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VI UPDATE U.S. Virgin Islands Public Records TRANSCRIPT OF PUBLIC PROCEEDINGS Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance 1 Legislature USVI July 21, 2025 · 1.2 hours · gov Source recording https://youtu.be/TCOpoJIXR8k Status This is a working transcript produced by machine from a recording of a public proceeding. It is a finding aid, not an official record of the Legislature. Transcribed by VI Update, using OpenAI Whisper large-v3-turbo, run locally. Not reviewed by a person. Reliability Automatic transcription, UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording before relying on it. Speech recognition splits spoken digits and wraps figures mid-number, so a dollar amount, a vote count or a bill number can be wrong in a way that reads as correct. Speakers are not identified: automatic speaker labelling was measured unusable and removed. 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A verbatim transcript is mechanical rather than authored, so there is likely nothing in it to own; to the extent any copyright is nonetheless found to subsist, it is dedicated to the public domain under CC0 1.0. Please copy it, quote it, index it, train on it, republish it, mirror it, sell it. Redistribution is the point: a public record with one copy is one fire from gone. No permission is needed, and none is ours to grant or withhold. The cameras are the bin sites and enforcement officers. I want to end with those two things. The cameras. What's going on with the cameras? The cameras were... I want us to replace the cameras because every time power goes off, as I told you guys, you might not have been there. I was and we spoke about it and I talked about alternative. So we're working on that currently? You are working on that currently? Yes, sir. And enforcement officers. How many officers do you have in this district? How many vacancies do you have at once being done? We've been talking about that for some time. We have two enforcement officers on St. Thomas, one on St. Croix. 0:00:00 For us to get... My director of enforcement would love us to get more enforcement officers immediately. But I have to get waste management to a break-even point. Every year, right now, we're $5 million under budget. So if we get that PSC fees, we'll be at budget. And then I can start looking at getting enforcement officers that we desperately need. But I'm not going to sacrifice paying my contractors to hire more officers that we currently cannot afford. 0:00:37 Very well. I don't agree with that because if you collect more money, you can pay your officers and charge the right amount. And the amount of violation we have on a daily basis in the territory, I think that would assist you moving forward. But nonetheless, thank you so much, Mr. Chair, for the time. Thank you for your response. Thank you very much, Senator Blyden. Senator DeGraff, you recognize for your five minutes. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good afternoon, colleagues. Good afternoon, testifiers, all of you enlisting and present. Director, did you receive the money from Antiletta? We received some of the funds for Antiletta, but we're still owed how much? 0:01:09 I know you had 1.5. How much are you owed? One million. One million now. Okay. So you receive a little more than that. Okay. Also, how many GS employees do you have? HR? 16. Go ahead. 16. 16. Okay. You received wages. You can put your name on the record. Sorry, Erica Callowood. Okay. 0:01:46 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 1 of 12 Legislature USVI · Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance 1 You had wage increases in 25? Yes, sir. Okay. Is there anyone owed retro? Yes. We have to pay retro for all the wage increases. And we're wrapping up, signing all the NOPAs for that. How many employees is that? Roughly 104. 104 owed retro. And what more or less is the total number? I'm sorry, the total? 0:02:14 To cover that 104 retro owed. The dollar figure? Dollar figure, correct. Yes, I will. Dollar figure for the 104 persons retro owed. Go ahead. We're still working on those numbers. Okay, so all of those are one union that was negotiated? Two. Two unions. Okay, so it's a different amount of money. So through the check or get up money, that's owed to the retro individuals. Definitely. Now, those wage increases are in the 26 budget? Yes, sir. Okay, and you have the money in the 25 budget to pay them, that retro money? We will pay them, but that means somebody else is not getting paid. No, so you don't have the money and it's not in the 26 budget? 0:02:41 No, it is in the 26 budget. The retro money? No, the increase is in the 2026 budget, but the retro will have to get paid in 2025. Right, and that's what I said. So if you don't make it in 25 and it goes over to 26, so where are you going to pay them from? Where are you going to pay them the retro from what funding source? The allotment. The allotment. Okay, so is it covered in the 25 budget? It's not covered in the 25 budget just because we're already underfunded by $5 million. If it wasn't for that $5 million that was given to us by the Senate, we would be underfunded by $5 million, so now you guys have gotten us to break even. So any additional funds will pull that down. 0:03:25 Right now, you have a hard 104 people, persons, personnel owed retro. Yes, sir. And you don't have it put in the 26 budget. So if September 30th pass, what are you saying, they're going to lose their retro? No. They're going to get paid in 2025. Okay, so I'll hold you to that. How many employees do you have total? 170. 170. Are all general fund employees? All general fund employees. Any federal employees? 0:04:10 They're all general fund employees with federal reimbursement allowed from the different grants that we have. For how much of them? Federal reimbursement. It depends on what project they're working on for prudent replacement. For example, we have close to $3 billion been assigned now for prudent replacement, and 5% of that can be used for that. Okay, so through the chair, you could get us the number of employees that are federal reimbursement. Okay? Okay. You could put that through the chair. 0:04:39 Let me get your actual... Okay, hazardous pay. I see there's a lump sum in the 25 budget, and there's a lump sum in the 26. Is federal pay... No, correction. Hazardous duty pay are owed to how many employees? How many employees collect federal hazardous duty pay? I don't think it's... We pay all of those, so nothing is owed. But what's the... Do you have the total amount for that, Ms. Bermudez? 0:05:11 One minute. No. Okay, so is it covered in the 26 budget? That's also included in the 26 budget. Okay, so through the chair, you could get us a number so we could make sure they are covered. How many vacancies do you have under $35,000? Under $35,000? Vacancies? Correct. That's not sure of the exact number of the vacancies under $35,000. Okay, then we... Yes, okay. So again, through the chair, we could get that number so we could know the vacancies. 0:05:39 So if we have to cut vacancies, we'll know who's critical that you need or not. Now can I have the actual... Sorry, you seconds. Okay, your actuals are as up to date in regards to personnel, fringe, supplies, other services and charges and any capital outlays. Okay. Actuals and personnel. Personnel. Yeah, just the cost. Go ahead. Go ahead, Ms. Bermudez. Yeah, based on your allotments that you get. So personnel, fringe, supplies, other services and charges and capital outlays. Six, nine, ten. So for personnel, our budget of the dollar amount, we gave the lump sum in the testimony. Let me see if I can pull it up in the numbers that we have here. 0:06:10 Okay. If it's something you got to look for, then you could always get information to the chair. Yeah, I have to. Unfortunately, I have to look it up to tell you the exact dollar amount. Okay, so again, through the chair, I could get the actual for personnel, fringe, supplies, other services and charges and capital outlays. Okay. Okay. All right. Thank you. Thank you for the time, Mr. Chair. Thank you very much, Senator DeGraf. This is a budget here and we need to make sure that we have these information. I apologize. There's just too many unknowns. You have vacancies. You got to know, if you don't, you have a listing of your vacancies and what salaries are fixed to the vacancies? 