[{"_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",6694782,"mediaKeyId","5654004-3f6689766dd0cd0235ea177c01f9a144","parentId",5654004,"title","Rota public works warns landfill operations strained; seeks repairs, staffing and grant support","audioSeconds",2837,"startMs",122000,"endMs",2959000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5654004-3f6689766dd0cd0235ea177c01f9a144&start=122&end=2959","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5654004-3f6689766dd0cd0235ea177c01f9a144/thumbnail_122000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6694782/Rota-public-works-warns-landfill-operations-strained-seeks-repairs-staffing-and-grant-support","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6694782-a4102df54e65fc7ff54cb79ea45e20c8/orig.mp4?Expires=1773078379&Signature=klEIOYy1Qpr4dJWldcnIEnhb6m5cj9x-c~mzZ43HbMxlHkGqzBVaPEh5a1qCnQxxJCDcM-t8cRyiZvHy546D-gkhzDWF9ph9g~A9w5jzAUMlTUe55aA8MPlciBFEskOdLp-e6Hs3PHYoNg-6eKeK5ie6zU6I0Yq~a4ONJnJm9eTgd12Z8pcXrz4~49JY7NrFXEdP6FmYzsJjm6ehnWL4nwIaBFfPPB2oR~rRYWRltXEfAqrIKfkk4imWS6jf2Uyax~7lu~S6J4doEUslif3CQYO-FOU~znIkyvoyTKAc9hrY7bWnP6qTbMEwJpNucY8aRAbn4k-xTyshN-G4NfwPRw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate - Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature","date","2025-08-22T05:14:34.767Z","article","Rota — The resident director for the Department of Public Works, George Atalik, told the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee during Rota’s FY2026 budget hearing that the municipality’s solid waste operations are struggling and need immediate maintenance funding, staffing adjustments and support to implement grants and permitting requirements.

Atalik told committee members the landfill’s water testing has been completed and that permitting applications are pending with the Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality and other agencies, but that a key piece of heavy equipment is nonfunctional and parts and repair costs have strained local funds. “We’re still struggling, under the, the solid waste pay, landfill,” Atalik said. He later said the department has spent about $8,000 on parts so far and expects an additional roughly $4,000 for the mechanic’s work.

Why it matters: DPW’s testimony described operational shortfalls that the committee said risk noncompliance with permitting and environmental standards and could block implementation of a proposed recycling program should state law change the administering agency. Committee members urged the department to document funding requests and to coordinate with the delegation and the secretary of finance to secure and certify available funds.

Key details

- Equipment and repairs: Atalik said mechanics and special-order parts are on order, with about $8,000 already spent and an estimated additional $4,000 needed to complete repairs. The department said there is no identified external funding to cover the outstanding repair.

- Revolving account discrepancy: DPW staff reported a discrepancy between the department’s financial system and what appears available for the Technical Services Division (TSD). The system displayed $35,682.70 available while the on‑hand balance in the office showed $797.15. The committee asked the director to submit a funds-certification request to the secretary of finance (named in the meeting) so finance can reconcile the difference.

- Hazardous pay: Committee members and Atalik discussed hazardous-pay claims. Atalik said hazardous pay through 2019 has been paid but 2020 claims remain pending; previous departmental submissions were rejected and the department is continuing to compile documentation for quarterly submission when funds are available.

- Tipping fee and subaccount: Atalik said a fixed tipping fee structure is in place and that the department set up a subaccount for solid waste collections; he reported a fixed rate of $3.50 for one described category (described in testimony as a local, fixed rate). Implementation depends on final permitting and on training the collection crew to process transactions.

- Grants and five‑year plan: Atalik said the department is participating in a SWIFR (described in testimony as a SWIFR/SWIFR‑type) grant and training; he provided rough, department-level planning estimates that include “about 2 point some” million dollars for greenways and roughly $10,000,000 for landfill projects on Rota. He described these figures as rough planning estimates rather than finalized awards.

Committee direction and next steps

- The committee advised DPW to continue submitting hazardous‑pay documentation on a quarterly basis so requests are ready to be processed when funds become available.

