The Executive Director of the American Samoa Power Authority has explained why some schools where air conditioners have been installed, are not able to use them.
ASPA Executive Director Wallon Young was one of the witnesses at a hearing of the House Education Committee about why some schools are without air conditioners.
Committee Chairman Fiu Johnny Saelua said some of the companies supplying AC to schools have said there’s not enough power supply from ASPA, or that ASPA has not connected power to buildings with air conditioners.
Young explained, ASPA has gone to some of the schools and discovered the air conditioning units were not hooked up to the electric panels. He described what ASPA found at Fagaitua High School…
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The ASPA Director believes the scope of work was not clearly defined when the contracts for supply and installation of air conditioners in schools were issued…
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At the hearing, Vice speaker Fetui Fetu questioned the Acting Director of Education about brown fences being erected at some schools. He said this was an example of a project that could wait until after improvements in the classrooms are completed.
Fetui said it appeared that only one company is supplying and installing the school fences and asked if the project was put out to bid, Acting Director Folau Faafetai Teofilo said he wasn’t sure, but guessed it wasn’t put out for bid.
The issue about school fences is one of the topics the Senate Select Investigative Committee is looking into during this Fono session.