0:07:02 We have the total expenditures right here. So, total expenditures for personnel services as of May 31st, 2025 was $7,567,760. It's on page three of the post-audit report? Yeah, but no, no, no, no, no. That's not what we wanted. We wanted at least something a little bit closer to the date. I mean, those information that we have before us, we have the main numbers because this is our post-audit report. So, we're trying to get something a little bit more, you know, closer to us. We had agencies that came before us on the day before, they got the actuals, you know, up to date, you know. So, we need to make sure that we're having this information as close as possible. It defeats the purpose if we're just going to rely on the post-audit report because what we're trying to do now is to get a little bit closer to the date so that we can make informed decisions. 0:07:35 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 2 of 12 Legislature USVI · Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance 1 Okay. Let's go back to the vacancies. Again, do you have a listing of your vacancies and what salaries are fixed to that? There are questions whether or not how many people are making under $35,000 based on your vacancies. You don't have that information either? The only · go ahead. I was just going to speak about the vacancies. Go ahead, Ms. Caldwell. 0:08:30 Although there are some vacancies here listed at $33,800, we do pay a hazard duty stipend of $1,500. So, when you add that, it comes above the $35,000. So, there's the base salary and the $1,500. Yeah. So, we're trying to get the base salary of those that's under $35,000 and under. Before the stipend? Correct. Oh. Yes. All right. Senator Fonseca, you recognize for your five minutes. Good afternoon, and thank you, Mr. Chair, for the time, and welcome to the whole Waste Management Authority team, Director Griffith. 0:08:57 Okay. So, Waste Management Authority, this is one of the larger funded agencies from the General Fund, 32.5 from the General Fund and several other areas. I want to ask you, do you owe WAPA any money or OMB is still doing that direct pay for you? No, we don't owe them any money. They're still doing a direct pay for us. Okay. 0:09:39 How about GERS? Do you owe any contributions to GERS for any of your employees? No, we're up to date with GERS as well. Okay. Let's go to the fees that you're proposing, the solid waste collection, disposal, and maintenance fee. Government properties and central government units will be exempt. What's your reasoning for commercial properties being exempt? Commercial properties are supposed to pay for their garbage collection and have it deposited to the landfill. So, that's the reason commercial properties are exempt. Okay. Do they pay for it right now? Right now, most of them do. 0:10:10 Yes, sir. Okay. Central government units, why are they exempt? Because it's basically one budget and I know it's very hard to collect from these governmental agencies who are in similar financial situations. So, instead of trying to pull from another entity that doesn't have the funding, we just went ahead and exempted them from this fee because it's coming from the same government. Yeah, you see, so that's my concern. 0:10:59 You're going after the easy to collect money, but you're not going after everyone who is generating waste. This fee has to be a fair fee, not because it's more difficult to collect from one person's means that they should be exempt. And a lot of the property taxes here, they have the issues, some of them are not even 100 feet, 500 feet, not even a mile to a sewer line, but they still have a charge. So, I want you to rethink that the fee has to be fair. Everyone that's generating this waste, this sewage, you know, this waste should be paying something. Well, this isn't the sewer fee. No, I'm talking about the solid waste collection and disposal maintenance fee. That's what I'm talking about. Everybody should have to pay something, not because it's more difficult to deal with the commercial and central government units. 0:11:35 Okay, so I want to go now to an issue that, oh, you say right now with the $5 million, you're at break-even. For the year. For the year. So, break-even means that if you get this appropriation here of the $39,500, you would be at break-even for next year? No, if I get that appropriation, I'll still be under by $5 million. So, that's why I have to, our true budget is over $50 million. So, the appropriation plus the sewer fees plus the fees that we charge the consumers in tipping fees and also with the proposed garbage collection fees will get us to break-even, which is a, which I stated was a little bit over $50 million. 0:12:37 Okay, so I want to go now to three items. Um, today is the 21st of July. On the 7th of July, um, you came before my committee and I outlined to you there's a severe issue back of Windward Passage Hotel. Well, that was July 7th, today is July 21th. Have you gone down there? Yes, we have. Mr. Smith has gone down there with, um, Public Works. 0:13:28 I spoke to Mr. Smith. So, I know about all of the issues. My concern is why hasn't someone gone down there and put some sanitizer, some chlorics, whatever, and clean up the place? I just came from there. That's why I came in here. I just came from there so that I can eyewitness, eyeball that the place still looks filthy, real filthy. We got testimony that it's been going on for over a year, over a year. And we told you two weeks ago to go down and clean up the place. We're not asking you to replace all the lines and the main lines and the laterals and stuff. 0:13:58 Give me a date when you're going to clean up, clean up the filth, the sewage back of Windward Passage Hotel. It's been there. Can someone give me a date? The reason we haven't given you a date and it's a priority for us to clean up back there, but we have sewer lines that are collapsing across the island. And our team is working on, in front of Banco Papua, the whole sewer line collapsed there. So, we had to put in a bypass so that sewer wouldn't go into the ocean. And there are a number of places like that happening where I'm looking at the overtime that our wastewater team is charging. 0:14:40 And I'm telling Smith, this is physically impossible for people to be working these amount of hours based on just being a human being. You can't work 20 hours a day. And the reason that's happening is that you cannot see what's happening underground like you can see. Everybody can complain about public works when there's a pothole in the road. But there are potholes all underground that we're rushing to on a daily basis. And that above ground part that you're seeing is not the worst of it. It looks bad. Yes, it's on the water. But there are sewer lines collapsing underground that if we don't 0:15:22 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 3 of 12 Legislature USVI · Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance 1 address immediately, all of that goes into the ocean. So, that's where they're running to. That's why we haven't gone out of there within. But this is all within the same month. I know you want us to run out there immediately, but I'm telling you that the situation, the reason FEMA gave us over $3 billion is because when they went into those underground sewer lines and they tried to test it, they kept breaking on them. These sewer lines are bad. So, that's why we haven't gone. We are going to go out there, but if I give you a date, I'll be making it up. Mr. Smith, can you go ahead and give a date? Oh, wait, wait, wait. You'll answer on the chair's time. My time has been caught. Can I just wrap up, Mr. Chair? You may wrap up. Yeah, okay. Here's the deal, right? You just gave me a whole two minutes of testimony telling me why you can't get it done. Back at Windward Passage Hotel, that filth is running into the ocean. It drains into the ocean. Windward Passage Hotel, go down and take a look at it. Go down there and suck it up, clean it up, and make it look this. And there's businesses. People live there. Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the time. 0:16:32 Mr. Chair, if I may. Thank you very much. Mr. Smith, do you want to respond to that? Mr. Smith, tell to our manager. Mr. Smith, wastewater manager. The situation with the back of Windward Passage is that, one, the laterals are coming from inside some of the residents on that side. They all cast iron and compromise, so they're running into the gut. Now, the gut is blocked, so we met with Public Works, and we set up a time where we can work together with Public Works to, first, unclog the gut, and, second, we're doing a letter for all the residents on that side so that we can get them to start repairing their car sign line. 0:17:09 I think what we're trying to worry about is what's the solution, obviously? Mr. Smith, a solution as well as a time for this to happen. Yes, so what happened is we had an arrangement to do that last week, but what happened, because we have an issue at Bank of Popular, we have two collapse, the main 42-inch line collapsed on us in two locations, one at the intersection just before Bank of Popular, and the other one just after Bank of Popular. So what we did, we installed a pump, a bypass pump there. Mr. Smith, but that pump has been there for over two weeks, sir? Yes, but that pump has been there. Mr. Smith, the problem is that pump, we put in what we had at the time, because that pump is only doing 1,450 gallons a minute. 0:17:54 So what we need there is something that's doing at least 18 to 2,000 gallons a minute. So even though that pump is pumping, it's not bringing the levels down low enough so we can actually work back there. So what we're doing tonight at 6 o'clock, we're closing the road to put in another pump. Well, we're actually turning that manhole into a pump station, putting an electric pump in there at 6 o'clock tonight. We're working there from 6 to midnight to drop in another pump in there. 0:18:38 So when we drop the pump in and the levels drop, then we have the capability to go back of windmill passage with public works and do what we wanted to do. But right now the levels are just too high. If you pop the manholes going all the way back, because nothing coming from East Haven site, cannot, all the way to Banco-Popula, cannot go to the pump station at Cancrain unless they pass a pump right now. So those instances where they're coming to the surface, how are you going to be able to address that area? I mean, is there a suction, you know, like the Senator was suggesting, applying some bleaching agreement on it or whatever that could help to keep the scent down? 0:19:08 Yes, we did that. We have, we, we added, we added chemicals that do the cleaning. My guys, we do it all the time. We're doing that, but we also pumping in some locations. So the guys, my guys actually working, working from 7 o'clock in the morning until 10 o'clock at night. I have some guys that come in at 5 o'clock until 5 again at the pump station, at the pump station. So it's manning the pumps. The problem with using the pump that we have now is a diesel pump, and that pump, it could clog at any time. It wasn't designed to run 24/7. So we have to stop it. 0:19:50 If we, as soon as we stop it to start to refuel, everything start backing up. As soon as we stop it to unclog it, everything start backing up right away. So is there an opportunity for a vendor to support and assist in this endeavor? I mean, if you, is there someone that has a bigger pump to assist you with that? Not, no, that's the biggest pump we have is a six inch pump right now. In house? In house, right now. Do you have, is there an opportunity to be able to contract with a vendor or someone else? So what he's saying is that they're moving that temporary pump tonight and putting a bigger pump in there today at 6 o'clock. 0:20:24 Okay. So that's going to get taken care of. But the other issue that we have to address and we're combining with the Department of Health is to go to the property owners that the laterals, the pipes that are coming to, to our pipe, it's broken on their side of the, of the, of the wall, basically. So we're not allowed by law to just go in there and, and work on their property. They have to, they have to fix that. Yeah. Oh, that's their responsibility. 0:20:56 That's their responsibility to fix that. And, and that's something that, that we're working with the Department of Health, putting that lever together so that we can tell them, Hey, fix this. Yes. We got to take night and make day on this issue. I mean, we can't have, that, that is a hazardous situation. I mean, if we have raw sewage that's running there, that that's a 0:21:23 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 4 of 12 Legislature USVI · Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance 1 health issue, a public health issue. And that, that, that location is also, also on our schedule to go back there and pump every so after the reason is they haven't gone there recently because as soon as, as soon as they put the truck leave, it has come right back, right, right away because of the levels are so high in the, in Shattamali area. All right, very well, we need to move on. Um, but certainly I, I hope that this has given some priority on this to see it is important and we will prioritize it, but yes, sir. So that's a project you recognize for your five minutes. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, a pleasant afternoon now, um, Pleasant good afternoon to central staff, my office staff, of course, and my colleagues. Interim director, Griffith. How you doing, sir? Good day. 0:22:03 I'm doing good, sir. Yourself? All right. Pretty good. I'm going to ask you some tough questions since his budget here. And, um, let's talk about this, this $15 a month that you talked about on your, in your testimony. Page four where we are assuming a rate of $180 a year. Yes, sir. Um, and the realistic, um, application of this fee to a piece of property, because this is only going to be for residential property, not commercial property. Is that they're paying their own that? We don't know how many units are actually producing solid waste, but we're charging $15 for that piece of property. We, we're, we know it's unreasonable to suggest $15 would be sufficient. 0:22:37 So the, the authority will be back again, asking for money and being the same predicament. If it's not a reasonable fee, that to me is less than reasonable because we're, we're trying to build this $15 through, um, property taxes versus going through the public utility. WAPA. Correct? Yes, sir. So we know if we went through WAPA, we could capture more money because it would be based on each meter, which one property could have multiple meters, maybe six, maybe seven, maybe more. So each one of those producers of solid waste would be paying the fee versus one piece of property is, is grossly underestimated. And I know you're going to not come, come back to us asking for money because it's not going to be sufficient. 