's costs shot up to $8 million from $2 million just last year, he said. The rise was likely caused by insurers incurring high losses in lawsuits, despite a mandated improvement in the safety performance of the contractor workforce, Moorhead said.
As for the arbitration issue, he pointed out that Hovensa and the V.I. government are both spending scarce dollars in litigation over dispute-resolution agreements. Hovensa and at least one of its major contractors, Wyatt V.I., require non-union employees to agree to have disputes resolved by binding arbitration rather than litigation.
Labor Department officials were at Thursday's hearing to answer questions about the plight of workers displaced by layoffs.
"Please bear in mind that the strike in Venezuela has only compounded an already staggering unemployment rate in the territory, specifically on St. Croix," Assistant Labor Commissioner John Sheen said, reading comments on behalf of Labor Commissioner Cecil Benjamin.
St. Croix's jobless rate in December, the most recent month for which figures are available, was officially 12 percent. However, the actual rate could be significantly higher because the figure covers only displaced workers registered with the Labor Department.
Sheen said that of 300 Hovensa workers laid off in the last two months, 183 have filed for unemployment insurance. The Job Service Division has seen a notable increase in clients since January, he added.
Economic Development Commission tax-break beneficiaries are required to employ a certain number of local workers. But Sheen testified that decimation of Labor's own Enforcement Division means that compliance is not being fully monitored.
The division staff has dwindled from 14 employees to two. "I wouldn't say there is proper monitoring of the EDC companies," Sheen said. "It's impossible to say that all of them are in compliance."
Nadine Marchena, assistant chief executive officer of the Economic Development Authority, said the EDC Compliance Division had duties to those of Labor's Enforcement Division. However, she said,"ours is a much more detailed process in regard to other things we're looking for, like procurement, investment, training, etc."
Sheen said the mandates do not overlap: "We look more for residency requirements and discrimination issues. We would like to have compliance officers on the scale of the EDC, but we don't have the money."
Committee members present at the hearing were Sens. Baptiste, Louis Hill, Raymond "Usie" Richards and Celestino A. White Sr. The fifth committee member, Sen. Douglas Canton, was absent. Also present were Sens. Luther Renee and Ronald Russell, who are not committee members.
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JUDGE IRATE OVER MOVE TO SEND OUT 2001 TAX BILLS
Feb. 20, 2003 – District Judge Thomas K. Moore has chastised V.I. government officials for failing to follow his orders to fix the territory's 'system of assessing property taxes and accused the government of trying to usurp his ban on issuing any more property tax bills until an ongoing legal challenge is resolved.
Moore made his displeasure known Wednesday during the final hearing on the consolidated case of 11 V.I. property owners who are suing the government over what they say are grossly inflated tax bills based on replacement value, not market value.
According to a Virgin Islands Daily News report, Moore was particularly incensed over a bill submitted by the governor and passed by the Legislature at a special session last week calling for the Tax Assessor's Office to send out 2001 property tax bills calculated on the basis of 1999 assessments. The case currently in District Court is challenging the assessments made for 2000.
Moore was furious "that the government is interfering with his order," David Bornn, a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs, said.
Published accounts said that the judge stormed off the bench and declared the hearing adjourned when V.I. Justice Department lead attorney Kerrie Drue rose to offer an explanation as to why the governor sought the Senate action.
Moore said the government was "wasting the court's time," Bornn said, and that "the governor was wasting the time of the Legislature and engaging in a charade."
And he told the V.I. government's legal team that their time would have been better spent trying to revise the tax system.
Attempts to reach Attorney General Iver Stridiron and Government House spokesman James O'Bryan Jr. for comment were unsuccessful Thursday. Stridiron was quoted in the Daily News as saying that it is not unusual for judges to get angry at lawyers. "We take the position that we believe is in the best interest of the territory," he was quoted as saying.
Gov. Charles W. Turnbull has yet to sign the property tax proposal. No government officials were available to comment on the prospects of his doing so. He could also veto the measure or allow it to become law without his signature.
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Moore made his displeasure known Wednesday during the final hearing on the consolidated case of 11 V.I. property owners who are suing the government over what they say are grossly inflated tax bills based on replacement value, not market value.
According to a Virgin Islands Daily News report, Moore was particularly incensed over a bill submitted by the governor and passed by the Legislature at a special session last week calling for the Tax Assessor's Office to send out 2001 property tax bills calculated on the basis of 1999 assessments. The case currently in District Court is challenging the assessments made for 2000.
Moore was furious "that the government is interfering with his order," David Bornn, a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs, said.
Published accounts said that the judge stormed off the bench and declared the hearing adjourned when V.I. Justice Department lead attorney Kerrie Drue rose to offer an explanation as to why the governor sought the Senate action.
Moore said the government was "wasting the court's time," Bornn said, and that "the governor was wasting the time of the Legislature and engaging in a charade."
And he told the V.I. government's legal team that their time would have been better spent trying to revise the tax system.
Attempts to reach Attorney General Iver Stridiron and Government House spokesman James O'Bryan Jr. for comment were unsuccessful Thursday. Stridiron was quoted in the Daily News as saying that it is not unusual for judges to get angry at lawyers. "We take the position that we believe is in the best interest of the territory," he was quoted as saying.
