Director of Administrative Services Tanya Ma’o-Aab annouced that bids for renovations of the AP Lutali Executive Office Building (EOB) in Utulei will be advertised soon.
All departments and agencies that were in the EOB have now relocated in various government and commercial buildings from Pago Pago to Tafuna.
While there have been suggestions that a contractor has already been selected, Director Mao-Aab said that this is not true. “The project will be put out for bid and the bid notice should be coming out soon,” she said.
The design which was awarded to ARC Consulting, headed by Reuben Siatuu, has been completed.
The EOB renovations are expected to take 12 months. $39 million in ARPA funding has been allocated for the renovations, including relocation costs and rent for displaced offices.
Meanwhile, during a recent hearing of the House Budget and Appropriations Committee, Manu’a lawmaker Vala Porotesano Liusamoa said that the EOB in Ta’u does not have sufficient space for ASG offices located on the premises. He told the Governor’s Chief of Staff Leonard Seumanutafa that the Director of Administrative Services has said that the EOB offices in Manu’a are not under her department, they are under the Governor’s Office.
He pointed out that there’s another building in the compound, reserved for the Governor during his visits to Manu’a. Rep Vala asked the Chief of Staff to consider turning this second building into offices, as the Governor doesn’t visit Manu’a often but employees in Ta’u need adequate space to do their jobs.