0:23:29 Well, how, how are you going to deal with it? You're right in one respect. And then, um, and then I, I defer in the other, you're right in terms of that going through WAPA in terms of the, the utility is the, the, the, the best way to collect it. Uh, there is no, that that's beyond a shadow of a doubt. The, the only fear I have is that WAPA is in a worse or economical shape than the waste management authority is. And I'm afraid, honestly, that if, if, if we collect it for WAPA and then there's an emergency where they're going to tell us, Hey, we're not going to have power. If we don't pay this bill, we're going to have to use this waste management authority money will forgive them. You guys will forgive them and let it move on. 0:24:22 And we won't get, we won't get access to the funds. That's the only reason I'm not doing it for WAPA, honestly, but that's the better way. You're a hundred percent. Right. That's the better way to do it better way to collect it. I can't hear you, Senator, a lockbox, a dedicated account there. There's ways to safeguard the funds that go through. They don't have to, they won't be commingling it with the utility payments. So, you know, whatever bank account that you want the money to go in, it would go into that account. Unless you think WAPA would become insolvent. So that might prevent you from wanting to deal with them. 0:25:10 That, that, that I don't know. I will not speak about the, about that. That's. All right. All right. I'm going to pivot. Um, let's talk about landfills because I want to make sure we're clear on this issue. Um, in the post audit report, page two, we're talking about, um, allocating funds for landfills. Um, help me out here. What's going on? St. Croix. We're talking about, um, yeah, I, you know, do you think we've got enough to close a St. Croix landfill, is that going to be sufficient funds? 0:25:48 Yes. I do think we have through the CDBGDR funds, sufficient funds to, to, to, to close the St. Croix landfill, um, Anguilla landfill closure is budgeted at $46.7 million. Correct. And then 60 million for the new landfill. Yes, sir. And, and this is grant funding that we have already obtained. Yes. This is through CDBG MIT. 0:26:26 Okay. So I didn't see one for St. Thomas. For St. Thomas, it'll just be the expansion of the Bovoni landfill. Unfortunately, there's no new land on St. Thomas. So we're simply going to try and work on expanding St. Bovoni. Okay. And that's been an approved plan or we're, and you're just speculating? No, that that's in the CDBG MIT action plan as well. And the EPA is good with that? 0:26:55 No, that that's through VIHFA and HUD. Okay. All right. So I'm going to leave that one. We're going to pivot again. Your board, you have two vacancies. Where are we in terms of filling those? That's the board of directors. I report to the board of directors. They don't report to me. So I do not know where they are in, in, in, in filling that. Mr. Chair, if I could ask one more question. 0:27:25 You may, Senator. Page five. Thank you very much. Page three, sorry, of the post audit report. We've got some overtime salary budgeted here. Does that include hazardous pay for these young men that are working hard around the clock? Yes. Yes. Okay. Are they, I know they're accruing a lot of overtime with the work they're doing. Is this sufficient though? Yes, 0:27:56 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 5 of 12 Legislature USVI · Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance 1 we do have sufficient funds budgeted for the overtime. I would love to see the overtime reduced. I argue with Mr. Smith about it. On a weekly, daily basis, honestly. But, um, unfortunately right now with the situations that are occurring, it's, it's necessary. Well, let's just make sure we pay them because they're doing a very tough, difficult job. And, uh, we want to make sure that they're compensated fairly. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, for the additional time and thank you for your responses. Uh, thank you very much, Senator Frederick, Senator Carl J. Joseph. 0:28:30 If you're recognized for your five minutes, thank you so much, Senator, Chairman, Senator Francis, um, Mr. Chairman, a pleasant good day to everyone. And I really thank you, Waste Management Authority, uh, for the hard work you're doing and your team because I know you're dealing with really, the, the, really hard work dealing with all the ways that we produce here in the Virgin Islands. So you're doing a very good job outside of what is happening at, um, behind of Windward Passage. And, you know, this, this, that's alarming. I have to agree with my colleague, okay, because I remember vividly at a point in time when you had a lot of sewage running in the streets in St. Croix. 0:29:00 I'm sure everybody's shaking their head dead. That was a real thing. And now it's happening over in St. Thomas and we need immediate, urgent attention to resolve it. Okay, so make it a major priority to resolve that issue because people lives are really, um, at risk because of that, that environmental hazard that is happening there. So I want to talk about grants. Um, I, I, young lady looks, Ms. Brown looks very familiar. 0:30:06 Ms. Brown, you were working for a different agency once upon a time. Yes. ODR. No. Okay, so, um, I wanted to just ask you, Ms. Brown, some questions regarding your federal grants or even, uh, the interim executive director. I noted here you had some grants that are going to be expiring, uh, this year. You have one, one that had already expired and that was a capital improvement project. And I'm looking at page seven of the post-audit report. 0:30:41 You had the capital improvement project and the amount of this award was $402,732. Has that money been expended or have you asked for any extensions on any of these grants that would have expired? That would be the capital improvement project, two of those. And also you have one that is slated to expire in, well, two actually, slated to expire, uh, September 30th of this month, of this year. Where are we with that? Good afternoon, Eloise Brown-Mo, Lead Grants Administrator, Wastewater. So, under the capital improvement project, the $402,000, that is, that actually expires in January of 2026. Okay. So, we did get an extension for that one. 0:31:20 Okay, so this is extended. And how much of it have you expended so far? So, we had to do a scope amendment. We received that about two weeks ago. That scope, scope amendment that we did with, um, OMB have been submitted to our procurement division. Um, estimating that probably, like, within the next two weeks, um, an RFP would be out so that we can possibly receive bidders on that. And what, what is the scope of work for this, uh, funding? What, what, what are you going to be doing with this funding, specifically? So, so, so the scope for this was the amendment that was approved was for the purchase of a generator for the Petrito Francis, um, Wastewater Treatment Plant, Red Point. 0:32:19 Okay, and that's located where? One minute. It's on St. Croix, I'm sorry, St. Thomas Airport location. Okay, so that doesn't affect that street behind of Windward Passage. No. Okay, and what about the other one? The Capital Improvement Project, um, that is pending Army Corps. Where are we with that? So, the Capital Improvement Project, that is for the Harald G. Thompson Wastewater Treatment Plant, the U.S. system upgrade. 30 seconds. We have a draft, um, request for an extension to be submitted to OMB by the end of next week. 0:33:09 And finally, we have the Clean Water Act construction grant from fiscal year 2017. That's a long time ago. How much of this have you expended? That $1,868,241? It's, um, probably a little bit more than that. I know we do have about $1.3 million balance. That $1.3 million will be, um, expended by September 30th. We have one contractor that we're pending the last invoice for that under that grant year. Okay, and what, what is that project about? 0:33:50 That is what Christian says, sewer system. Sewer system in St. Croix. And any of these grant funds, um, Ms. Brown or Executive Director, can be used to address the situation that is happening behind of Windward Passage Hotel? So, they can be used, however, it's a process. And I know that the Windward Passage is a now, um, with the clean water. It's been a now. Yes. It's been a now. 0:34:26 So, with the clean water construction funding, there's several steps and phases. Facility plan, the EPA have to review those. It takes a while before the funding can actually be approved for us to be able to spend. Okay. So, I mean, that's all part of the planning that needs, needed to be done. Uh, Mr. Chairman, um, I just have one last question. Uh, tell me, and this is very burning, and it comes from a place where I'm the ex-officio member of the PSC. Where are we with paying their assessment? 