Gov. Charles W. Turnbull has yet to sign the property tax proposal. No government officials were available to comment on the prospects of his doing so. He could also veto the measure or allow it to become law without his signature.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
JUDGE IRATE OVER MOVE TO SEND OUT 2001 TAX BILLS
Feb. 20, 2003 – District Judge Thomas K. Moore has chastised V.I. government officials for failing to follow his orders to fix the territory's 'system of assessing property taxes and accused the government of trying to usurp his ban on issuing any more property tax bills until an ongoing legal challenge is resolved.
Moore made his displeasure known Wednesday during the final hearing on the consolidated case of 11 V.I. property owners who are suing the government over what they say are grossly inflated tax bills based on replacement value, not market value.
According to a Virgin Islands Daily News report, Moore was particularly incensed over a bill submitted by the governor and passed by the Legislature at a special session last week calling for the Tax Assessor's Office to send out 2001 property tax bills calculated on the basis of 1999 assessments. The case currently in District Court is challenging the assessments made for 2000.
Moore was furious "that the government is interfering with his order," David Bornn, a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs, said.
Published accounts said that the judge stormed off the bench and declared the hearing adjourned when V.I. Justice Department lead attorney Kerrie Drue rose to offer an explanation as to why the governor sought the Senate action.
Moore said the government was "wasting the court's time," Bornn said, and that "the governor was wasting the time of the Legislature and engaging in a charade."
And he told the V.I. government's legal team that their time would have been better spent trying to revise the tax system.
Attempts to reach Attorney General Iver Stridiron and Government House spokesman James O'Bryan Jr. for comment were unsuccessful Thursday. Stridiron was quoted in the Daily News as saying that it is not unusual for judges to get angry at lawyers. "We take the position that we believe is in the best interest of the territory," he was quoted as saying.
Gov. Charles W. Turnbull has yet to sign the property tax proposal. No government officials were available to comment on the prospects of his doing so. He could also veto the measure or allow it to become law without his signature.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
Moore made his displeasure known Wednesday during the final hearing on the consolidated case of 11 V.I. property owners who are suing the government over what they say are grossly inflated tax bills based on replacement value, not market value.
According to a Virgin Islands Daily News report, Moore was particularly incensed over a bill submitted by the governor and passed by the Legislature at a special session last week calling for the Tax Assessor's Office to send out 2001 property tax bills calculated on the basis of 1999 assessments. The case currently in District Court is challenging the assessments made for 2000.
Moore was furious "that the government is interfering with his order," David Bornn, a lawyer for one of the plaintiffs, said.
Published accounts said that the judge stormed off the bench and declared the hearing adjourned when V.I. Justice Department lead attorney Kerrie Drue rose to offer an explanation as to why the governor sought the Senate action.
Moore said the government was "wasting the court's time," Bornn said, and that "the governor was wasting the time of the Legislature and engaging in a charade."
And he told the V.I. government's legal team that their time would have been better spent trying to revise the tax system.
Attempts to reach Attorney General Iver Stridiron and Government House spokesman James O'Bryan Jr. for comment were unsuccessful Thursday. Stridiron was quoted in the Daily News as saying that it is not unusual for judges to get angry at lawyers. "We take the position that we believe is in the best interest of the territory," he was quoted as saying.
Gov. Charles W. Turnbull has yet to sign the property tax proposal. No government officials were available to comment on the prospects of his doing so. He could also veto the measure or allow it to become law without his signature.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
NEW HOSPITALITY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM IN PLACE
Feb. 20, 2003 – The St. Thomas-St. John Hotel and Tourism Association unveiled its new internship program for young people interested in exploring careers in the hospitality industry at a luncheon meeting Thursday at the Ritz-Carlton Resort.
Internships have been offering young people a taste of tourism-related careers for years, the Ritz-Carlton's general manager, Jaime Holmes, said but the association wants to ensure more opportunities for them to truly get involved.
"What we want to do is take an already great program and bring it to the next level by adding a little structure to it," said Holmes, who also heads the association's Education and Training Committee.
Human resource managers at properties including the Ritz-Carlton, Westin St. John Resort, Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Beach Resort, Renaissance Grand Beach Resort and Caneel Bay Resort are involved in the committee. For Caneel Bay's Celine Joseph, investing in internship programs is a way to make sure there will be a capable new generation of trainees ready to take their place in the industry. "It's the main industry in the Virgin Islands, and we need to train our young people to take over from us," she said.
If the new program meets its goals, Holmes said, pre-screened interns will be matched to specific interests, be they food and beverage, accounting or engineering. Even those students who are not sold on a career in the hospitality sector will get general exposure that will make them better-informed travelers, he said.
For former V.I. Carnival Queen Canika-Chisa George, the decision to pursue a tourism career stemmed from pride in her islands. Three years after graduating from Charlotte Amalie High School, she is executive assistant for the Hotel and Tourism Association.
"The islands are my islands. I grew up here. I was born here," George said. She said she is committed "to do anything to help the islands out, the economy, and to tell the visitors that come on island that this is a good place to be, either to live or to spend a couple of days."
The committee presented the details of the new internship program to the people who provide most of their interns in the form of a booklet handed out at the luncheon. It illustrates how students applying for internships will be interviewed, evaluated and assigned; how their progress will be tracked once they are placed; and how their responsibilities will be spelled out to work site managers and referring agencies.
If a student placement doesn't work out, there are guidelines for ending the internship and explaining why it happened.
Along the way, Holmes said, the committee has built in opportunities to coach the interns on the details that make a difference, such as good grooming, good posture and not showing up for an interview with friends or family members.
Internships are available for high school and college students. Selected high school students will receive a stipend. College students have the option of a stipend or getting college credits for their work.
