Breaking

9-Year-Old Boy Dies After Being Shot in Head in Croixville Housing Community; Police Detain 15-Year-Old

Concerned Residents Clean Christiansted Town Using Their Own Tools, Money, and Some Help from the VI Fire Service

Territory May See Veterans Cemetery Through DeGazon-Sponsored Bill

Credit and Debit Cards of WAPA Customers Were Compromised Since August 30th, WAPA Says, Authority to Finally Start Issuing Notification Via Mail and Email

Sports Tourism in VI Gains Momentum as DC United Team is set to Play Exhibition Soccer Game on St. Croix

Carnival Breeze Brings 3,700 Tourists to St. Croix During Maiden Call; Senators, Tourism Officials Want to See More

Limetree Bay Willing To Provide $10 Million To Help Add Life to a Dying G.E.R.S.

American Airlines to Serve St. Croix With New Flights Next Summer

The Sudden Death of Influential Roots Reggae Visionary, Vaughn Benjamin of Midnite Band and Akae Beka, Has Rocked the Virgin Islands and Reggae Community Around the World

Arthur A. Richards K-8 School Hosts Anti-Bullying Campaign

Come Out. Hang Out. Have Fun at The Meat Up, One of St. Thomas’ Latest Hot-Spot for Good Food with Friends and Family.

UVI Board of Trustees Approves $47.1 Million Fiscal Year 2020 Budget; Sets $3 Million Fundraising Goal

Man Dies During Early Morning Car Accident on St. Croix; Driver of Car Arrested (Updated)

'You Did Everything You Could to Prevent this from Happening': An Emotional Goodbye to Young Aaron Benjamin

Back in Business: Cost U Less on St. Thomas Opened its Doors Friday to Thousands of Customers 2 Years after Irma and Maria

Bill Aimed at Regulating Credit Use by Gov't Departments and Agencies Among Others Held in Committee

Juan Luis Hospital Announces Completion and Availability of Mobile Dialysis Facilities

Tractor Trailer With Tank Carrying Thousands Of Gallons of Liquified Gas Flips Near Cool Out Bar; Driver Injured But Alive

Credit and Debit Card Hack Through WAPA Appears to be Widespread in Virgin Islands; WAPA Says Support Services Will be Made Available to Affected Customers

Facing Life in Prison Without Parole, Mother and Boyfriend Plead Not Guilty in Murder of 4-Year-Old Boy

With Half A Billion Dollars For USVI At Stake, Senate Will Host Session On Thursday

News / Politics / Virgin Islands / November 28, 2017

With $500 million in low-interest loans already approved for the Virgin Islands Government through federal disaster relief funding, there’s only one action remaining before the first drawdown — $300 million, according to Governor Kenneth Mapp — becomes available, and that’s ratifying a measure that ascertains repayment to the federal government.

The senators first met on the matter and a slew of other measures forwarded to the body by the governor a week ago, but lawmakers delayed all action. Instead, senators will meet on Thursday and are expected to move quickly on ratifying the agreement between the GVI and the federal government.

Speaking during his press briefing on Monday, Mr. Mapp urged the senators  to pass the measure, Bill No. 17-0844, stating that delays come with consequences. “I’m mot making that comment as any criticism, I”m just giving you the reality of what’s happening,” he said.

According to the transmittal letter from Government House to the Legislature, the first measure would authorize the G.V.I. to enter into an agreement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which would pave the way for the G.V.I. to receive hundreds of millions of dollars in FEMA community disaster loans. Congress recently approved $500 million in low-interest FEMA community disaster loans for the G.V.I., but because the funds are loans, the local government must agree to pay those funds back and, as in any debt obligation deal, provide collateral — which in the G.V.I.’s case is usually Gross Receipt Taxes or Matching Fund remittances (rum cover over). In order for the Mapp administration to enter into such an agreement with FEMA, the Senate must approve.

Another measure, dubbed the Virgin Islands Source Separation Act, would require residents to start separating their wastes before they are removed by the Waste Management Authority and its contractors. The belief is that once the separation of waste occurs, off-island companies with an interest in waste would see value in purchasing the territory’s refuse, as the waste would have already been separated.

A third bill would authorize and appropriate $9 million to fund the completion of phase two of the Frederiksted Economic Revitalization Project (Paul E. Joseph Stadium). Mr. Mapp has proposed $6 million from the proceeds of the Limetree Bay Terminals bitumen project; $2 million from the Community Facilities Trust Account; and $1 million from the St. Croix Capital Improvement Fund.

Mr. Mapp also forwarded a bill that would amend the Virgin Islands Horse Racing Industry Assistance Act of 2010 to include anti-doping provisions, a territorial horse racing commission, and to allocate revenues. Two zoning measures — one to authorize the dredging and maintenance of Krause Lagoon and the Cross Channels on St. Croix to return to operating depth of -36ft, and another to allow the entire marine terminal in Gallows Bay to come into compliance with the Costal Zone Management Act, and to authorize the demolishing and reconstruction of the 3,010 square-foot arrival building — were also forwarded to the body, along with another measure called the “Virgin Islands Beverage Container Recycling Act”.

 

Correction: Nov. 30, 2017

A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that members of the 32nd Legislature were to meet for a session on Wednesday. While the senators met on Wednesday, it was for a Committee of the Whole hearing. The session will be held on Thursday, Nov. 30. 


Tags: , ,



Staff Consortium




Previous Post

Fresh From Washington, Mapp Expresses Optimism, But $7.5 Billion Request Not A Certainty

Next Post

Second Annual Storytelling Academy Launches Jan. 2018





You might also like

Leave a Reply


More Story

Fresh From Washington, Mapp Expresses Optimism, But $7.5 Billion Request Not A Certainty

ST. CROIX -- After spending two weeks on the U.S. mainland, at least half of which was spent in the nation's capital, Governor...

November 28, 2017