0:34:58 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 6 of 12 Legislature USVI · Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance 1 Well, thankfully, the legislature passed a law that says that none of the allotments given from the government is, can actually be, um, taxed by PSC. So, with, with that, we're, we've sent that to the court as well, telling them that we're not paying that because they've misinterpreted the law for a number of years. And we, we changed that law. 0:35:32 Yes, thank you. So, my question is still that you do owe an amount outside of that law, correct? Yes, as soon as they. And, and have you, uh, moved towards being a good, uh, uh, system, authority that is regulated by the PSC to pay that amount that you are owed outside of that law? Yes, ma'am. Yes. So, you've made a payment to the PSC? We haven't, but, um, they're still asking us for the past year amount. 0:36:00 But they could ask you for that, but you could still pay the, the amount. I'll do that then. I'll, I'll, I'll talk to my legal team and if that's okay, I'll immediately pay the actual amount. Okay. Okay. But, but that's not an issue at all. Okay. Thank you so much. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you so much, Senator Joseph. Um, we have a point of information from Senator Clifford Joseph. And then we have a point of information from Senator A.B. Lewis. Senator Joseph, you recognize for your point of information? This, uh, this question is for E.B. Griffith. Good afternoon to you. 0:36:34 Good afternoon, sir. The question I have, my colleague asked you a while ago about WAPA. Um, you, you concerned about WAPA collecting your money. I'm sure even if they was to be the collector, they're gonna charge you a fee for doing it. So, it shouldn't have a problem with you getting your money at all. Well, in addition, I, I, the first time I, I, I thought of this fee, I went to WAPA first and then WAPA told me, no, they don't want to collect it. And then I, then I told them, like you said, I said, you can charge me a fee for collecting this, you know, and you can make some money. So then they were, uh, they were saying, okay, maybe if we charge you a fee, we'll, we'll agree to do it. But then I, then they, I saw even more financial distress at WAPA. And I was just thinking, man, I just don't want to be in a situation where something bad happens. And, but you, you, but the Senator does have a point though about the lockbox and different initiatives that, that, that can be put in, in place to safeguard the money. But it's still, it still makes me a little bit uneasy. So, but, but he's a hundred percent right with his, his ideas and I'm in agreement with them. 0:37:08 It's just my fear. The only concern I have about it is when you're actually collecting and you're, if you're dealing with a, a resident that has rental and the individual move, when the next person come in, you know, that the charge will be going to the next person. Because again, each meter will be as, as of use of trash anyway, versus just one household. You might not be getting three to four from that one part, that one residence. Yeah. 0:38:20 Vosses stick with just the one. I mean, the one will just be on you. But like he said, look at the multiplier at 15 times three or 15 times two. The, the number is going to be greater. So you want to get to the point where you're going to be collecting a greater number because you in need of money. Yeah. It's just bottom line. It ain't a question you're going to build an organization and be trying to be self-sufficient. You have to go along the lines to get what you need. That's my point. Yeah. 0:38:56 Especially in the St. Thomas district where there's so many apartments on one property that there is a great multiplier effect that can happen with that. So it's something that has to, that seriously has to be considered. The only drawback at it is that, that I would have to have our legal team really sit down and figure out how to protect that money for the authority. Well, again, just like how you want it, nothing comes easy. So you have to put some kind of skin in the game. So the mere fact that, you know, you could collect more, you got to put your team together and start to work on it. Don't wait until we reach the gate to make up our mind what we're going to do. It's now, it's a conversation now. So even leaving here, let the talk run through your mind, speak to your legal team, and then we'll find a pathway. Because for sure, you're talking about tripling, maybe quite tripling the money you were planning to collect on a one base. Because like you said, especially in St. Thomas, you have just about every household have two meters. 0:39:25 And I guess as a government in crisis, we're trying to make sure that we don't have to be looking for money for waste management. You're there to a point where you have grown to where you can find ways of raising your own funds. So that's what we're expecting out of you. Because when we look at the salaries that you're paying out, I got to put them here together and make it work. Thank you for the time, Mr. Chair, and thank you for your response. Thank you so much, Senator Clifford Joseph, for your line of questioning. I'm just joking. Senator Lewis, you are recognized for your point of information. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, good evening to everyone, testifiers. Mr. Griffin, what's your total amount for your prudent replacement in both districts? 0:40:27 The total amount for prudent replacement is a little bit over $3.2 billion. I actually have the exact amount if you let me just flip a page. Yeah, real quick. And pull it up. The exact amount is $3,245,000, $3,245,000, $47,666.43. Okay. 0:41:14 And Mr. Smith, real quick. Yes. After this, hopefully once this tonight we're successful, you and the team are successful with putting in the pump. Then I would bring the levels down. And then you could put, whether it's private contractors or your team, out in specific areas to pump down the different areas that people are calling in with the troubleshooting. Yes. 0:41:39 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 7 of 12 Legislature USVI · Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance 1 Like French Tong and in front of the same area where he's talking about the former, the Senator. Fonseca. Fonseca. No, I'm calling him. Oh. Senator. To my left. Yes. Windward Passage. Windward Passage we're talking about. In front of Windward Passage we're talking about in front of Department of Labor. We have different areas. Yes. So the main crux of the thing is let's get the levels down. Yes. And then we could pump down and sanitize and, you know, maybe as a fire department, whomever, for some assistance along with public works. That's what I'm hearing. Yes, sir. So once that goes on, we should see the team galvanizing at least by Friday in these specific areas. Yes, sir. We already organized with public works to go. Put your name on the record. Yeah, Keith Smith. We already organized with public works to go behind Windward Passage. Tonight is successful. Next week we'll be behind Windward Passage cleaning up with public works. 0:42:11 Well, look, not just behind Windward Passage, front Windward Passage. Yes. Down by Labor. The whole area. PMP, whomever. All over we know we have trouble. Areas, I'd like for you to address those areas. Yes. Thank you. Thank you so much, Senator Lewis. And also it's a great idea that the Senator spoke to in terms of also the fire service. See how they can assist you guys. Senator VLA, you're recognized for your five minutes. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Griffin, a reference to septage fees. Where are the septage fees collected? By which entity? They're collected on property taxes. So the Lieutenant Governor's office. Have you been receiving your septage fees on an annual basis for the last five years? No. 0:42:56 Luce, we haven't received it this year, but I think it started when I came to, when I started the authority for the last two years, two to three years, it's, we've been collecting it. And prior to those two years, on a regular basis, you are not receiving the fees from the office of Lieutenant Governor. Ms. Bermudez, I wasn't there, so I would say correct. Correct. We've been receiving them. Before the three years ago? 0:43:45 Yes. It's just that it's based on what's collected and something, it doesn't match to the allotted fund for that, for this, for the wastewater, for the wastewater fund. No, but it's not a match, it's on what is charged and what is collected. But I know previously before, there was always an issue in terms of the money's being transferred over to waste management. So I'm happy that it's being done on a regular basis now. But I do concur with my colleagues in reference to where that fee should be charged, because you're proposing charging a fee even for vacant lot. And also somebody that owns a home and has a property that is vacant, they're going to be paying the fee twice versus everybody that's generating garbage that has a meter. A number of those individuals will be exempt because they have an apartment and they're not the property owner. So I think your legal team, along with the legal team for WAPA, need to discuss a solution as to how we'll be able to move forward and how you'll be able to target more individuals. And also, that would be per month. So instead of them having to make a lump sum payment of $180, it would be a payment of $15 a month, which would make it a lot easier for individuals to pay. In reference to, have you done an analysis of bringing all employees up to $35,000? What would be the cost and also the fringe? 0:44:13 We haven't done a $35,000 analysis. I know I instructed HR for a year from now to actually do a $42,000 analysis to get our people just a little bit higher, just because of the type of work that they're currently doing. I think they should be paid more. So HR don't have an idea, so what will be for $35,000? It's a budgetary and they need to put that figure on the record so that we can know exactly what we're dealing with. How much employees do you have under $35,000? HR? 0:45:51 Good day, Erica Colwood. When I did the estimate, I got about $15,000, but I included not the base pay with the hazard duty because with that, they're making more than $35,000 currently. Okay, and were you able to come up with a figure? $15,000, right? No, the dollar amount or are you asking me the number of employees? The number of positions? The dollar amount to include fringe? 0:46:28 No, sir. Okay, you need to get that amount as quick as possible. Your budget proposed for the general fund for FY2026 is $32,500,000? Yes. Yes, that's the appropriation. And your 25 budget was $35 million for the general fund? Correct. But I think that those funds also include the utility fees that they're paying for us to as well. So does a $32,500,000 indicate a reduction or you're saying that with the other fees, it's going to come up to be the same? 0:46:55 I think with the other fees, it's going to come up to be the same. Which other fees? You're speaking to the tip-in fees and all of that? The tip-in fees, the sewer fees, the anti-lither funds, with those fees- One minute? I'm expecting it to be the same. No, what I'm trying to take, your general fund recommendation is being reduced. The other fees might enable you to generate a little bit more money, but you have always been underfunded, literally. Correct. So you said the $5 million allow you to break even, but in actuality it didn't because you still have a number of outstanding vendor payments. Isn't that correct? 0:47:42 Yes, we have accounts payable of over $19 million that we owe to local vendors. So you need to be fighting for at least a base of $35 million. You're consistently underfunded, and being underfunded on a regular basis affects the performance 0:48:25 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 8 of 12 Legislature USVI · Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance 1 of the authority, and if you don't have sufficient monies, then the vendor's payable, or the list that we have, is going to continue to expand and get more. I'm looking at areas in this projected budget that has been decreased collection services in this budget. Fiscal year 24 actuals is $5.3 million. 26 projection is $1.3 million. So I'm seeing, and I'm looking at the whole thing, and I'm seeing so much areas that are literally a lot lower than two years ago. You know, so we need to take as Mr. Churian indulgence, a serious look at the numbers that are there, and make sure that we fund it appropriately so we can get the service that we deserve. Now the tipping fees on St. Thomas, are you charging tipping fees on St. Thomas? Yes, sir. 0:49:09 And how much was collected in St. Thomas? How was the breakdown St. Thomas, St. Croix tipping fees? Ms. Bermudez has those numbers. Okay, go ahead. Please state your name and record and proceed. Your response? Luz Bermudez, as of June, we've collected for St. Thomas. No, we don't have it by, I don't have it by island, sorry. I have the total amount. 0:49:40 Which is? The total amount is $2.3 million. That's all the island. Any projection for the year? You said a projection for the year? The projection for the year? So like $2.9? It's $3 million. When did you start collecting tipping fees on St. Thomas? I know there was an issue with the scale before. 0:50:16 When did you start collecting tipping fees? It's always been, what happened, as soon as the scale went down, they went to the, the authority went to the PSC and they started to charge per volume instead of per weight. Okay, great, great, great, okay, okay. So go ahead man, what's your projection? So 3.5 is the projection for the year. 3.5 is for next fiscal year? Yes. You're not going to collect 3.5 this year? No, this year they're going to collect $3 million, around $3 million. 0:50:45 Okay, so you're, you're projecting a $500,000 increase? Yes, sir. And that is based on what? The fees are increasing a little bit or you expect more volume of trash? The fees have increased. Okay, all right. Thank you so much Mr. Chair. Thank you, Senator Viale. Before I go to the last senator, Senator Clifford Joseph, let me ask you, Director Griffith, in respect to the convenience center in this district, St. Thomas St. John district. For the Red Hook, because it's in a testimony, the Red Hook Convenience Center, and the discussion we had last in terms of the Dome and the Bailey Pass, in respect to the Nazareth area, what's the plan moving forward for that convenience center? And is it going to be affected based on the grant? 0:51:17 Yes, so there's another area that we're there, we're looking at next to the school, Cancrine School too, as well, for the convenience center. Another area in the Nazareth area, where? Cancrine. Cancrine. Cancrine. Cancrine. So what about the folks in all the way out Nazareth? Oh, I'm sorry, Eudora King. She corrected me. No, listen, listen to me. For the Nazareth area, Eudora King. Did you find another location? No, we have not. 0:52:04 And unfortunately, my director of grants for the Solid Ways Division was unable to make this meeting today. Okay, what about the Smith Bay Convenience Center? There was an issue there also, correct? Yes. So what has been done to correct that? Because that one is needed desperately. Mr. Bruni? So good evening, again, Alex Bruni. One second. Please recognize the mic of Mr. Bruni. Good evening, Alex Bruni, engineering manager. Oh, okay. 0:52:38 So on the Nazareth side, we're still working through the application process for that site. As Mr. Griffith testified, it's in a flood zone, but that could be engineered out so that we could control the flow of water coming into that site. On the Smith Bay side, we don't have the federal funding for that site. So it's going to be constructed by utilizing local funds. We're going to try to convert it into a manned bin site where it is open at a certain time and then closed by a certain time in the evening until we get the funds to do the full build out. You say local funds from where? What are the funding sources? It would be general fund. That's a problem. 