The program was well received by the luncheon guests, including members of the staffs of senators in a position to refer students to the internships. Referrals are also expected to come from high school guidance counselors and The West Indian Co., which has run its own successful internship program for several years.
Shortly after the presentation was over, the referral process began, as counselors and sponsors sat down with committee members to ask questions about how their students can qualify for the new program.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
Internships have been offering young people a taste of tourism-related careers for years, the Ritz-Carlton's general manager, Jaime Holmes, said but the association wants to ensure more opportunities for them to truly get involved.
"What we want to do is take an already great program and bring it to the next level by adding a little structure to it," said Holmes, who also heads the association's Education and Training Committee.
Human resource managers at properties including the Ritz-Carlton, Westin St. John Resort, Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Beach Resort, Renaissance Grand Beach Resort and Caneel Bay Resort are involved in the committee. For Caneel Bay's Celine Joseph, investing in internship programs is a way to make sure there will be a capable new generation of trainees ready to take their place in the industry. "It's the main industry in the Virgin Islands, and we need to train our young people to take over from us," she said.
If the new program meets its goals, Holmes said, pre-screened interns will be matched to specific interests, be they food and beverage, accounting or engineering. Even those students who are not sold on a career in the hospitality sector will get general exposure that will make them better-informed travelers, he said.
For former V.I. Carnival Queen Canika-Chisa George, the decision to pursue a tourism career stemmed from pride in her islands. Three years after graduating from Charlotte Amalie High School, she is executive assistant for the Hotel and Tourism Association.
"The islands are my islands. I grew up here. I was born here," George said. She said she is committed "to do anything to help the islands out, the economy, and to tell the visitors that come on island that this is a good place to be, either to live or to spend a couple of days."
The committee presented the details of the new internship program to the people who provide most of their interns in the form of a booklet handed out at the luncheon. It illustrates how students applying for internships will be interviewed, evaluated and assigned; how their progress will be tracked once they are placed; and how their responsibilities will be spelled out to work site managers and referring agencies.
If a student placement doesn't work out, there are guidelines for ending the internship and explaining why it happened.
Along the way, Holmes said, the committee has built in opportunities to coach the interns on the details that make a difference, such as good grooming, good posture and not showing up for an interview with friends or family members.
Internships are available for high school and college students. Selected high school students will receive a stipend. College students have the option of a stipend or getting college credits for their work.
The program was well received by the luncheon guests, including members of the staffs of senators in a position to refer students to the internships. Referrals are also expected to come from high school guidance counselors and The West Indian Co., which has run its own successful internship program for several years.
Shortly after the presentation was over, the referral process began, as counselors and sponsors sat down with committee members to ask questions about how their students can qualify for the new program.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
FISHERMEN AND MORE AIR MONUMENTAL CONCERNS
Feb. 20, 2003 – The issues surrounding the Coral Reef National Monument relate to self-determination, St. Thomas resident Gaylord Sprauve said at a meeting Thursday night called by Delegate Donna M. Christensen to update fishermen on the implications of the new federal designation.
About 25 people, many of them fishermen, attended the meeting at Julius E. Sprauve School on St. John to discuss the national monument, which was created by former President Bill Clinton during his waning days in office.
Sprauve said the United Nations should take up the matter.
He had particularly harsh words for the delegate. "You're in bed with them," Sprauve told her, referring to the National Park Service, which has jurisdiction over the 12,708-acre monument as well as the V.I. National Park.
Christensen scrambled to distance herself from the park. "I'm here as an advocate on your behalf," she said, adding that she had worked hard to stop Clinton's designating the monument right up until the night before the proclamation went through.
Earlier in the meeting, she said it would be up to residents to mount a legal challenge against the federal government to take back the waters included in the monument. She said such an effort could include convincing the local government, an agency such as Legal Services, or an attorney willing to take the case without pay to pursue the matter.
Christensen pointed out that in the face of the V.I. government's contention that the designated waters in fact belong to the territory, the federal General Accounting Office rendered an opinion that the federal government does own the submerged lands.
A 1,100-acre strip on the south side of St. John and an 83.8-acre piece on the north side do belong to the local government, and Christensen said it will be up to the Planning and Natural Resources Department to manage those areas.
While all of the comment was from fishermen or other residents adamantly opposed the monument, park Superintendent John King pointed out that the purpose of the monument is to protect the fish. He said this would improve fish stocks in the wider area. "It's been adequately proven in other areas," he said.
King said the interim rules and regulations now making their way through the bureaucratic pipeline call for no anchoring in the monument. Fishing, with two exceptions, also is not allowed. Bait fishing will be allowed by permit only in Hurricane Hole, and fishing for hard nose, also called blue fish, will be allowed by permit on the south side of St. John.
St. Thomas resident Harry Clinton complained that there is no "wiggle room" for traditional uses in the monument waters. Sprauve followed that up by charging that the park has changed the rules since its inception in 1956 to prevent traditional uses. King responded that people are still allowed to fish with traps in national park waters but will not be allowed to do so in the monument waters.
Sprauve also alleged that the park is killing hogs, goats, sheep and donkeys. "What's going on here?" he asked.
King didn't respond to Sprauve's charges. However, the park has made numerous announcements about its program to rid the park of non-native species, which include hogs, goats and sheep. It has not yet taken up the donkey issue.
In the context of the national park occupying two-thirds of the island of St. John, resident Lorelei Monsanto said residents have no place to bury their dead or educate their children.
