[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",6496492,"mediaKeyId","5654003-289c7569132554d5713a9ec3f0aa57bf","parentId",5654003,"title","Community & Cultural Affairs seeks staffing, historic‑preservation support and CCDF reimbursement","audioSeconds",1391,"startMs",7228000,"endMs",8619000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5654003-289c7569132554d5713a9ec3f0aa57bf&start=7228&end=8619","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5654003-289c7569132554d5713a9ec3f0aa57bf/thumbnail_7228000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6496492/Community-Cultural-Affairs-seeks-staffing-historicpreservation-support-and-CCDF-reimbursement","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6496492-9e04b55b1150a049c60ae4fb038d5447/orig.mp4?Expires=1771132706&Signature=Df78md4EHLEvef-O7mjJNmD8POyzTj4pRM4krJ0ODVyvELckrwTSKwEJm~EDBoj7oXjPo4r2pvZXNQrBi00F2nCnK~w44rxYDVKD7UZoRub8SESLXNA3ExB9OPIFunA0n8udjsG2YU~sOZlEl3fw1wDDAz0SDOdIcLFVFZ~twLxqZKiRVojr1VNXcaSgkiXVb3McbqrDnz~Q2j-AvSEGPf5V~qpRXtWAophOQqs8Dgcucne2Gq0zLhx2MpR-jkMH40dAD01LIXdMZpMKkHBjsJIWZHj~cRjlWBdLUeuxHylus~QcJxNtLuvh2nQkGsSCviYhn3y91PVqD~Q2wf3FJw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Senate - Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature","date","2025-08-22T02:14:34.767Z","article","Frederick Athalik Mungloney Jr., resident director of the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, told senators on Aug. 22 the department requests continued funding for nine full‑time employees in business unit 1272 and outlined program budgets for sports and recreation, historic preservation and nutrition assistance.

Mungloney provided program breakdowns: a personal budget request of $299,897 under business unit 1272 covering the resident director, administrative officer, assistant and other municipal staff; a sports and recreation operating request of $25,400; and historic‑preservation personnel totaling $85,457 with $10,500 in operations for fuel, communication and maintenance. He said the department administers programs that include the office on aging, nutritious assistance (NAP), childcare development fund (CCDF) activities and youth services.

Senators asked about CCDF and a municipal staff transition. Mungloney and administrative officer Jolita Calvo said a CCDF position had transferred to being fully federally funded, and the municipal share (previously 50%) was awaiting reimbursement from Saipan. The director said the municipality needs about an additional $300–$3,300 (testimony indicated a small shortfall) to align the municipal pay line with the Saipan pay level for an Administrative Specialist I (pay level 7, step 1) and that the department would restructure the FTE once reimbursement is received.

Historic preservation staff described limited central‑office support for field equipment and fuel. Senators urged close coordination with the mayor’s office, the Rota delegation and the Mariana Visitors Authority for shared maintenance and tourism‑related support. Senator Frank Cruz highlighted concerns about artifact protection after social‑media reports of site disturbance; the department said permits for archaeological work are processed by the central office in Saipan and that municipal staff assist on site when notified.

Ending: Senators asked the department to document pending reimbursements, pursue available grants and revolving funds, and include delegation and mayoral support in grant requests; the committee recessed to continue hearings later in the day.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","250822 24th NMCL FA [9:30am]","oneSentenceSummary","Resident director Frederick Athalik Mungloney Jr. requested continued funding for nine municipal staff, outlined program budgets for sports, historic preservation and nutrition assistance, and raised concerns about delayed central‑office support and a CCDF staffing reimbursement that would enable a small reclassification.","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},6496496,"Rota labor office requests 4x4 vehicle, warns of staff retirements; senators ask for clarity on contract‑worker funds",1122,4876000,5998000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5654003-289c7569132554d5713a9ec3f0aa57bf&start=4876&end=5998","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5654003-289c7569132554d5713a9ec3f0aa57bf/thumbnail_4876000.jpg","/articles/6496496/Rota-labor-office-requests-4x4-vehicle-warns-of-staff-retirements-senators-ask-for-clarity-on-contractworker-funds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6496496-b8fa0728d3c2f2a37e6b730c8ec4685a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771132706&Signature=Mv9UhqubET0BRonCuCQ2EkSqNORnIey4CFzwdG~-maHDcqYPAnE2suG2RThYt2DeXnnAdRRtAoaIK7yE9-IywcHhTjTz9EDzG3bxmOAsUkI0iSvFhXRh9Pi4EAf5q0iQlLrms0oPFrJX0AiGsz04e0TO24duYGV0-GFAZ3A~6epOWT43GyKKBmuG98AMkBMdNPqwpZQXcB0bovY9e0yHu2gnwx7NJKydufkF670VIehhid1w8by22ShMLdQ95Y8camToOo3JnVANwDlKiLGnbyJxd6DzZkfmHaqUCxq0zkpkM0vVcjP0-cYD8jv64Di6uLR1U-s5S6GnLomlLcY8cw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Rota workforce and labor office told the Senate on Aug. 22 it needs a four‑wheel‑drive vehicle for field enforcement work and asked the legislature to consider replacing aging staff before several long‑tenured employees retire.

