[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6626102,"mediaKeyId","2754614-d38f2b733f91935ed937b6320a07e5a5","parentId",2754614,"title","Tourism outlines $2.8M St. Thomas carnival budget; senators press for faster vendor payments and parity across islands","audioSeconds",4582,"startMs",11043000,"endMs",15625000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2754614-d38f2b733f91935ed937b6320a07e5a5&start=11043&end=15625","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2754614-d38f2b733f91935ed937b6320a07e5a5/thumbnail_11043000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6626102/Tourism-outlines-28M-St-Thomas-carnival-budget-senators-press-for-faster-vendor-payments-and-parity-across-islands","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6626102-d6c7116aedcbea026f6b5d7274cf7d9c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159056&Signature=B72XSmdhR7j9w~fh88NDusqoG~Gcjsa3mocHYszfHOB99D6vvxQoNgFcXbBh4eLgS4b8m-RawAMFHvpKbIQwKuf2WYGtE4LtgKqb9BrBTlYdnKP9VfY1b~UVjASsJWdhcXEf5OA~mEs-NjgJ34EY~vo5prj0b7QLjJSx05nIH7YzP81oRWQKrCTxVGrJE~3piVZxzNQOwz5kJPm0~Vjb8edW7jBsElLuTuJga0j4G8N2MtY6uTO2HMxaK6F~gMH1sTEHXPXz3lA-nDbshu7pf0kKyccMLpV3yy8mjgz1oLHYbcZ7BtmmUsKVTJG7p-TkEN45-68JAHdR08M1ZcWj8g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Virgin Islands Legislature","date","2025-03-24T20:59:14.01Z","article","The Department of Tourism told the Senate Committee on Government Operations on March 24 that St. Thomas Carnival planning is underway, with an advertised budget of $2.8 million and interagency coordination on public safety, sanitation and permitting. Assistant Commissioner Alani Henneman and Festival Director Ian Turnbull described logistics, vendor arrangements and outreach aimed at increasing arrivals and protecting the carnival experience.

Budget and economic impact

Tourism listed its planned budgets for the 2025 festival season: roughly $2.8 million for St. Thomas Carnival, about $2.2 million for St. Croix Festival and roughly $1.5 million for St. John Celebration. Director Turnbull told senators the department’s visitor surveys and event sampling estimate visitors spend an average of about $2,000 per person during festival visits; festival leaders estimated incremental visitor spending in the millions during the carnival period (Turnbull presented a $6–10 million range for incremental economic impact tied to Carnival arrivals and local spending).

Operational planning and vendor logistics

Henneman and Turnbull said the department has held repeated interagency planning sessions with VIPD, VITEMA, V.I. Fire and EMS, the Department of Public Works, Waste Management Authority, Port Authority and the Water and Power Authority. Key operational notes provided at the hearing included:

- Portable toilets and sanitation: contracts secured with local vendors to supply restroom facilities, including 11 ADA‑compliant stalls for the carnival village, seven stalls at the Crown Bay food fair venue and 15 along parade and j’ouvert routes.

- Power and staging: WAPA coordinated power connections and timelines for the carnival village and staging; the department expects a confirmed power‑connection schedule aligned to vendor and safety inspections.

- Booths and fees: booth fees at the village were cited at $2,500 per booth; Turnbull said there was no waiting list and organizers accommodated returning vendors.

- Safety and crowd control: department staff said final security contracts and walk‑throughs with VIPD and VITEMA would be completed ahead of events.

Vendor payments and fiduciary arrangement

Senators pressed Tourism on outstanding vendor and artist payments from prior festivals. Turnbull said the department has engaged a third‑party fiduciary to manage festival payments and that, under that arrangement, many artists are paid the night of their performances and the fiduciary will streamline vendor disbursements. Several senators pressed for faster payments to local vendors and entertainers; Tourism said outstanding invoices were being reconciled and that remaining outstanding items would be addressed in the coming weeks.