Christensen said a plan to exchange land owned by the local government with park land is under discussion, with an area in Catherineberg being considered.
Christensen held a similar meeting on St. Croix on Wednesday evening. After several people complained Thursday that she held the meeting on St. John for both St. Thomas and St. John residents, she said she would schedule a third one for St. Thomas residents on their own island, tentatively on March 17. Specific information will be announced.
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About 25 people, many of them fishermen, attended the meeting at Julius E. Sprauve School on St. John to discuss the national monument, which was created by former President Bill Clinton during his waning days in office.
Sprauve said the United Nations should take up the matter.
He had particularly harsh words for the delegate. "You're in bed with them," Sprauve told her, referring to the National Park Service, which has jurisdiction over the 12,708-acre monument as well as the V.I. National Park.
Christensen scrambled to distance herself from the park. "I'm here as an advocate on your behalf," she said, adding that she had worked hard to stop Clinton's designating the monument right up until the night before the proclamation went through.
Earlier in the meeting, she said it would be up to residents to mount a legal challenge against the federal government to take back the waters included in the monument. She said such an effort could include convincing the local government, an agency such as Legal Services, or an attorney willing to take the case without pay to pursue the matter.
Christensen pointed out that in the face of the V.I. government's contention that the designated waters in fact belong to the territory, the federal General Accounting Office rendered an opinion that the federal government does own the submerged lands.
A 1,100-acre strip on the south side of St. John and an 83.8-acre piece on the north side do belong to the local government, and Christensen said it will be up to the Planning and Natural Resources Department to manage those areas.
While all of the comment was from fishermen or other residents adamantly opposed the monument, park Superintendent John King pointed out that the purpose of the monument is to protect the fish. He said this would improve fish stocks in the wider area. "It's been adequately proven in other areas," he said.
King said the interim rules and regulations now making their way through the bureaucratic pipeline call for no anchoring in the monument. Fishing, with two exceptions, also is not allowed. Bait fishing will be allowed by permit only in Hurricane Hole, and fishing for hard nose, also called blue fish, will be allowed by permit on the south side of St. John.
St. Thomas resident Harry Clinton complained that there is no "wiggle room" for traditional uses in the monument waters. Sprauve followed that up by charging that the park has changed the rules since its inception in 1956 to prevent traditional uses. King responded that people are still allowed to fish with traps in national park waters but will not be allowed to do so in the monument waters.
Sprauve also alleged that the park is killing hogs, goats, sheep and donkeys. "What's going on here?" he asked.
King didn't respond to Sprauve's charges. However, the park has made numerous announcements about its program to rid the park of non-native species, which include hogs, goats and sheep. It has not yet taken up the donkey issue.
In the context of the national park occupying two-thirds of the island of St. John, resident Lorelei Monsanto said residents have no place to bury their dead or educate their children.
Christensen said a plan to exchange land owned by the local government with park land is under discussion, with an area in Catherineberg being considered.
Christensen held a similar meeting on St. Croix on Wednesday evening. After several people complained Thursday that she held the meeting on St. John for both St. Thomas and St. John residents, she said she would schedule a third one for St. Thomas residents on their own island, tentatively on March 17. Specific information will be announced.
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FCC LEAVES RIVALS' PHONE LINE ACCESS UP TO STATES
Feb. 20, 2003 – Local telephone competition — to date no more than a possibility in the Virgin Islands — was not made any more unlikely by a 3-2 vote Thursday on a complex issue before the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, D.C.
FCC chair Michael Powell had wanted, in effect, to make it harder for competing systems to offer local phone service, but he was outvoted 3-2 by the full commission on the issue.
Powell and the so-called "Baby Bells" — regional phone companies created with the government-ordered breakup of the old AT&T monopoly in 1984 — had argued that the federal competition rules should be dropped altogether.
The majority trio on the commission decided that if there is to be any lessening of pressure on the existing phone companies to share their phone lines with would-be competitors, those decisions must come from the state and territorial public utility regulatory commissions.
The incumbent local carriers, however — notably the Baby Bells (which got their name from "Ma Bell," the nickname of The Bell Telephone System, a conglomerate of corporations headed by AT&T prior to the divestiture), but also other service providers such as Innovative Telephone locally — won a few concessions.
The principal issue before the FCC on Thursday was an attempt by Powell to roll back an FCC regulation adopted seven years ago, during the Clinton administration, requiring the Baby Bells to lease their existing lines to potential rival phone companies at discounted rates, avoiding the need for competitors to lay their own lines. In effect, the regulation allows new competitors to purchase services from the Baby Bells at wholesale rates to "resell" telecommunication services.
On the 3-2 vote, one of the Republican commission members voted with the two Democratic members to maintain the competition rule.
With huge sums of money at stake, technological issues galore, and federal and state/territorial agencies playing roles in the matter, the outcome cannot be described in black-and-white terms.
However, Wall Street regarded the decision as clearly bad news for the Baby Bells, with stock prices for SBC and Verizon, for example, falling between 6 and 10 percent Thursday after the decision was announced around lunch time. Innovative Telephone and its parent company, Innovative Communication Corp., are owned by Jeffrey Prosser, with no shares traded publicly, so there was no public measure of impact.
Another indication of the wide interest in the decision could be found on the Internet. The FCC, a technologically adept federal agency, broadcasts its public hearings on the Web. But on Thursday, the number of people wanting to use their computers to follow the hearings was so large that the FCC server was unable to handle everyone wanting to view the proceedings.