The director (recorded in the transcript as Director Mosge/Musca) described use of a government sedan for field compliance work and said terrain and rainy‑season conditions have led staff to use personal 4x4 vehicles to pull government vehicles out of difficult spots. “It’s not conducive when we do our field work, especially the unreachable areas where we do compliance,” the director said.

Officials and senators discussed staffing: multiple enforcement staff have served more than 20 years and at least some positions will need replacement when incumbents retire. Senators flagged the end of the contract‑worker program in coming years and urged the department to pursue training and apprenticeship funding to transition residents into private‑sector work.

Senators also pressed for clarification about distribution of contract‑worker‑related funds. Witnesses referenced a federal or public law (described in testimony as the “Consolidated Natural Resource Act of 2008, public law 110‑229”) and said some percentages of a designated fund were earmarked for local labor programs in previous appropriations, but witnesses and senators said municipality shares were not apparent in local accounts. Committee members asked the department and staff to provide the appropriation documents and distribution records so the Senate can consider embedding municipal distributions in the FY26 budget if legally permissible.

Ending: The committee instructed staff to request documentation of the contract‑worker fund allocations and encouraged coordination with the delegation and grants offices; senators expressed openness to including municipal share language in the budget if the legal guidance supports it.","Rota labor officials asked for a 4x4 vehicle for field enforcement and urged attention to numerous long‑tenured staff nearing retirement; senators pressed for documentation about distribution of contract‑worker funds and whether municipalities receive allocated shares under previous legislation.",{"_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},6496502,"Rota Fire & EMS outlines staffing gaps, ambulance outage and delayed radio project",1571,1873000,3444000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5654003-289c7569132554d5713a9ec3f0aa57bf&start=1873&end=3444","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5654003-289c7569132554d5713a9ec3f0aa57bf/thumbnail_1873000.jpg","/articles/6496502/Rota-Fire-EMS-outlines-staffing-gaps-ambulance-outage-and-delayed-radio-project","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6496502-ea65dd5dbfad1c33b5526facc73471a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771132706&Signature=VxE-x7NkF1S~TBJto5iekjov5-Fq7iVG~6Yl0iQUz7lXpHEFGFY09zDrV9zCeMt8ui2D2PJ6P07C9exMFokxUihMaRPZbaAMcbyetIsUuaNISTxxYTqc784rGrYpzSTS8pCzo2YYkqsyrp5iLe3Bsc2QrpZNyZ8f4yzLwWhN1YbH2Okw8EHssfe6cBKPDu5VMud8d77~sK~GPEyMOS0nuOTC7v3m2tuurVSzeGPlBOCTmfWDBmiMGZBGU682GA2UKqyepIq9KkmlGpJG7x6C9ryFcD9bsjCOWThWxQcBLoNtM3H~gjP41-yVBMp2J76RDWSUv9nbWDj~9msmYTUGZQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Acting Deputy Commissioner Ron H. Ogo and Fire Chief presented the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services’ FY26 needs to the Senate budget committee on Aug. 22, reporting staffing shortfalls, vehicle outages and delays executing a federally funded communications upgrade.

Chief Ron H. Ogo said the department has 19 sworn officers and four administrative staff and described two pending personnel actions: one vacancy in process after a resignation and additional funded vacancies being filled by reclassification and reemployment of former firefighters. “We still need more,” Ogo said when senators asked about recruitment and the need for an academy.

The department reported one ambulance out of service and one operational ambulance; vehicles require maintenance and the majority of revolving‑fund expenditures have gone to fuel and upkeep. Revolving funds reported at the hearing include a fire safety account with roughly $9,001 and an ambulance‑fee account with about $3,480; a Rota local law account balance of $3,350 was also reported.

Senators and the department discussed overtime and payroll delays. Committee members said the overtime provision in the proposed budget was intended to be supplemented by an Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) grant so that general‑fund personnel costs could be reprogrammed; committee members said they were pursuing mechanisms — including access to OIA funding — to avoid unpaid payrolls. “Every day that the payroll is not paid, it just compounds,” a senator said.

On communications, Chief Ogo described a grant‑funded project to install repeaters and portable radios to link first responders with the hospital. He said vendor quotations exceeded the grant amounts, prompting guidance from legal counsel to rebid and causing repeated requests for extensions. The department is attempting to piecemeal purchases (for example, buying repeaters and radios in phases) to move the project forward while seeking extensions from the grant administrator.