What to watch

- Carnival event dates and honorees: officials said honorees were selected for village and food‑fair recognition and that a full honoree list would be released in a press notice; the department also listed a sequence of events leading to the main parade dates.

- Vendor payments and fiduciary performance: senators asked tourism to provide evidence of outstanding vendor claims and to track payments after engagement of the fiduciary; Turnbull said vendors owed from past events were on a short list and the team planned to clear those invoices promptly.

Ending

Committee members lauded the interagency planning and urged tourism to prioritize timely vendor payments, local entertainment parity across islands and clear public communications about carnival schedules and traffic impacts. Tourism said it will follow up with requested itemized reports and will provide additional outreach and coordination as festival dates approach.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","03-24-2025 | Committee on Government Operations, Veterans Affairs and Consumer Protection","oneSentenceSummary","The Department of Tourism told a Senate committee on March 24 that it has budgeted about $2.8 million for the 2025 St. Thomas Carnival and has secured sanitation, power and interagency plans for the event, while senators urged faster vendor and artist payments and more parity across the territory’s festivals.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature, Virgin Islands","taxId",77876,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6626107,"Public Services Commission outlines staggered rate investigations, says Waste Management owes assessments",1725,2963000,4688000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2754614-d38f2b733f91935ed937b6320a07e5a5&start=2963&end=4688","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2754614-d38f2b733f91935ed937b6320a07e5a5/thumbnail_2963000.jpg","/articles/6626107/Public-Services-Commission-outlines-staggered-rate-investigations-says-Waste-Management-owes-assessments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6626107-875bbbb3503871b6e5b51325a48a439d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159056&Signature=N5psBWMRxL9CtpB1gJ8tvxAu0ylHQkDKxtKdwKozNp5l-Q4JAzQOQYNj-9EFHOOn906aTjJd0r1LlqWGWaygittS84HzDuwQYks14O2zr8l0odfIAxIPzz2suBwuqlI8ayQXqC1IB0FLWA3d24RqkZ7zMBJUYkoEa5gOHlHJYIE88P0~chbbLfHLOPM9K0Z357Bv2oK~fdC62kPNbeU6-qiggt6Mhv4PuFGcZsw2yH4imMkyisK2IFAsq-ZFt9ldljbZJ~GBQzBWMUbhy6J0KPmhgEdthoekrZKVFTB7Ny3zkNOmzH2P4ux2ID~Xon~LU4KBJrDs5lZAVbmK18ue2w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Virgin Islands Public Services Commission (PSC) told the Senate Committee on Government Operations on March 24 that it plans to stagger a slate of rate and regulatory investigations across the territory in 2025, starting with an electric‑system rate case that will open in early April and addressing water, wastewater and solid‑waste dockets later in the year.

Sandra Satori, executive director of the PSC, said the commission has established several dockets and timelines: docket 706 to review electricity rates (with the formal process beginning April 8), docket 700/706‑series activities for water and wastewater, and dockets 704/708 to investigate solid waste and wastewater rates now that the Waste Management Authority has come under PSC jurisdiction following Act Number 8,471. The PSC said it will stagger investigations so as not to overburden staff and utilities and will engage external consultants for technical assistance where needed.

“Nearly every factor the Legislature required to be addressed in the turnaround management report falls within the commission’s jurisdiction,” Satori said; the PSC said it intends to review the turnaround management consultant Ernst & Young’s final report and incorporate relevant findings into its electric‑rate inquiry so it does not duplicate work. The PSC also noted recently reported federal awards totaling roughly $800 million — including about $660 million targeted at generation projects and roughly $30 million earmarked for metering infrastructure — as material in any rate review.

Assessment disputes and Waste Management Authority

Satori and PSC general counsel Boyd Sprain also addressed a long‑running dispute over whether appropriations count as utility revenues for calculation of PSC assessments. Sprain said the PSC’s reading of the law is that the Waste Management Authority’s argument — that legislative appropriations should be excluded from revenues used to compute assessments — is inconsistent with Title 29 and Act 66‑38, which define revenues to include appropriations. The PSC said Waste Management stopped paying its annual assessment in 2021 and the commission considers the assessment dispute legally resolved in the PSC’s favor; it expects any appeals to be denied.