- Committee leadership asked DPW to send a funds-certification to the finance secretary (named in the hearing) to reconcile the TSD account discrepancy and to copy the island delegation so lawmakers can follow up if the department does not receive a timely reply.

- Senators said they will consider administrative or legislative adjustments to give municipalities clearer access to revolving resources and to coordinate visits from the DPW secretary and division chiefs to assess operations on Rota.

What the department asked for

- Immediate funding to complete heavy-equipment repairs.
- Support to resolve the TSD revolving-account discrepancy with finance.
- Continued grant support and technical help for permitting and implementation of solid-waste projects under SWIFR and related funding streams.

Quotes

“We’re still struggling, under the, the solid waste pay, landfill,” Resident Director George Atalik said, describing both equipment failures and shortfalls in available funds.

Senator Acasio, discussing a pending statewide recycling bill that would transfer responsibilities to DPW, said the change “should open up revenue streams for DPW” and urged coordination with the secretary so municipalities can be ready to implement the program if the bill is signed.

Ending

Committee members told DPW to document and continue submitting all claims and funding requests while the Fiscal Affairs Committee works with the delegation and finance officials to reconcile revolving accounts. The committee said it will consider statutory or administrative changes if needed during budget deliberations.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","250822 24th NMCL FA [1:30pm]","oneSentenceSummary","Rota — The resident director for the Department of Public Works, George Atalik, told the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee during Rota’s FY2026 budget hearing that the municipality’s solid waste operations are struggling and need immediate maintenance funding, staffing adjustments and support to implement grants and permitting requirements.","taxTitle","Senate, Northern Mariana Legislative Sessions, Northern Mariana Islands","taxId",20282,"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},6694777,"DLNR asks for staff and equipment to support Rota agriculture, disking service, dog control and enforcement",2112,3251000,5363000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5654004-3f6689766dd0cd0235ea177c01f9a144&start=3251&end=5363","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5654004-3f6689766dd0cd0235ea177c01f9a144/thumbnail_3251000.jpg","/articles/6694777/DLNR-asks-for-staff-and-equipment-to-support-Rota-agriculture-disking-service-dog-control-and-enforcement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6694777-9171204437d20dd030b53dcf17e7311b/orig.mp4?Expires=1773078379&Signature=oRbU~NYHnzC1HaLudikD3Q8KQaDQsYYOeLt7SB0kgPqNcfKUZv5MuW2PImXJkBkFVtfAWNOVDw6yzRQpyJlJJA6cENHcPbA4sfB8zgHO21mOWdCmP1EtBL2jHJ4OUY6bnNDa3L4efaogvcfYbTXxK4jEMnLJ-4X6wItlrI8Dh2NKE~cRjne5~D7JkVkp~DU8nCDncvy3h-12PkDBfALHROCZPLGQEySvzNbW5ojagLzl2oE8vfgr1Fj~DDLDXGatX6OrZ2OOs83utv9roRcxX8K~RgDykh9Pw40RNJV5e4meSDAA6Qe~UKlkuSGpqwlSCrH18jAH2Aq-~H6WsT5PBg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rota — Jim Michael Atalek, a conservation officer with the Department of Land and Natural Resources, told the Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee that DLNR needs more personnel and reliable equipment in Rota to support agriculture, disking services, dog control and enforcement of hunting and fish‑and‑wildlife rules.

Atalek said the department operates a disking service that relies on one working tractor and another unit that has required more than $3,000 in repair attempts; the department lacks local technicians and has been unable to complete a diagnostic without a factory computer. “We’re missing the tractor. We are asking for some FTEs. We currently have 1, disking service operator that's going out servicing, all these, farmers. But, we cannot rely on 1,” Atalek said.

Why it matters: DLNR officials described disking and agricultural support as a current source of income and food security for Rota. The department also asked for a local, funded dog‑control program and additional conservation officers to increase permitting compliance and reduce illegal hunting and poaching.

Key details

- Disking service and tractor repairs: Atalek said the department has spent more than $3,000 trying to repair a second tractor and that some diagnostic work may require a John Deere technician or dealer connection and associated fees estimated by staff at several thousand dollars.

