[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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",5975628,"mediaKeyId","5838128-266915c512234745a8dd894d6e5184d7","parentId",5838128,"title","Mayor’s Council pulls abandoned-vehicle work from its recycling fund, cites procurement, market and vendor-payment problems","audioSeconds",2095,"startMs",1118000,"endMs",3213000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5838128-266915c512234745a8dd894d6e5184d7&start=1118&end=3213","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5838128-266915c512234745a8dd894d6e5184d7/thumbnail_1118000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5975628/Mayors-Council-pulls-abandoned-vehicle-work-from-its-recycling-fund-cites-procurement-market-and-vendor-payment-problems","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5975628-884bce721691c3eb6c9ffa9ef6da60c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450683&Signature=fGRLeiKgTpT1xqRKcMnj7du8VW9LviIFq8iyci16MTYTEeYiS6K27QRuJAxMUiQB3jzFJaURfDN3gODok76XvXTxybTH3GsnCawzpo0lr2fCiTg0BRGdXyxFnDSFR5fFatcUhi5l0zT3WiNLiaO-DLybR5ukFznErVp83RKrmefhlJgSTQQxsYthVCit2Ul4jnkMmTKyIn6NDa6Iua6EMz6-8C9DCOi1JoRiVDq5yBIElEjorvIEaa4ozzzrXGGSzFjOH4d9ShoL6gSfnSonjaqN0a1ffKpo1WRvSMaWJ~rxI-hIWwuj23ilIQdnZz73UOQGd9BcSgNjsz8OngeXTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Mayor's Council of Guam","date","2025-09-24T00:00:00Z","article","The Mayor’s Council of Guam voted to remove itself from handling abandoned vehicles under the Recycling Revolving Fund after council members and staff described procurement thresholds, market limitations and unpaid invoices that hindered vendor participation.

Why it matters: The Recycling Revolving Fund provides about $1,500,000 annually for island recycling and bulky-item disposal. Mayors said procurement rules, vendor market capacity and a backlog of unpaid invoices made it impractical for village governments to run the abandoned-vehicle work.

Executive Director’s procurement timeline and legal threshold: The council’s executive director told the meeting that the council followed procurement rules for the abandoned-vehicle procurement and outlined the timeline of the recent effort: the memorandum of understanding was signed Jan. 6 and monies were deposited Jan. 10; bid specifications were signed Feb. 25; the bid packet was sent to the attorney general’s office on March 23; the packet was published June 4; a pre-bid conference was held June 12; bids opened July 7 (eight registered, five participated); notice of intent to award went out July 31; and a stay of procurement (protest) was filed Aug. 13. The executive director said anything above $25,000 must go through formal procurement (an IFB) and that abandoned-vehicle work historically exceeded that threshold.

Council members flagged unpaid invoices and vendor reluctance: The executive director said the council recently received \"stacks\" of invoices going back to 2022 and 2023 that the staff is reconciling with the Department of Administration. Mayors said recyclers reported that overseas processors now require vehicles to be stripped of plastics, glass and interiors before acceptance, increasing processing costs and limiting the local market. One mayor said many recyclers were unwilling to bid because of prior payment problems and capacity constraints.

Motions and outcomes: The meeting records several formal steps:
- The council agreed to request an attorney general's opinion on whether the Mayor’s Council should be treated as a single agency or 19 separate municipal entities for procurement purposes (action to pose question to AG for opinion; executive director to draft question with the council).
- A motion to remove only the abandoned-vehicle portion from the Mayor’s Council’s responsibilities passed after debate. The motion was moved and seconded during the meeting; the chair called for the ayes and the motion passed.
- Subsequently, a motion to return the entire Recycling Revolving Fund program to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) passed and \"superseded the previous motion,\" meaning the council decided to propose that EPA/DPW assume full responsibility for the fund’s work, including abandoned vehicles.

Discussion versus decision: The transcript records extensive discussion about procurement thresholds (the $25,000 threshold was repeatedly cited), whether the council should continue to aggregate village needs into a single procurement, and whether the market and vendors can meet large consolidated procurement requirements. The executive director recommended reconciling invoices and determining market readiness before rebidding. Despite discussion of alternatives (bundle purchases, BPAs), the council concluded that, given unpaid invoices, procurement protests and limited vendor capacity, the abandoned-vehicle work posed implementation risk and should be removed from the council’s responsibilities.

Operational and fiscal clarifications recorded in the meeting:
- The council receives $1,500,000 annually in the Recycling Revolving Fund (as stated in the meeting); how that ceiling is allocated and the allowable administrative costs were discussed and remain governed by the fund’s law and board approvals.
- Procurement thresholds discussed: $25,000 for formal bidding; the abandoned-vehicle procurement packet exceeded $500,000 and was handled as a bundled, whole-council procurement.
- Vendors reported that overseas recyclers now require bare metal and minimal mixed materials, increasing processing tasks locally (removal of plastics, glass, seats and carpets) and reducing the number of eligible local processors.
- The executive director reported receiving two years of outstanding invoices and said staff were reconciling them with DOA.