The PSC further noted that it received no annual assessment payments from WAPA for fiscal year 2024 and none yet for fiscal year 2025. Satori said that regulatory assessments are typically treated as high‑priority obligations by courts in bankruptcy contexts and that the PSC expects utilities to make those payments.

Upcoming investigations and resource needs

Satori said the commission will open the electric rate investigation (docket 706) following its April 8 meeting and will recommend a hearing examiner for that docket. The PSC said it is conducting requests for qualifications to hire technical consultants for solid‑waste, wastewater, electrical and water systems. The commission said it will rely on external technical assistance where it lacks internal capacity and that it hopes to rely on the work already done by turnaround consultants where appropriate.

What to watch next

- PSC docket 706: electric rate investigation beginning April 8; hearing examiner to be appointed.
- PSC dockets on wastewater and solid waste to commence summer 2025.
- Assessment litigation: PSC expects any appeal by Waste Management over assessments to be dismissed because of statutory language that includes appropriations within the definition of revenues.

Ending

The PSC told senators it has a full investigative agenda and is taking steps now to hire outside expertise; it emphasized coordination with WAPA and the Legislature as investigations proceed and flagged federal funds and the Ernst & Young turnaround report as important inputs to upcoming rate cases.","The Public Services Commission told a legislative committee on March 24 that it will stagger a series of rate and regulatory investigations in 2025 — beginning with an electric‑system inquiry — and said recent statutory language and precedent make it unlikely that the Waste Management Authority’s challenge to annual PSC assessments will succeed.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6626112,"WAPA says monthly deficit narrowed to $2–3M but warns of $188M debt and $375M funding gap",1512,1564000,3076000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2754614-d38f2b733f91935ed937b6320a07e5a5&start=1564&end=3076","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2754614-d38f2b733f91935ed937b6320a07e5a5/thumbnail_1564000.jpg","/articles/6626112/WAPA-says-monthly-deficit-narrowed-to-23M-but-warns-of-188M-debt-and-375M-funding-gap","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6626112-570bd74322552626e7cc4ff0deb17042/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159057&Signature=cCSUZCs0~1T7Gg7SqWWdPz8-LUb5kX8ZGIscGPxnWB57iZgMJ7fd3lRL6-XhvbRioWQhxhkguD8AYXEDxH4MOyy8MrW1InTPH5u-R1jIzsnS3CRySK9QDy1-wDh2Y2m~JzPhWT2IXi3ogm8oifQMzeWRtY~CYcY7wnTipy3D3w1WqjIy9c8VaCzrr3Zhd5Bj7cVPXyAnYXpuUEXKt34I1e54AsUreGn-wb1~vbZ7ohvBQukozzBqcrS6r42hHKeN5SudX5vij32xaTPFWfc4mM6NWdMOH1iRghtVZK~s3CG9P8nDInmO4wpG6kTEuuy7p2PMWFsCg39yEmyyJ94aQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA) told a Senate committee on March 24 that while its monthly operating deficit has fallen from about $8 million in March 2024 to roughly $2–3 million, the utility still faces large unpaid bills, heavy long‑term debt and a need for substantial capital to fix deferred maintenance.

“The Water and Power Authority remains in a fiscally challenged position,” WAPA Executive Director and CEO Carl Knight told members of the Committee on Government Operations, Veterans Affairs and Consumer Protection. He said the authority now carries roughly $101.7 million in past‑due accounts payable and about $188 million in long‑term debt, with deferred maintenance on generating assets estimated at about $27 million.

Knight said the authority’s operating revenues come only from monthly charges for electricity and water and that the utility has not substantially raised electric rates in nearly six years. Residential electric rates were cited at about 43.4¢ per kilowatt‑hour, up only slightly since 2019. Closing the operating deficit entirely through rates would likely require increases on the order of eight cents per kilowatt‑hour — an outcome WAPA has tried to avoid because of the economic consequences if rates exceed 50¢/kWh.