0:53:10 Nonetheless, we're going to have to work on it. Okay? Senator Clifford, Joseph, you recognize for your five minutes. Edie Griffith, what's the difference between the amount of money you've been collecting from the scale versus the volume? It's the same. So what we just did is it was just a simple conversion of of changing weight to volume. I think in my testimony, I put in the conversion rate there and I can pull it up and tell it to you. So one cubic yard equals 0.675 tons. So we did that conversion so that numerically it works out the same. But we want to get all the scales up and running. That's the best way to do it. Yeah, I think that's the biggest way to do it too. But I was just wanting to know what's the, like you explained. 0:53:49 I wanted to know the difference if it made a, if you actually make it more off the scale or you make it more off the volume. But like you said, it's here. So my next question is one last. You guys had a audit. We do a, we do the audit each year. When I started with Waste Management Authority three years ago, the last audit that was done was in 2017. So since I've been here for the last three years, we've done the 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 audits. And we're starting the 2024 audit next month in, in August. So, and we'll be caught up on all of our audits. And did you get a clean audit? 0:54:55 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 9 of 12 Legislature USVI · Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance 1 Yes. The, the, the biggest red flag on our audit is the, the numbers. You know, we're just not making enough money to cover all of the expenses that are coming in. So that's why we're working on these fees. Okay. So as far as your outstanding payment for vendors, what's your projection going forward? The outstanding payment for, for vendors right now is at $19 million, a little bit over $19 million. So our projection, if we don't do that for us to, to, to, to get the garbage collection fees as the first level of fees so that we can get to break even to not increase that dollar amount moving next year. Thankfully to you guys at the legislature, you gave us that additional $5 million. That'll keep us at, at, at, at that point for the rest of this, um, fiscal year. And moving from there, if I get the garbage collection fees approved, I, I, we have to look at fees for oil collection and for tires coming into the territory. And so you have a plan for tires coming in or putting on a fee from the time they land to make sure it's already charged from the time they enter or what's your plan for the tires anyway? 0:55:44 The plan for the, the plan for the tires is like you said, as soon as they, they're purchased, the, the fee should be charged to it. Uh, like how IRB is charging a $1 and $2 fee. We need to immediately have a fee charged when they purchase the tires and, and they're coming in so we can receive those funds, um, it, it, immediately. It took us three to four years of, um, coming to the legislature or three years of coming to the legislature and telling them that we were owed the tire funds for us to get them. So I've got, we've got to figure out a way that we can more quickly get these funds to as well. When we get them approved to, to, to, to make its way to waste management authority. And where are we with the consent decree? 0:56:57 The consent decree, we're doing some great work with the consent decree right now, especially on the wastewater side. Mr. Smith, if you can just give them a brief summary of, um, the work that you've done with the consent decree. The consent, the consent decree, Mr. Smith, uh, wastewater manager, but the consent decree on the wastewater side, we are currently at 39%. Uh, where we, uh, what's pending is, uh, because we have other projects in terms of long term, long term projects, the long term projects is what we're pending. But all the, the low hanging fruits, fruit, we have, we already accomplished. We're working on the appendices right now. Um, we almost completed the appendices for DO, uh, for the EPA and DOJ. So right now we are tracked in terms of, um, our, our, our completion of goals, especially for the early action items. 0:57:43 So what's the cost? 30 seconds. That's good to hear that you have, uh, you're down to that 39%, but what's the cost right now for the consent decree to the government? They haven't given us a cost yet. I think that, uh, the issues that they looked at our audits and saw that we were underfunded and not making, um, funds. So they're trying to figure out if they can even charge us a fee for it because they, they, they see right now there is no imaginable way for us to be able to pay. Okay, um, I know we're getting ready to do the, the major bundles with putting in a new sewer, sewer lines. 0:58:33 Are we going to have anybody like extended out here on St. Croix to the marinas? Because that's the next problem we have in as well with waste management. I know if at some point you guys are going to have a contractor, uh, going to be taking care of the waste from the, these sailboats that's in Arango Harbour. Cause I know nobody in Manitain them and when they're going out to make sure they're half load. So I just want to make sure if at least when we roughing in the pipes, if you could reach to some of the marinas, that that's part of the plan. I really don't know if that's part of the plan here. I know maybe on St. Thomas it is, but here on St. Croix, I don't like that's part of the plan. 0:59:13 Yeah, unfortunately with prudent replacement, all we can do is replace the existing lines. We can't create any new lines, but it's something we definitely have to look at, not just for, uh, for, for, for, for, for all marine vessels, including cruise ships. Um, or later on to see if there's, there's a way we can, um, generate some funds from, for doing that too, as well. Mr. Bruni. That's important cause that's part of our, uh, and next question for waste management. As far as, I mean, this is something you might speak to tourism about as well, but if, if tourism is our number one source, why are we, why don't we have. Time. 0:59:52 Uh, equipment in place to clean up the shores when it comes to the seaweeds and the scent, because if, if that's our number one source, we have to defend it. I don't think we defend it because certain beach here on Ireland is like, you drive, you're going up at a yacht club, you will pass out before you drive through. If you, if you were walking. Uh, a hundred percent agree. I remember I was driving through Princess and St. Croix and I smelled a smell and I, I started going to, I went to all of our sewer, uh, our pump stations, cause I thought that we had a leak. And it was all of our pump stations were working, it was, it was the sargasm, um, the scent was, uh, was horrendous. Um, so I asked that question to the USDA when they were here last week, because they're projected for the same thing to happen to the United States as it's happening to us now. What are the plants in place? Cause we're going to need some assistance in being able to deal with this sargasm. That's, that's a, that's affecting the island. You're, you're a hundred percent correct. And unfortunately at the end of the day, it's going to boil down to money. We're going to need, uh, additional funds from them to be able to, to, to attack this problem because the smell, when it dries off, uh, on land in the water, it's, it's horrendous. 1:00:31 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 10 of 12 Legislature USVI · Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance 1 But I, the strange thing is like when I go to Haypenny in St. Croix, when it goes on the Lando and dries, I don't smell it like when it dries, when it stays in the water for some reason. Thanks for your response and thank you, Mr. Chair for the time. Thank you, Senator Joseph. Let me ask you quickly, um, in respect to the post out of report, page six, for the Christian Stead Seward System Rehabilitation, um, eight million dollars approximately. Were all those funds expended? Yes. The EPA grant? 