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THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OFFICE OF DISASTER RECOVERY SHARES UPDATE; LAWMAKERS BRIEFED ON THE COMPREHENSIVE LAND & WATER USE PLAN - Legislature of the United States Virgin Islands Close About Us History Functions and Structure FY 2026 Budget Honor Roll Rules of the 36th Legislative Youth Advisory Council Application Careers Archives Legislative Archives Tours × St. Thomas Senators  St. John Senators  St.Croix Senators  Districts All Senators St. Croix St. Thomas - St. John Senator at Large × Committees Committee of the Whole Budget, Appropriation and Finance Culture, Youth, Aging, Sports, and Parks Disaster Recovery, Infrastructure and Planning Economic Development and Agriculture Education and Workforce Development Government Operations, Veteran Affairs and Consumer Protection Health, Hospitals and Human Services Homeland Security, Justice and Public Safety Housing, Transportation and Telecommunications Rules and Judiciary Session Folder × No event found! Calendars Bi-Weekly Senate Calendar Session Agenda × Dialog window Dialog window General Senators Committees Media Calendars Contact DISASTER RECOVERY AND INFRASTRUCTURE | News | Press Releases | Senator Milton E. Potter THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OFFICE OF DISASTER RECOVERY SHARES UPDATE; LAWMAKERS BRIEFED ON THE COMPREHENSIVE LAND & WATER USE PLAN Published: Jul 15, 2024 Search for: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OFFICE OF DISASTER RECOVERY SHARES UPDATE; LAWMAKERS BRIEFED ON THE COMPREHENSIVE LAND & WATER USE PLAN ST. THOMAS – Members of the 35th Legislature of the Virgin Islands’ Committee on Disaster Recovery, Infrastructure, and Planning, chaired by Senator Milton E. Potter, convened in a meeting at the Capitol Building. Officials from the Virgin Islands Office of Disaster Recovery (ODR) provided an update on the Super PMO/bundling initiatives and disaster recovery programs. Officials from the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) separately disclosed the status of the Comprehensive Land and Water Use Plan. ODR has prioritized the advancement of Rebuild USVI by expediting projects under the CDBG-DR program, with a particular emphasis on the Envision Tomorrow home repair and reconstruction program, according to Adrienne Williams Octalien, the Director of the Virgin Islands Office of Disaster Recovery. Furthermore, ODR implemented strategies to finalize fixed cost offers for the FEMA 428 Public Assistance initiatives before the September 30, 2024, deadline. Meanwhile, ODR still needs to obligate 31 out of the nearly 1500 FEMA public assistance projects. Of these, 19 are 428 projects, a decrease of 5 projects documented in June 2024. To date, 990 recovery projects have been completed. In the first quarter of 2024, ODR successfully tracked six capital projects to completion. Octalien subsequently declared the achievement of all benchmarks in Rebuild VI. March 28th marked the publication of the Request for Proposals (RFP) for Project Management and Construction Management Services for the Super PMO, which concluded on May 23, 2024. ODR is currently accepting applications, with the expectation that the vendor selection procedure will conclude by August 2024. Senator Potter has inquired about the factors that contributed to the success of the Envision Tomorrow home repair and reconstruction program. In response, Octalien noted that when ODR implemented solutions to mitigate challenges throughout the program, this was inclusive of conducting evaluations, accessing timelines, and collaborating with DPNR to streamline the process. Senator Potter stated that the public judges the success of the program based on the number of homes constructed since the 2017 hurricanes. He voiced optimism with the renewed process that more homes will be completed. Separately, the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources Commissioner Jean Pierre-Oriol briefed policymakers on the Comprehensive Land and Water Use Plan (Comp Plan). The legislation mandates that the Comp plan must emphasize and identify island-wide objectives, goals, and opportunities. It then specifies a variety of factors that must be considered during the plan's development. After a series of town hall meetings, the input of 92 volunteers, and 1,000 online participants, the Comp Plan is almost complete. The draft plan's core components are the four guiding themes of the Comp Plan: making better land and water use decisions, protecting our natural resources, preparing for a more sustainable future, and living and thriving together. DPNR has reached the stage of developing goals, policies, and strategies for each theme. We will soon release the first draft of the Comp Plan to the public. Senators present at today’s committee hearing included Milton E. Potter, Diane T. Capehart , Ray Fonseca, Kenneth L. Gittens, Marvin A. Blyden, Alma Francis Heyliger, Marice C. James, Novelle E. Francis, Franklin D. Johnson, and Carla J. Joseph. The Division of Public Affairs is committed to providing the community with accurate information on proceedings and other events at the Legislature of the Virgin Islands.                                            ### Press Contact :  AFRICAH N.T. HARRIGAN Email: aharrigan@legvi.org Find More Search for: Categories News Observances Press Releases Special Events Related Content COMMITTEE REVIEWS FY 2027 EXECUTIVE BUDGET REQUESTS FOR GOVERNOR’S OFFICE, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR’S OFFICE, AND BUREAU OF MOTOR VEHICLES July 23, 2026 ST. CROIX, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS – Members of the Committee on Budget, Appropriations, and Finance, chaired by Senator Novelle E. Francis Jr., met in the Frits E. Lawaetz Conference Room to receive testimony on the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budgets for... Read More COMMITTEE RECEIVES UPDATES FROM WASTE MANAGEMENT CONCERNING SEWAGE HEALTH RISKS, CANCER CARE IN THE TERRITORY                                   July 22, 2026 ST. THOMAS, VI – The 36th Legislature of the Virgin Islands’ Committee on Health, Hospitals, and Human Services, led by Senator Ray Fonseca, met at the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Hall.  Lawmakers received testimony concerning the potential and observed public... Read More SENATORS CONSIDER PROPOSED HORSE RACE LEGISLATION IN SPECIAL SESSION  July 22, 2026 Members of the 36th Legislature, led by Senate President Milton E. Potter, convened at the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Hall. Lawmakers met in special session by request of the governor to consider Bill No. 36-0313, an act approving lease and franchise agreements for the development and operation of the Randall “Doc”... 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