WAPA’s strategy has been to reduce operating expense and pursue projects that lower fuel and operating costs. Knight said steps include a new two‑year fuel oil contract being finalized at rates below the current contract, an upcoming solicitation for a new liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) provider, additional renewable generation and more battery storage. He said a solicitation will be issued next month to add at least 40 megawatts of replacement capacity at the Holly plant (St. Thomas/St. John) and that FEMA disaster assistance will fund part of that work.

Knight and other WAPA witnesses also described near‑term operating improvements and continuing reliability work:

- Solar and batteries: additional renewable generation is expected this year and next, with solar and battery projects on St. Croix and St. Thomas described as lowering avoided‑costs when they are available.

- Wartsila units: the recently installed Wartsila engines (phase 1/2 units) experienced early faults; two were returned to service and a third was expected by the end of the week of the hearing. WAPA said repairs are covered under warranty and root‑cause analysis is underway.

- Richmond replacement: FEMA approved funding for a full replacement of the Richmond power plant on St. Croix, including at least 86 megawatts of generating capacity; WAPA expects to advertise an EPC solicitation in April.

- Metering and AMI: the authority reported meter‑reading problems (meters that cannot be read remotely and meters with non‑functioning displays) and said it selected Itron to replace the automated metering infrastructure (AMI) under FEMA’s prudent replacement program. Knight said the AMI start date is expected around July 1 and a full territory rollout could take about 18 months; in the meantime WAPA reported replacing thousands of meters funded by FEMA.

Billing accuracy and legal limits on backbilling drew sustained scrutiny. WAPA said many bills are estimated because remote reads fail; staff and senators described the effect on customers when large true‑ups appear after months of estimates. WAPA noted that current law limits backbilling to 35 days, and Chief Financial Officer Lorraine Kelly told the committee the 35‑day limit prevents the authority from recovering amounts older than that even when meters later prove customers were underbilled. WAPA has asked the legislature to consider amendments tied to backbilling, reconnection fees, competitive‑bidding rules and other provisions.

Knight said WAPA has engaged a municipal financial adviser and that the turnaround management consultant commissioned by the Legislature recommended a five‑year cash infusion of about $375 million to resolve liabilities and fully restore fiscal stability. He said the authority is working to improve billing and collections, finalize new fuel and supplier contracts, bring additional renewable resources online and pursue debt consolidation and refinancing once financial audits and reporting are current.

What they told senators and what to watch next

WAPA provided a list of legislative proposals it plans to share with the committee, and identified the two priorities it said are most financially critical: changes to street‑lighting funding and backbilling rules. WAPA also flagged its deferred fuel balance and under‑recovery of fuel costs (the authority estimated an under‑recovery of about $130 million for fuel over recent years) as a likely point of discussion with the Public Services Commission and in regulatory proceedings.

WAPA emphasized that many resilience projects are federally funded and that demonstrating stable financial reporting will be important to access refinancing and market options. The authority also stressed the need for coordination with the Public Services Commission on rate treatment of pass‑throughs and deferred fuel balances.

WAPA said it will provide white papers and legislative suggested language to the committee for future consideration and confirmed it stands ready to provide further data requested by senators.

Ending

Senators pressed WAPA officials on meter replacement timetables, overdue vendor payments, staffing, and projected customer savings from new generation. WAPA leaders said they expect incremental improvements in the next year but warned that meaningful rate relief will depend on debt restructuring, improved collections and the pace at which federally funded generation and battery projects come online.","At a March 24 legislative hearing, Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority leaders said operating deficits have fallen from about $8 million a month in March 2024 to roughly $2–3 million now, but past-due payables, long-term debt and deferred maintenance leave the utility fiscally fragile and dependent on federal projects and legislation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Tourism outlines $2.8M St. Thomas carnival budget; senators press for faster vendor payments and parity across islands

Public Services Commission outlines staggered rate investigations, says Waste Management owes assessments

WAPA says monthly deficit narrowed to $2–3M but warns of $188M debt and $375M funding gap