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JGO committee recommends approval of zoning-board nominee Salinas
Summary
The Saipan & Northern Islands JGO committee voted to recommend the governor’s renomination of Ms. Salinas to the Commonwealth Zoning Board after a confirmation hearing focused on permitting delays, quorum problems, blighted properties and plans to modernize processes.
The Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation’s Judiciary and Governmental Operations committee on Thursday voted to recommend the governor’s renomination of Ms. Salinas to a second term on the Commonwealth Zoning Board.
The committee’s special assistant, Jean Paul B. Regis, formally presented the governor and lieutenant governor’s renomination and summarized the nominee’s business background and education. “We respectfully seek for your favorable approval for her nomination,” Regis said during the introduction.
Ms. Salinas told the committee she understands zoning is “a public trust” and said she would approach matters with “fairness, preparation, patience, and a willingness to learn and to listen.” She highlighted priorities including clarifying ambiguous zoning text, modernizing the permitting process and improving public participation.
Lawmakers questioned the nominee at length about operational problems in the zoning office, including recurring quorum shortfalls, the speed of permit processing and enforcement of blighted-property rules. Representative Marissa R. Flores pressed for guarantees that major rezoning or subdivision votes have reliable sign-offs from utilities like CUC so that projects will have adequate power and water capacity.
The nominee credited acting zoning administrator Hubert Alipuzo and staff for recent process improvements, saying routine clearances are now processed the same day and that straightforward new permits average about five to seven days if applications are complete. She said the team reduced a statutory 21-day target to an average “three to seven days” for many cases.
Committee members also discussed enforcement and blight: the nominee reported the agency has identified roughly 168 blighted properties, posted 45 notices, and seen 19 properties comply to date (including nine demolitions); she said fines had not been issued at the time of the hearing.
After discussion, a member moved to recommend the nomination and the committee approved the motion by voice vote. The chair announced, “The ayes have it,” and the committee carried the motion to forward the nominee to the full body for confirmation.
Next steps: the committee’s recommendation will be placed before the full legislature for final confirmation.