The internal politics of the situation revolved around two variables:
– First, the FCC, like some other federal commissions, must have at least some members from each major political party, so there are currently two Democrats and three Republicans.
– Second, one of the GOP members, Kevin Martin, allied himself with the two Democrats to block Powell’s de-regulatory moves. This led the FCC chair, for the first time in a dozen years, to issue a minority report.
In his dissenting opinion, Powell, the son of Secretary of State Colin Powell, termed Thursday's decision "a molten morass or regulatory activity" that would "prove too chaotic for an already fragile telecom sector."
In the Virgin Islands, the Public Services Commission rejected a bid two years ago by a company seeking access to Innovative Telephone lines to establish rival local telephone service. However, at its most recent meeting, the PSC agreed to revisit the possibility at the request of the company that has since acquired the one involved in the earlier bid.
In Thursday's action, in a mild concession to the Baby Bells and other existing phone systems, the FCC did vote to ease regulations on those carriers regarding the sharing of fiber-optic lines for broadband, the new telecommunications technology for moving electronic data around far more swiftly than was possible with copper wires.
The Baby Bells had complained in Washington-area television and print media advertising, among other places, that they would have no incentive to invest in fiber-optic technology if their competitors could share the benefits.
Debate has raged for years over the concept of fostering competition between outside companies with no physical systems of their own and the existing firms that have the local phone business and the physical infrastructure. On one side are consumer advocates and the potential rival phone companies; on the other are the incumbent carriers.
Thursday's FCC decisions amount to just one more skirmish in a huge, complex and ongoing conflict.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
FCC chair Michael Powell had wanted, in effect, to make it harder for competing systems to offer local phone service, but he was outvoted 3-2 by the full commission on the issue.
Powell and the so-called "Baby Bells" — regional phone companies created with the government-ordered breakup of the old AT&T monopoly in 1984 — had argued that the federal competition rules should be dropped altogether.
The majority trio on the commission decided that if there is to be any lessening of pressure on the existing phone companies to share their phone lines with would-be competitors, those decisions must come from the state and territorial public utility regulatory commissions.
The incumbent local carriers, however — notably the Baby Bells (which got their name from "Ma Bell," the nickname of The Bell Telephone System, a conglomerate of corporations headed by AT&T prior to the divestiture), but also other service providers such as Innovative Telephone locally — won a few concessions.
The principal issue before the FCC on Thursday was an attempt by Powell to roll back an FCC regulation adopted seven years ago, during the Clinton administration, requiring the Baby Bells to lease their existing lines to potential rival phone companies at discounted rates, avoiding the need for competitors to lay their own lines. In effect, the regulation allows new competitors to purchase services from the Baby Bells at wholesale rates to "resell" telecommunication services.
On the 3-2 vote, one of the Republican commission members voted with the two Democratic members to maintain the competition rule.
With huge sums of money at stake, technological issues galore, and federal and state/territorial agencies playing roles in the matter, the outcome cannot be described in black-and-white terms.
However, Wall Street regarded the decision as clearly bad news for the Baby Bells, with stock prices for SBC and Verizon, for example, falling between 6 and 10 percent Thursday after the decision was announced around lunch time. Innovative Telephone and its parent company, Innovative Communication Corp., are owned by Jeffrey Prosser, with no shares traded publicly, so there was no public measure of impact.
Another indication of the wide interest in the decision could be found on the Internet. The FCC, a technologically adept federal agency, broadcasts its public hearings on the Web. But on Thursday, the number of people wanting to use their computers to follow the hearings was so large that the FCC server was unable to handle everyone wanting to view the proceedings.
The internal politics of the situation revolved around two variables:
– First, the FCC, like some other federal commissions, must have at least some members from each major political party, so there are currently two Democrats and three Republicans.
– Second, one of the GOP members, Kevin Martin, allied himself with the two Democrats to block Powell’s de-regulatory moves. This led the FCC chair, for the first time in a dozen years, to issue a minority report.
In his dissenting opinion, Powell, the son of Secretary of State Colin Powell, termed Thursday's decision "a molten morass or regulatory activity" that would "prove too chaotic for an already fragile telecom sector."
In the Virgin Islands, the Public Services Commission rejected a bid two years ago by a company seeking access to Innovative Telephone lines to establish rival local telephone service. However, at its most recent meeting, the PSC agreed to revisit the possibility at the request of the company that has since acquired the one involved in the earlier bid.
In Thursday's action, in a mild concession to the Baby Bells and other existing phone systems, the FCC did vote to ease regulations on those carriers regarding the sharing of fiber-optic lines for broadband, the new telecommunications technology for moving electronic data around far more swiftly than was possible with copper wires.
The Baby Bells had complained in Washington-area television and print media advertising, among other places, that they would have no incentive to invest in fiber-optic technology if their competitors could share the benefits.
Debate has raged for years over the concept of fostering competition between outside companies with no physical systems of their own and the existing firms that have the local phone business and the physical infrastructure. On one side are consumer advocates and the potential rival phone companies; on the other are the incumbent carriers.
Thursday's FCC decisions amount to just one more skirmish in a huge, complex and ongoing conflict.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
FCC LEAVES RIVALS' PHONE LINE ACCESS UP TO STATES
Feb. 20, 2003 – Local telephone competition — to date no more than a possibility in the Virgin Islands — was not made any more unlikely by a 3-2 vote Thursday on a complex issue before the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, D.C.
FCC chair Michael Powell had wanted, in effect, to make it harder for competing systems to offer local phone service, but he was outvoted 3-2 by the full commission on the issue.