Senators asked about training and certification. The department relies on Saipan for EMT recertification and instructor support; local recertification capacity was limited and officials said instructors must sometimes be brought from Saipan or Guam, which increases cost. The department said it plans to coordinate with Saipan for academy training for Rota and Tinian when funding allows.

Ending: Committee members urged continued follow‑up with OMB, finance and grant administrators to clear procurement and grant issues, authorized use of revolving funds where appropriate, and signaled willingness to assist in embedding funding for positions and overtime if federal grant support is secured.","Acting fire leadership told senators the department has 19 sworn firefighters and four admin staff, one ambulance out of service, and a multi‑year communications grant delayed by procurement and vendor cost issues; senators urged use of revolving funds, OIA grant support for overtime and cross‑island training.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6496509,"Rota commerce director seeks four FTEs, committee flags revolving‑fund shortfall",882,335000,1217000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5654003-289c7569132554d5713a9ec3f0aa57bf&start=335&end=1217","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5654003-289c7569132554d5713a9ec3f0aa57bf/thumbnail_335000.jpg","/articles/6496509/Rota-commerce-director-seeks-four-FTEs-committee-flags-revolvingfund-shortfall","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6496509-17b1054144ac9acb72a88d3cf22fd436/orig.mp4?Expires=1771132706&Signature=jIUzLtaFG5hdn61~DFgBRJCCeRXTblYYnT39fCKBaXRGVmq8YY4goUj5Jvdj~6pBS5d7mc4mAOhOXHxc3qY4Yma2NY6uaFUgVmWEInNHMmgUPunUz0-YI25cgZGzT2vE1On~DX372aeqlpOpjtjhGS4cTk9gluPtgK1v3GWxh1jpXD-1zYqLyymAnCMmaRe5CJ6S1DRPqZGWqAtv0MWqeLNpdKyhBxI0URpUlfTLhz8GFJLgMTGJVspG32aMmcj~buj4DqXQi3VPnOjPepnOd1nfS7jOg5F~3jFuzQOFnae-8ML5JutIZ53tDzKcLr0Bfco541yD0FmYuocKHEVugA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rota resident director Roni Taisken told the Senate budget committee on Aug. 22 that the Department of Commerce is requesting four new full‑time equivalents (FTEs) for its Alcohol, Beverage and Tobacco Control (ABTC) division, statistics and the administrative office.

The request, Taisken said, responds to staffing shortfalls including an officer who may retire and the need for cross‑training and backups for certification and enforcement duties. “I’m requesting at least, you know, for somebody there to be trained at the same time to familiarize with the ABTC department,” Taisken said.

Senators pressed finance and department officials on funding options. The House had earlier passed a budget version that included four FTEs for the First Senatorial District with a personnel impact of $159,978 and about $1,500 for operations (a total listed in committee remarks of $161,578). Committee members and finance staff noted the ABTC revolving fund (identified in testimony as account “1959B”) had a running balance of roughly $78,000 year‑to‑date and an average monthly collection that finance staff described as about $500–$800 in recent months.

Senator Donald Manglona and others discussed a practical approach: authorize one FTE in the Senate budget now and use the ABTC revolving account to fund that position for the coming fiscal year while seeking general‑fund support in FY27. “We can authorize the 1 FTE now and then use that as a funding source to pay that FTE,” Manglona said, noting the committee would consider a fund certification request from finance staff before budget adoption.

Committee members also asked about expenditure authority and interagency support. Taisken described occasional rejections of municipal invoices routed through the secretary’s office and said the Office of Information Technology (OIT) was assisting the municipal administrative officer with technical problems. Senators urged closer coordination between the municipal director and the central secretary of commerce on opportunities such as SelectUSA and other investment outreach, and suggested splitting the cost of additional ABTC personnel between the revolving account and municipal or central funds if necessary.

The session produced no final budget vote during the hearing; senators directed staff to follow up with finance to verify exact year‑to‑date collections and any required certifications before the budget is finalized.

Ending: The committee left open the option of funding one FTE from the ABTC revolving account for FY26 while the department and finance verify collections and submit a formal fund certification before final budget adoption.","Rota Department of Commerce requested four additional full‑time equivalents for ABTC, statistics and administration; senators discussed using a local revolving account (1959B) to fund one FTE this year and noted year‑to‑date collections of about $78,000.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Community & Cultural Affairs seeks staffing, historic‑preservation support and CCDF reimbursement

Rota labor office requests 4x4 vehicle, warns of staff retirements; senators ask for clarity on contract‑worker funds

Rota Fire & EMS outlines staffing gaps, ambulance outage and delayed radio project

Rota commerce director seeks four FTEs, committee flags revolving‑fund shortfall