Senators press for answers on Guam Veterans Cemetery: RFP transmission, reimbursements and maintenance
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Summary
Lawmakers and witnesses told the committee the Veterans Cemetery needs improved maintenance, better reimbursement tracking and an architect/engineer RFP for expansion. Senator Tom Atta said the RFP for A&E services would be sent to the Attorney General's Office; the director committed to follow-up and a modernization plan.
Maintenance and expansion of the Guam Veterans Cemetery were a central concern at an oversight hearing prompted by an OPA audit.
Senator Tom Atta told the committee he had asked the Department of Public Works about an A&E RFP for the cemetery expansion and said he had received confirmation that "the RFP will be transmitted to the Attorney General's Office tomorrow." He cautioned the committee that the AG review timing is unknown and that A&E work is needed to produce an accurate construction cost estimate.
Witnesses repeatedly raised maintenance problems and operational capacity. Robert (Bob) Kelly urged contracting cemetery maintenance to professional landscaping firms and said the cemetery must protect records and have sufficient staff. Kelly and others noted that reimbursement from the National Cemetery Administration is roughly "$900" per burial and that the cemetery has averaged about 12 burials a month, a combination that affects operational funding.
Several speakers described poor or inconsistent recordkeeping and said the OPA audit found the office lacks systems to track the number of veterans served and reimbursement submissions. Tanya Eubanks and other former staff said paper charts and activity logs document complaints but confidentiality limits public naming of individuals.
Volunteers and nonprofits, including HMI and American Red Cross initiatives, described regular volunteer maintenance and outreach; Suwinda Fawcett read a social-media post describing neglected gravemarkers and urged people to help maintain plots rather than only criticize.
Director Saint Augustine said he is "prepared as a director to take corrective action," requested time to produce a modernization plan and said he will work with the governor's office on facility location and operations. Senators reiterated accessibility concerns about the proposed Chancery site (steep, narrow road, limited parking).
No formal procurement decision was made at the hearing; Senator Atta and others said they expect the RFP to move next to the Attorney General's Office and then to DPW for issuance.