Powell and the so-called "Baby Bells" — regional phone companies created with the government-ordered breakup of the old AT&T monopoly in 1984 — had argued that the federal competition rules should be dropped altogether.
The majority trio on the commission decided that if there is to be any lessening of pressure on the existing phone companies to share their phone lines with would-be competitors, those decisions must come from the state and territorial public utility regulatory commissions.
The incumbent local carriers, however — notably the Baby Bells (which got their name from "Ma Bell," the nickname of The Bell Telephone System, a conglomerate of corporations headed by AT&T prior to the divestiture), but also other service providers such as Innovative Telephone locally — won a few concessions.
The principal issue before the FCC on Thursday was an attempt by Powell to roll back an FCC regulation adopted seven years ago, during the Clinton administration, requiring the Baby Bells to lease their existing lines to potential rival phone companies at discounted rates, avoiding the need for competitors to lay their own lines. In effect, the regulation allows new competitors to purchase services from the Baby Bells at wholesale rates to "resell" telecommunication services.
On the 3-2 vote, one of the Republican commission members voted with the two Democratic members to maintain the competition rule.
With huge sums of money at stake, technological issues galore, and federal and state/territorial agencies playing roles in the matter, the outcome cannot be described in black-and-white terms.
However, Wall Street regarded the decision as clearly bad news for the Baby Bells, with stock prices for SBC and Verizon, for example, falling between 6 and 10 percent Thursday after the decision was announced around lunch time. Innovative Telephone and its parent company, Innovative Communication Corp., are owned by Jeffrey Prosser, with no shares traded publicly, so there was no public measure of impact.
Another indication of the wide interest in the decision could be found on the Internet. The FCC, a technologically adept federal agency, broadcasts its public hearings on the Web. But on Thursday, the number of people wanting to use their computers to follow the hearings was so large that the FCC server was unable to handle everyone wanting to view the proceedings.
The internal politics of the situation revolved around two variables:
– First, the FCC, like some other federal commissions, must have at least some members from each major political party, so there are currently two Democrats and three Republicans.
– Second, one of the GOP members, Kevin Martin, allied himself with the two Democrats to block Powell’s de-regulatory moves. This led the FCC chair, for the first time in a dozen years, to issue a minority report.
In his dissenting opinion, Powell, the son of Secretary of State Colin Powell, termed Thursday's decision "a molten morass or regulatory activity" that would "prove too chaotic for an already fragile telecom sector."
In the Virgin Islands, the Public Services Commission rejected a bid two years ago by a company seeking access to Innovative Telephone lines to establish rival local telephone service. However, at its most recent meeting, the PSC agreed to revisit the possibility at the request of the company that has since acquired the one involved in the earlier bid.
In Thursday's action, in a mild concession to the Baby Bells and other existing phone systems, the FCC did vote to ease regulations on those carriers regarding the sharing of fiber-optic lines for broadband, the new telecommunications technology for moving electronic data around far more swiftly than was possible with copper wires.
The Baby Bells had complained in Washington-area television and print media advertising, among other places, that they would have no incentive to invest in fiber-optic technology if their competitors could share the benefits.
Debate has raged for years over the concept of fostering competition between outside companies with no physical systems of their own and the existing firms that have the local phone business and the physical infrastructure. On one side are consumer advocates and the potential rival phone companies; on the other are the incumbent carriers.
Thursday's FCC decisions amount to just one more skirmish in a huge, complex and ongoing conflict.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
FCC chair Michael Powell had wanted, in effect, to make it harder for competing systems to offer local phone service, but he was outvoted 3-2 by the full commission on the issue.
Powell and the so-called "Baby Bells" — regional phone companies created with the government-ordered breakup of the old AT&T monopoly in 1984 — had argued that the federal competition rules should be dropped altogether.
The majority trio on the commission decided that if there is to be any lessening of pressure on the existing phone companies to share their phone lines with would-be competitors, those decisions must come from the state and territorial public utility regulatory commissions.
The incumbent local carriers, however — notably the Baby Bells (which got their name from "Ma Bell," the nickname of The Bell Telephone System, a conglomerate of corporations headed by AT&T prior to the divestiture), but also other service providers such as Innovative Telephone locally — won a few concessions.
The principal issue before the FCC on Thursday was an attempt by Powell to roll back an FCC regulation adopted seven years ago, during the Clinton administration, requiring the Baby Bells to lease their existing lines to potential rival phone companies at discounted rates, avoiding the need for competitors to lay their own lines. In effect, the regulation allows new competitors to purchase services from the Baby Bells at wholesale rates to "resell" telecommunication services.
On the 3-2 vote, one of the Republican commission members voted with the two Democratic members to maintain the competition rule.
With huge sums of money at stake, technological issues galore, and federal and state/territorial agencies playing roles in the matter, the outcome cannot be described in black-and-white terms.
However, Wall Street regarded the decision as clearly bad news for the Baby Bells, with stock prices for SBC and Verizon, for example, falling between 6 and 10 percent Thursday after the decision was announced around lunch time. Innovative Telephone and its parent company, Innovative Communication Corp., are owned by Jeffrey Prosser, with no shares traded publicly, so there was no public measure of impact.
Another indication of the wide interest in the decision could be found on the Internet. The FCC, a technologically adept federal agency, broadcasts its public hearings on the Web. But on Thursday, the number of people wanting to use their computers to follow the hearings was so large that the FCC server was unable to handle everyone wanting to view the proceedings.