What’s next: The council said it will send a formal question to the attorney general seeking a procurement interpretation (whether the council is one agency or 19 separate municipal entities for procurement purposes) and the executive director will continue reconciling invoices with DOA. The council voted to remove the abandoned-vehicle work and then voted to request that EPA/DPW take the program back; the transcript does not record EPA or DPW acceptance.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Mayors' Council of Guam Special Meeting - September 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Mayors voted to stop managing the abandoned-vehicle portion of the Recycling Revolving Fund after hearing procurement-law constraints, a contested bid process and unpaid vendor invoices; council kept other recycling activities but later voted to return the entire program to EPA.","taxTitle","Mayor’s Council of Guam, Agencies, Executive , Guam","taxId",18961,"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},5975636,"Philippine hospital group offers specialists, telemedicine and community screening in Guam",439,366000,805000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5838128-266915c512234745a8dd894d6e5184d7&start=366&end=805","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5838128-266915c512234745a8dd894d6e5184d7/thumbnail_366000.jpg","/articles/5975636/Philippine-hospital-group-offers-specialists-telemedicine-and-community-screening-in-Guam","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5975636-94bfd248416d4408f18461d7ba5d0271/orig.mp4?Expires=1770450683&Signature=lyh9Qw4a5Ui2cFlfFLePkM~fLjdiScsPki036yo71kqvZ7qiZ~kcXRH~TvkVS951hhYDdx2m~6vhAx2Twdqcm2fUdxj~S98Var82fOCtU8AyivECg99J9Zr9xqraktULMUWumblZIFd1IHtH0VwWSbTQbdF6cZM~AKQeuE5Nhy60SwD1o9fa-2iVenbtYX~ocv8hwaCf7L9NuSLxA8knlbiyCFwf0wj8VEW0vyHCiFBwvT1BBxMG3PosoTq7JxLmorsQDzsXT-NvAdUz0BoIYe1uLErKMrMasfMcXxUvH7o0SkOsuWdtabSac6EaOJE9DL~R54ZYKMJOnFFXB4di~g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representatives from The Medical City, a Philippine hospital group, told members of the Mayor’s Council of Guam that the hospital can provide specialists, telemedicine and community-based screening if local partners and regulators guide how that support should be deployed. \"We have 73 clinics across the country,\" the representative said, citing the network as a resource for staffing and outreach.

Why it matters: The proposal comes after a visiting delegation toured villages and met local officials, and it seeks to expand access to specialty care, follow-up and early screening for noncommunicable diseases, areas local leaders said they have struggled to sustain.

The visitor framed the offering as partnership rather than a unilateral program. \"We don't think we're any better than the doctors in Guam,\" the representative said. He said The Medical City has worked to qualify some Philippine physicians to practice in Guam and currently has \"around 7 doctors\" who can, and that the broader Philippine network includes many more clinicians: \"we literally have, like, 5,000 doctors, I think, in our network in The Philippines.\" He named gaps he heard in local meetings, including shortages of OB-GYNs and pediatricians, and offered to sponsor Philippine doctors to sit for U.S. board exams so they could work on-island.

The representative described program elements he and his team discussed with local leaders: village-level screenings for blood pressure, diabetes and other noncommunicable diseases; linking people identified at screening to follow-up care; and telemedicine back-up from Philippines-based physicians. He acknowledged licensure and regulatory limits, saying, \"we just need to know what the regulations are around that, and we need your guidance on that and to work with local partners.\" He repeatedly asked local officials what the communities want and need and said the group would not proceed unless there were long-term, sustainable arrangements.

Local officials at the council meeting stressed continuity of care and telemedicine as priorities. One council member said: \"telemedicine is certainly something that we we we should, you know, work on,\" adding that follow-up appointments held by Zoom demonstrated the approach’s potential.

Discussion versus action: Council members and visiting health representatives held a fact-finding discussion; the transcript records no formal motion, allocation of funds, or regulatory decision authorizing foreign clinicians to practice in Guam. The delegation asked for guidance on licensure and logistics; local officials agreed to continue discussions and to involve relevant local agencies.

Background and constraints: The visitor repeatedly emphasized that Philippine clinicians are trained for the Philippines health system and that any program would require local partnership and adherence to Guam regulations. The Medical City representative said nurses from the Philippines are not automatically eligible to work in Guam: \"they're not registered nurses in Guam, right? And they would need to be.\" He also said some Philippine doctors have been qualified to work through Guam’s existing hospital arrangements and that the group prefers to deploy specialists in coordination with Guam providers to avoid duplicative or unsustainable care pathways.

What’s next: The group requested local guidance on regulatory requirements for telemedicine and licensure, and officials at the meeting agreed to continue discussions and share information about needs in specific specialties and clinically appropriate delivery models.","Representatives from a Philippine hospital group described plans to work with Guam partners on community-based screening, specialist visits and telemedicine while asking local officials to define needs and regulatory limits.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Mayor’s Council pulls abandoned-vehicle work from its recycling fund, cites procurement, market and vendor-payment problems

Philippine hospital group offers specialists, telemedicine and community screening in Guam