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.

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Press Contact: AFRICAH N.T. HARRIGAN

Email: aharrigan@legvi.org