- Staffing requests: DLNR requested new full‑time positions for disking services and dog control. For dog control the department asked for four positions in the narrative mentioned to the committee: one manager, one administrative officer and two dog‑control officers. Fish and wildlife requested additional conservation officer positions (one Conservation Officer I and one Conservation Officer II) to increase enforcement capacity.

- Grants and collaboration: Atalek said the department is working with the mayor’s office and with other stakeholders on grants and programming; he also mentioned the department’s involvement on invasive‑species responses and said some CRB/invasive‑species funding has been routed directly to Saipan in prior grant arrangements.

- Parks and recs vacancy: Committee discussion noted a recent resignation in parks and recreation; the committee said that vacancy is budgeted for next year and may be used for an in‑house promotion or to reassign funding to critical enforcement posts.

Committee direction and next steps

- The committee asked DLNR to supply position titles, OPM/ civil‑service classifications and salary levels for the requested FTEs so legislators can assess fiscal impact and deliberate during budget markup.

- Senators discussed coordinating local private mechanics and dealers to provide diagnostic support and exploring public–private partnerships to reduce out‑of‑island repair costs.

Quotes

“We always have to have extra, another manpower to, go out and and and, assist because it's hard to have only 1,” Conservation Officer Jim Michael Atalek said of the disking service staff.

“Right now, anybody anybody can just go out and and start shooting deer or whatever, you know, they wanna do out there because the fact that in the absence of the officer, they're not gonna come in and get license,” Atalek said, urging enforcement to support a licensing bill mentioned in committee discussion.

Ending

The committee asked DLNR to provide formal position descriptions and salary information and said it will consider carrying a vacated parks position into next year’s budget or reclassifying existing funds to fund enforcement staff; committee members also encouraged the department to pursue technical support arrangements with local mechanics and equipment dealers.

","A conservation officer for the Department of Land and Natural Resources told the Fiscal Affairs Committee Rota needs more staff and functioning equipment for agriculture services, a formal dog‑control program, and increased enforcement capacity for fish and wildlife and parks.",{"_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},6694772,"Fiscal Affairs Committee closes Rota budget hearing; motion to adjourn carries",24,5444000,5468000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5654004-3f6689766dd0cd0235ea177c01f9a144&start=5444&end=5468","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5654004-3f6689766dd0cd0235ea177c01f9a144/thumbnail_5444000.jpg","/articles/6694772/Fiscal-Affairs-Committee-closes-Rota-budget-hearing-motion-to-adjourn-carries","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6694772-e62f4bd2d384c2e447033ec7548d38cf/orig.mp4?Expires=1773078379&Signature=k2-B3mbUxQXsqcwVp7--yvoiPw77KgcZq~~KDmyR2G~OTklfeiBdfz4X~dYtcIjzeJnZkc~u26RYOwJs54wCzg1tvIj6KUX47Xs6D9-QEU60pXaEEQrwoOll2kgYxe03uP4MMNEAcc9-kcnwz924MN2OGc-kRBZeJrsiXmf6iMYYgaEQ0f6ErRh-T1Y-Mm~TfAetmmQtnYjxYJQcjoI22cSWHrmpSApR8U-tnRGJ3Crl1pdWjFZ3jHdrK-MGUvsXSJ0N-l-84UnvrwX6HeHTJZ8gu9wtYsHCtCQOyuoxP83~bhLHrJB1mAKETA9O6thhDaf76lOFYkfngGBN6g90cA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rota — The Fiscal Affairs Committee formally adjourned its Rota FY2026 budget hearing after closing remarks and a motion for adjournment.

At the end of the session a member moved to adjourn and the motion was seconded. Committee members present answered “aye” in a voice vote and the chair announced the motion carries, adjourning the fiscal affairs committee’s Rota hearing.

This procedural vote concluded the municipal budget presentations; committee members said they will schedule additional hearings for central government line agencies in the coming days.

","The Senate Fiscal Affairs Committee voted to adjourn after concluding Rota’s FY2026 budget hearings; the committee recorded a customary voice vote and motion carried.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Rota public works warns landfill operations strained; seeks repairs, staffing and grant support

DLNR asks for staff and equipment to support Rota agriculture, disking service, dog control and enforcement

Fiscal Affairs Committee closes Rota budget hearing; motion to adjourn carries