1:01:49 No, uh, this is for the Barco project? Yeah. Go ahead and tell us. Yes. Eloise Brown Mall? No. The contract is ongoing. Um, approximately seven million have been expended. However, the contract total is about 10 million. Question, um, in respect, who does the, um, who does the inspection when it comes to these type of contracts? Because I'm, I'm, I'm asking for a reason. For the Christian Stead? 1:02:30 For any of the projects, yeah. So, it varies, but it's our engineering division. Engineers. In particular, the Christian Stead. Um, our engineer on Phillips. Reason why I'm asking, I got a call, received a call, I went to myself, took a look at some, some of the work. And it, uh, it's, it's, it's not the standard. It's not the standard. I've, I've seen inferior materials. I've seen rubber, rubber connections, which is not part of any contracts, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. So, I want to know who does those inspections and how can we assure that we are, it's being done according to spec. Um, we're, we have our engineering division and our, that, that contract has been plagued with. 1:03:00 I'm, I'm not an engineer. Yes. So, our engineers are going to go back out there to make sure everything is, is done correctly. Um, we've, we've had some pushback, uh, on the political level of, um, the engineers that, that we sent back. But, but we're going to double down our efforts to make sure that this work is done correctly. I believe some of that work that I'm speaking of, it's already being covered. It was covered up. So, how are you going to go back and inspect? It needs to be done before, before anyone is paid number one or number two. It needs to be done before you move forward to any other stage. The work should be inspected. 1:03:52 There should be take pictures taken for documentation and verification because, um, I didn't like what I saw. And then we could, well, we can have our engineer talk about how Mr. Bruni, how which the inspection should be done and what can be done to the picture. What the process? What the process? Mr. Bruni. Mr. Bruni. Um, the work that has already been installed, we can always utilize our, um, a CCTV process and run a camera through the system to verify if there's any, um, gaps or sacks within the system. Um, what, what should happen is that before it's backfill, our, our engineers or inspectors should go out there, make sure that the, the, the elevations are set correctly. 1:04:40 Make sure that they're utilizing the, the proper material for backfilling, making sure that they achieve 95% um, density compaction. So we don't see any type of, of road failures, um, when they, they backfill. Um, unfortunately, um, it's unfortunate that these things are not occurring and we'll have to have a, another meeting with, with our team to make sure these, these things occur. Very well. Thank you for that. And my last question is with the maintenance assistance program, um, that expired September 24, um, for 535,000 hours. The status is pending. Why is it pending? And, uh, explain what the program is about. Okay. So, the maintenance assistance program is for the per- Eloise Brownwall. The maintenance assistance program is for the purchase of the two CCTV camera trucks. 1:05:27 Um, that program is not pending. I'm not sure why pending is listed there. So, um, we're currently in the, the, um, Mr. Smith has completed the, the scope. So we had, that project went out to bid already. We had one bid that came in. However, because of that bid, we had to re-solicit it. So, um, questions were answered. So it's in the procurement stage right now. Okay. Thank you very well. Um, we had a long day today. But before I go, Mr. Griffith, let me ask you which the chair would have asked. What keeps you up at night? 1:06:22 What keeps me up at night right now? It's a couple of factors. One is the, the failing sewer lines. I want to make sure that when I see Senator Fonseca a couple of weeks from now, I can tell him, hey, we cleaned behind Windward Passage and we, we, we got it done. I'm going to call up to make sure, and I'm going to harass my team to make sure this gets done. And Frenchtown. And Frenchtown. And, and Frenchtown. 1:07:00 It's the, it's all of those areas that the sewer lines are failing. That's what keeps me up at night. That's what worries me. On the solid waste side, I want to see an improved, uh, increase in house-to-house garbage collection in the St. Thomas area. Um, we have too many bin sites. And I remember when I worked at HFA, I sat with a video camera, taping after a heavy rain storm, the garbage that was flowing into the ocean because of how many bin sites we have. And lo and behold, I would never imagine a couple of years. Now I'm the one tasked with, um, fixing this problem that I was video recording, um, many years ago. So that keeps me up at night too, as well, that I hate to see that our beautiful waters are being polluted with garbage. So we're going to get garbage, smaller garbage trucks, and we're going to start replacing these bins to, to get that removed. Okay. Very well, I'm going to give you a 30 seconds grab up to close out. 1:07:29 Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 11 of 12 Legislature USVI · Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance 1 So in this 30 seconds, I want to say again, thank you to the staff of Waste Management Authority, to the Senate. Just thank you for being a supporter of Waste Management Authority and pointing out our deficiencies so that we can do better and, and holding us accountable. Um, it's a lot of hard work that we have to do. We have a failing wastewater system that we're working on replacing and repairing. It's going to take us five to 10 years to get all of that done, but we will get it done. On the solid waste side, we're going to keep improving the services that we provide. That's why we have to charge fees. The islands are too beautiful to be this dirty. So we're going to make sure we charge fees for it and we make sure we clean up these islands. Thank you, Senator Blyden, just for giving us the opportunity to talk to the people of the Virgin Islands and have a good night, sir. Thank you for your responses. Um, you guys, we got some work to do. 1:08:29 I want to thank, I want to thank, post-added division staff, central staff, the State of Agroforce, security, media, public affairs, and everyone else who had anything to do with this hearing. Senator Francis and his team, as usual, did what they had to do. Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir. Thank you. 1:09:26 Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir. Thank you. . 1:10:34 People named in this transcript SUSPECTED, and a finding aid only. Names were matched by machine against the spellings used across all 426 of our transcripts, and the title is the one used in the room. Being named here is NOT evidence that a person attended or spoke · only that the name was said. Speech recognition mishears names, so a spelling may be wrong even where no alternative is offered. 5x Senator Carla Joseph the surname alone also matches: Clifford Joseph; Karla J. Joseph heard in this transcript as: Carl J. Joseph, Joseph 4x Senator Clifford Joseph 3x Senator Avery Lewis heard in this transcript as: Lewis 3x Senator Dwayne DeGraff heard in this transcript as: DeGraf, DeGraff 3x Senator Marvin Blyden heard in this transcript as: Blyden 3x Senator Novelle Francis heard in this transcript as: Francis 3x Senator Ray Fonseca heard in this transcript as: Fonseca 2x Senator Hubert Frederick heard in this transcript as: Frederick 2x Senator Kurt A. the surname alone also matches: Dwayne M. heard in this transcript as: A. 2x Senator Kurt VLA heard in this transcript as: VLA 2x Senator Kurt Vialet heard in this transcript as: Viale Machine transcript · UNVERIFIED. Verify every quotation against the recording. Speakers are not identified. VI Update · usvipublicrecords.com · public record, no rights asserted (CC0 1.0) 12 of 12