The internal politics of the situation revolved around two variables:
– First, the FCC, like some other federal commissions, must have at least some members from each major political party, so there are currently two Democrats and three Republicans.
– Second, one of the GOP members, Kevin Martin, allied himself with the two Democrats to block Powell’s de-regulatory moves. This led the FCC chair, for the first time in a dozen years, to issue a minority report.
In his dissenting opinion, Powell, the son of Secretary of State Colin Powell, termed Thursday's decision "a molten morass or regulatory activity" that would "prove too chaotic for an already fragile telecom sector."
In the Virgin Islands, the Public Services Commission rejected a bid two years ago by a company seeking access to Innovative Telephone lines to establish rival local telephone service. However, at its most recent meeting, the PSC agreed to revisit the possibility at the request of the company that has since acquired the one involved in the earlier bid.
In Thursday's action, in a mild concession to the Baby Bells and other existing phone systems, the FCC did vote to ease regulations on those carriers regarding the sharing of fiber-optic lines for broadband, the new telecommunications technology for moving electronic data around far more swiftly than was possible with copper wires.
The Baby Bells had complained in Washington-area television and print media advertising, among other places, that they would have no incentive to invest in fiber-optic technology if their competitors could share the benefits.
Debate has raged for years over the concept of fostering competition between outside companies with no physical systems of their own and the existing firms that have the local phone business and the physical infrastructure. On one side are consumer advocates and the potential rival phone companies; on the other are the incumbent carriers.
Thursday's FCC decisions amount to just one more skirmish in a huge, complex and ongoing conflict.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
UNEMPLOYMENT IS NO. 1 ISSUE OF ST. CROIX CAUCUS
Feb. 19, 2003 – Government officials made a strong showing at the second meeting of the St. Croix Legislative Caucus, held Wednesday at Government House on St. Croix.
Gathering to discuss the adoption of a "St. Croix Agenda" intended to help the economically struggling island, members agreed initially to identify and focus on three to five items considered of critical importance to St. Croix, according to a release from the office of Sen. Raymond "Usie" Richards, caucus coordinator.
Present were Sens. Norman Jn Baptiste, Douglas Canton, Emmett Hansen II, Almando "Rocky" Liburd, Luther Renee and Richards; Delegate Donna M. Christensen; and Lt. Gov. Vargrave Richards. Two St. Croix lawmakers were not there — Senate President David Jones and freshman Sen. Ronald Russell, who was unable to be present due to a death in his family.
The first item of discussion was the high level of unemployment on St. Croix.
Raymond Richards said unemployment emerged as the No. 1 issue because of the recent layoffs of hundreds of workers at the Hovensa oil refinery.
On the plus side, "There are a number of capital projects on the drawing board that may help alleviate the situation," Sen. Richards said. He cited the Christiansted Bypass, Christiansted Boardwalk and the fishermen's pier expansion in Frederiksted as projects that could provide jobs for those out of work.
"The meeting was productive, and the presence of both the delegate and the lieutenant governor proved fruitful in solidifying our attempts to work as a unit in addressing the needs of St. Croix," Sen. Richards said. He declined to provide further details of the discussions other than to say that they will be continued at the next meeting of the caucus, in mid March.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
Gathering to discuss the adoption of a "St. Croix Agenda" intended to help the economically struggling island, members agreed initially to identify and focus on three to five items considered of critical importance to St. Croix, according to a release from the office of Sen. Raymond "Usie" Richards, caucus coordinator.
Present were Sens. Norman Jn Baptiste, Douglas Canton, Emmett Hansen II, Almando "Rocky" Liburd, Luther Renee and Richards; Delegate Donna M. Christensen; and Lt. Gov. Vargrave Richards. Two St. Croix lawmakers were not there — Senate President David Jones and freshman Sen. Ronald Russell, who was unable to be present due to a death in his family.
The first item of discussion was the high level of unemployment on St. Croix.
Raymond Richards said unemployment emerged as the No. 1 issue because of the recent layoffs of hundreds of workers at the Hovensa oil refinery.
On the plus side, "There are a number of capital projects on the drawing board that may help alleviate the situation," Sen. Richards said. He cited the Christiansted Bypass, Christiansted Boardwalk and the fishermen's pier expansion in Frederiksted as projects that could provide jobs for those out of work.
"The meeting was productive, and the presence of both the delegate and the lieutenant governor proved fruitful in solidifying our attempts to work as a unit in addressing the needs of St. Croix," Sen. Richards said. He declined to provide further details of the discussions other than to say that they will be continued at the next meeting of the caucus, in mid March.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
POWER SUBSTATION SHOULD BE READY IN 9 MONTHS
Feb. 19, 2003 – Presentation of a legal opinion on the controversial purchase of St. Croix land by the Water and Power Authority from Devcon in 2000 was on the agenda for Wednesday's board meeting but was postponed due to delay in its preparation.
At its Jan. 31 meeting, WAPA's board chair, Carol Burke, had said that because the land transaction was made without board approval, it would not go forward. "The law prohibits WAPA from selling property without board approval," she said then, adding that a letter had been sent to Devcon outlining the board's position. (See "WAPA board looking to lay blame for purchase".)
At that meeting, Burke asked WAPA board counsel Arturo Watlington to prepare an opinion on the issue, making clear the steps to protect the authority that were not taken. Once that opinion was received, she said, the board would explore options for imposing penalties on those found responsible.
