The government’s land use permitting group, Project Notification and Review System Board, (PNRS) paid a site visit to the Fono Fale Samoa project.
About a dozen members of the Board, including Director of Marine and Wildlife Resources, Dr Ruth Matagi Tofiga, Parks and Recreation Director Faumuina Pili Gaoteote, Director of the Environmental Protection Agency Ameko Pato, and Deputy Director of Commerce Sandra Neria Lutu, saw for themselves construction going on in full swing at the site.
This despite a stop notice issued on December 8.
As we reported earlier this month, the PNRS held a hearing to discuss the Fono violation of the stop notice where two Fono staffers Utaifeau Bill Kalasa and Toloa Letuli gave conflicting statements.
Utaifeau acknowledged that the project needed a land use permit from PNRS because its new construction, the footprint of the fale Samoa has been extended.
But Letuli said it was a repair job to fix a leaking roof and replace posts which are rotting, and he said there was no violation.
At the meeting businessman Jim McGuirre questioned why the Fono was being allowed to continue the unpermitted construction and said while he respects the legislative leaders respect is a two way thing and the leaders should also respect the laws, respect to the laws.
An after the fact application for the Fono project was filed with PNRS, after the December 8 stop notice was issued. As of yesterday the PNRS had not issued a permit.
And the construction has never been halted.
Yesterday during the PNRS site visit, KHJ News heard statements by directors on the group that the agencies with stop notice authority like Public Works, issue their own stop notice, as well the Department of Commerce for the PNRS Board.
The contractor for the job, Paramount Builders maintains that since it has never been given a stop notice, there’s no reason to stop.
That was the explanation given by Paramount Builders owner Papalii Laulii Alofa when KHJ News first reported on the unpermitted project.
Stop notices are issued to the project owner which in this case is the Fono, not the contractor.
The fale Samoa project started the day after the governor met with Fono leaders and Congresswoman Aumua Amata at the Senate conference room in November.
The supplemental budget bill includes $500,000 for the fale Samoa project.
No bids were solicited and the explanation given us is that this was an emergency project because the Fale Samoa was badly deteriorating and it could collapse at any time.
