Committee Report — February 28, 2025
Phone (340) 693-3567 Email: MBlyden@Legvi.org ~ YOUR CHOICE FOR SOLUTIONS ~ Committee Report Committee on Housing, Transportation, & Telecommunications The Committee on Housing, Transportation & Telecommunications convened on Friday, February 28, 2025, at 9:43 a.m. in the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Chambers on St. Thomas to receive testimony from the Virgin Islands Department of Public Works, and Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority. Discussion topics included: • Update on key matters related to the operations of the Department of Public Works (DPW). • Provide the DPW’s short- and long-term goals, staffing updates, transportation and bus route extensions, ferry operations, engineering services to GVI agencies, and the current state of the territory’s roads, bridges, and cemeteries. • Challenges that DPW is facing and their plans to address them to better serve the residents of our territory. • Discussion on the operations of the Virgin Island Waste Management Authority as it relates to their plans and priorities for the coming year. …
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Phone (340) 693-3567 Email: MBlyden@Legvi.org ~ YOUR CHOICE FOR SOLUTIONS ~ Committee Report Committee on Housing, Transportation, & Telecommunications The Committee on Housing, Transportation & Telecommunications convened on Friday, February 28, 2025, at 9:43 a.m. in the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Chambers on St. Thomas to receive testimony from the Virgin Islands Department of Public Works, and Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority. Discussion topics included: • Update on key matters related to the operations of the Department of Public Works (DPW). • Provide the DPW’s short- and long-term goals, staffing updates, transportation and bus route extensions, ferry operations, engineering services to GVI agencies, and the current state of the territory’s roads, bridges, and cemeteries. • Challenges that DPW is facing and their plans to address them to better serve the residents of our territory. • Discussion on the operations of the Virgin Island Waste Management Authority as it relates to their plans and priorities for the coming year. • Update on the status of VIWMA’s staffing, payroll challenges and vendor payments. • Status of VIWMA’s tipping fees, wastewater treatment plants, pump station operations and capacity, landfills within the territory, garbage collection, oil collection, and any other challenges the agency is facing, along with their plans to overcome them to better serve the community. • Members of the Delegation from San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic were in attendance visiting the VI in association with Senator Angel L. Bolques, Jr.’s Safe Haven Bill. Members included Colonel Dr. Altagracia Hernandez, Major Alexandra Navarro Gil, Major Maria Mabel Navarro Gil, Lt. Colonel Jose- Francisco Ortega M., 1st Lt. Jhamer Trinidad Cornear, 1st Lt. Flavio Guevara, Director of Civil Defense Starlin Lehger, and Colonel Angel Jimenez Brigade Commander. The Honorable Marvin A. Blyden Senator Legislature of the Virgin Islands CAPITOL BUILDING, P.O. BOX 1690 ST. THOMAS, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS 00804 (340) 774-0880 CHAIRMAN Housing, Transportation & Telecommunications VICE CHAIR Budget, Appropriations & Finance MEMBER Economic Development & Agriculture Culture, Youth, Aging & Parks Health, Hospitals, & Human Services Phone (340) 693-3567 Fax (340) 693-3636 Courriel SenatorBlyden@Gmail.com ~ YOUR CHOICE FOR SOLUTIONS ~ Legislative Attendance Committee Members Present Non-Committee Members Present Senator Marvin A. Blyden, Chair Senator Novelle E. Francis Senator Clifford A. Joseph, Sr. Senator Avery L. Lewis Senator Ray Fonseca Senator Franklin D. Johnson Senator Dwayne M. DeGraff Senator Milton Potter Senator Marise C. James Senator Kenneth L. Gittens Senator Carla Joseph Senator Alma Francis-Heyliger Senator Kurt A. Vialet Senator Angel L. Bolques, Jr. Senator Hubert L. Fredericks Invited Testifiers Derek Gabriel, Commissioner, Department of Public Works Darryl Griffith, Interim Executive Director, Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority The Committee on Housing, Transportation & Telecommunications adjourned at 4:55 p.m. Prepared by: _______________________________ Vanessa Ortiz Williams Chief Legislative Researcher