At Wednesday's meeting, on St. Thomas, Burke said Watlington had advised her that he was unable to present the opinion at that time but would have it for the board 's March meeting.
Meantime, correspondence from WAPA bond counsel Patricia A. Goins to Burke was read into the record regarding the use of 1998 bond proceeds for the acquisition of the property. Goins said the bond trustees had no record of a transaction whereby bond money was withdrawn from the construction fund for that purpose.
St. John substation projected in 9 months
In other business, WAPA's executive director, Alberto Bruno Vega, had good news for St. John residents. In nine months, he said, a new electrical substation should be completed at Turner Bay, providing residents with a reliable power source and eliminating the potential of long-lasting blackouts.
The board unanimously approved $2.8 million to Siemens Westinghouse to carry out the project. Bruno said the older of the two submarine cables between Cabrita Point on St. Thomas's East End and St. John is not in good shape, and he has asked Cable Technology Laboratory of New Jersey to come to the territory and test the cables.
Bruno said the large resorts on St. John – Caneel Bay and the Westin – have been very cooperative when WAPA experiences low power conditions, by going off line. Anticipating the summer load, however, he said, "We are barely scratching through."
In other business:
– Robert Vodzack, WAPA chief financial officer, presented the authority's final 2003 audit from KPMG, an unqualified audit. This year, he said, along with the individual audits for the Water and Power Divisions, a joint audit was prepared, consisting of a management discussion and analysis which summarizes the other two audits in lay terms.
Bruno said he was pleased to have the audit. He said WAPA had been "tasked" by Government House to submit the audit by mid-February so that the administration can complete its own single audit.
– Bruno commented on plans for the utility's St. Thomas administration building. He suggested locating the customer service center to a central location in downtown Charlotte Amalie so as to relieve overcrowding in the Sub Base building. He said the work environment could be improved by other offices utilize the vacated space.
– The board approved Bruno's request to modify the amount of a proposed bond issue and the related capital improvement projects to be financed, due to the need for additional funds for critical capital projects for system reliability and planned new power generation.
– The board deferred discussion of Unit 22 on St. Thomas to an executive session because of what officials said were possible legal issues that could arise from the discussion.
Attending the meeting were board members Burke, Alphonso Franklin, G. Luz James Sr., Licensing and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Andrew Rutnik and Attorney General Iver Stridiron. Claude A. Molloy Sr. left the meeting shortly after it started for another appointment, and Housing Parks and Recreation Commissioner Ira M. Hobson and William Lomax were absent.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
At its Jan. 31 meeting, WAPA's board chair, Carol Burke, had said that because the land transaction was made without board approval, it would not go forward. "The law prohibits WAPA from selling property without board approval," she said then, adding that a letter had been sent to Devcon outlining the board's position. (See "WAPA board looking to lay blame for purchase".)
At that meeting, Burke asked WAPA board counsel Arturo Watlington to prepare an opinion on the issue, making clear the steps to protect the authority that were not taken. Once that opinion was received, she said, the board would explore options for imposing penalties on those found responsible.
At Wednesday's meeting, on St. Thomas, Burke said Watlington had advised her that he was unable to present the opinion at that time but would have it for the board 's March meeting.
Meantime, correspondence from WAPA bond counsel Patricia A. Goins to Burke was read into the record regarding the use of 1998 bond proceeds for the acquisition of the property. Goins said the bond trustees had no record of a transaction whereby bond money was withdrawn from the construction fund for that purpose.
St. John substation projected in 9 months
In other business, WAPA's executive director, Alberto Bruno Vega, had good news for St. John residents. In nine months, he said, a new electrical substation should be completed at Turner Bay, providing residents with a reliable power source and eliminating the potential of long-lasting blackouts.
The board unanimously approved $2.8 million to Siemens Westinghouse to carry out the project. Bruno said the older of the two submarine cables between Cabrita Point on St. Thomas's East End and St. John is not in good shape, and he has asked Cable Technology Laboratory of New Jersey to come to the territory and test the cables.
Bruno said the large resorts on St. John – Caneel Bay and the Westin – have been very cooperative when WAPA experiences low power conditions, by going off line. Anticipating the summer load, however, he said, "We are barely scratching through."
In other business:
– Robert Vodzack, WAPA chief financial officer, presented the authority's final 2003 audit from KPMG, an unqualified audit. This year, he said, along with the individual audits for the Water and Power Divisions, a joint audit was prepared, consisting of a management discussion and analysis which summarizes the other two audits in lay terms.
Bruno said he was pleased to have the audit. He said WAPA had been "tasked" by Government House to submit the audit by mid-February so that the administration can complete its own single audit.
– Bruno commented on plans for the utility's St. Thomas administration building. He suggested locating the customer service center to a central location in downtown Charlotte Amalie so as to relieve overcrowding in the Sub Base building. He said the work environment could be improved by other offices utilize the vacated space.
– The board approved Bruno's request to modify the amount of a proposed bond issue and the related capital improvement projects to be financed, due to the need for additional funds for critical capital projects for system reliability and planned new power generation.
– The board deferred discussion of Unit 22 on St. Thomas to an executive session because of what officials said were possible legal issues that could arise from the discussion.
Attending the meeting were board members Burke, Alphonso Franklin, G. Luz James Sr., Licensing and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Andrew Rutnik and Attorney General Iver Stridiron. Claude A. Molloy Sr. left the meeting shortly after it started for another appointment, and Housing Parks and Recreation Commissioner Ira M. Hobson and William Lomax were absent.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
