Site icon Virgin Islands Free Press

Bryan Nixes 2 Senate Bills Aimed At Improving WAPA: Who’s Zooming Who?

Bryan Nixes 2 Senate Bills Aimed At Improving WAPA: Who's Zooming Who?

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Governor Albert Bryan vetoed bills that would have given the Public Service Commission additional control over the financially troubled Water and Power Authority and would have changed the utility’s board membership.

Bryan signed a bill that will institute qualification requirements for the PSC and will change the quorum numbers.

The Virgin Islands Legislature had approved the first two bills in early May and the third bill on May 19. Bryant took his actions Thursday.

In all, he signed 14 pieces of legislation into law, according to a transmittal letter sent Wednesday to Senate President Donna Frett-Gregory.

Bryan vetoed two measures, including Bill 34-0021, which would establish the Public Services Commission as a semi-autonomous agency and require WAPA to hire a “turnaround” company, and Bill 34-0026, which would establish criteria for the makeup of the WAPA board.

Bryan said he vetoed Bill 34-0021 “for multiple reasons to include its lack of clarity which makes it open to multiple legal interpretations.”

Overall, Bryan has action on 16 bills sent up by the 34th Legislature, signing into law 14 bills, including measures for a number of infrastructure projects across the territory that he vowed during his “State of the Territory” speech to get underway this year.

Among the infrastructure-related bills, which include a number of proposed bills he submitted, Bryan signed into law:

Regarding Bills 34-008 and 34-0013, Governor Bryan asked the Senate to facilitate the continuity of the projects by amending them to include: “The sums appropriated herein shall remain available until expended.”

Governor Bryan also vetoed two measures: Bill 34-0021, which would establish the Public Services Commission (PSC) as a semi-autonomous agency and require the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority to hire a “turnaround” company, and Bill 34-0026, which would establish a criteria for the makeup of the WAPA board.

The Governor said Bill 34-0021 goes beyond enhancing the regulatory functions of the PSC and give it and the Legislature the authority to run various instrumentalities in violation of the separation of powers doctrine.

“In doing so, the Legislature has, again, intruded into the supervisory and decision-making powers of the Executive Branch and violated several federal statutes,” Governor Bryan wrote in his transmittal letter to Senate President Donna Frett-Gregory. “The most fatal component of the Bill is the inclusion of the directives that WAPA must hire a turnaround management company, implement its recommendations and comply with its Turnaround Report.”

The Governor also noted that the directive to hire a turnaround company and provisions in the bill for additional staffing and expand jurisdiction for the PSC are unfunded mandates that cannot be effectuated from the existing funds of either WAPA or the PSC.

Regarding Bill 34-0026, Governor Bryan said he vetoed the measure because it is solely an attempt to remove the number of individuals directly appointed by the Governor from amongst cabinet-level heads of departments and agencies, which puts it in violation the Revised Organic Act.

“While this measure is motivated by great intentions to address the vexing problems of WAPA, it does nothing to improve the efficiency, reliability and affordability of the  services provided by the Water and Power Authority,” Governor Bryan wrote in his transmittal letter. “This does nothing to address the allegations of waste, fraud and abuse. It does nothing to address customer complaints. It is solely focused on  limiting the Governor’s input into the decision-making of WAPA.”

However, Governor Bryan signed into law Bill 34-0025, which establishes new criteria for the makeup of the PSC board and is a revised version of a previously vetoed bill.

“This bill was properly drafted to enable the Commission to function better, with fewer member seats to fill and a more realistic number to establish a quorum while not attempting to remove the Governor’s authority and obligations pursuant to Section 11 of the Revised Organic Act,” Governor Bryan wrote in the transmittal letter. “The addition of the conflict-of-interest sections to this bill are commendable and in the best interest of the people of this Territory.”

Governor Bryan also signed 34-0059, which approves his request for an extension to the State of Emergency  based on the COVID-19 pandemic for an additional 60 days, from May 7, 2021, to July 6, 2021.

Other bills Governor Bryan approved include:

Bryan also acknowledged Resolution No. 1881 (Bill 34-0019) honoring and commending Ronaqua Russell for her heroic achievements and extraordinary performance resulting in her becoming the first African American female aviator in the U.S. Coast Guard to receive the Air Medal.

https://vifreepress.com/2015/10/every-country-in-the-caribbean-has-lower-electricity-costs-than-wapa/
Exit mobile version