[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6197270,"mediaKeyId","3853600-e63ad2aae10dfd70f098cc72a4cbdd9b","parentId",3853600,"title","Tinian acting police director seeks 10 officers, academy support and dedicated travel funds","audioSeconds",2644,"startMs",1716000,"endMs",4360000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3853600-e63ad2aae10dfd70f098cc72a4cbdd9b&start=1716&end=4360","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3853600-e63ad2aae10dfd70f098cc72a4cbdd9b/thumbnail_1716000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6197270/Tinian-acting-police-director-seeks-10-officers-academy-support-and-dedicated-travel-funds","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6197270-e9fd2182fb1e2b60af51b5eb5eb973d1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447858&Signature=lhqxRe-HRUQ1gYx5QlgHYigIGF9jWSM75unY7wCLRg0bOtxQUcHUMlUHqDgMRJhkz1SYcT1478YKspFKJAJiTyX~Yd1Dl3Ny8mHF6Of5ISnA0TUqh2CWcOFrcu82tYYvlYgDqAU8kscXHy498vV~hDmf60wz9HkOzC7jUmm0VfSg7UuzPOlZ~OTTL-wygK-69GCLO5~3y2Wbqqo0~Q1uvP4e0nE6yHp6Db2gJ6lpZaxQ-RUrP5sm7kiHFKG5UCuwQ8I39~W1slgx5Rj9AAQtfpI8RN-L7PDk-ynwezUB~KTIAVzfnskauH6vOWx5JrF2~CZ4iEc853v~xUDcDJBCfw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House - Northern Marianas Commonwealth Legislature","date","2025-06-17T00:00:00Z","article","Acting Director Sergeant Wally Villegomez told a municipal budget committee that Tinian’s Department of Public Safety needs 10 funded officer positions to restore patrol coverage and respond to increasing calls tied to population growth, military activity and infrastructure projects.

\"Funding for additional 10 full time equivalent FTE positions is absolutely vital,\" Villegomez said, saying the department currently has 10 officers and expected some departures that would reduce that number further.

Villegomez asked members to support recruitment planned to begin on 06/23/2025 through the Workforce Investment Agency (WEA), which would fund cadets’ academy training. He said the department hopes the cadet pipeline can be used to fill sustained vacancies after the WEA-funded period.

He also asked the committee to consider creating a dedicated travel line for the department. Historically, the mayor’s office has covered travel expenses for court hearings, detainee escorts to Saipan and juvenile-case travel; Villegomez said relying on ad hoc mayoral payments is not sustainable.

Members pressed on operational details. Villegomez confirmed a communications request (about $17,574) is for landlines and internet service. He said radio coverage is poor on Tinian’s north side and that the department sometimes relies on cell phones. Vehicles: DPS reported six functional vehicles; staffing structure shows heavy reliance on cross-assignment and off-duty call-ins.

A recurring procedural issue emerged: members and DPS staff said the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) previously told an employee that to move into a higher-classified position she would need to resign and reapply, rather than be promoted in place. Several members called that practice unfair and requested OPM document the directive or guidance so the committee can address it during budget and personnel planning.

The department reported ongoing coordination with Saipan for support on training, equipment and grant-based assistance, and described plans to start recruitment and an academy this summer. No formal motions or votes took place during the hearing; members requested paperwork from OPM then and asked finance and mayor’s staff to verify revolving-fund balances and past fund transfers to assure DPS retains traffic- and motor-vehicle–related funds for Real ID support.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","250617 24th NMCL HoR W&M 9:00 a.m.","oneSentenceSummary","Acting Director Sergeant Wally Villegomez told a municipal budget committee that Tinian’s Department of Public Safety needs 10 funded officer positions to restore patrol coverage and respond to increasing calls tied to population growth, military activity and infrastructure projects.","taxTitle","House, Northern Mariana Legislative Sessions, Northern Mariana Islands","taxId",20281,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6197275,"Tinian Public Works seeks higher pay, equipment and staff to meet road, waste and building duties",1496,178000,1674000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3853600-e63ad2aae10dfd70f098cc72a4cbdd9b&start=178&end=1674","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3853600-e63ad2aae10dfd70f098cc72a4cbdd9b/thumbnail_178000.jpg","/articles/6197275/Tinian-Public-Works-seeks-higher-pay-equipment-and-staff-to-meet-road-waste-and-building-duties","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6197275-5109ee09007391a8c12fb27928331ded/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447858&Signature=j~6f-FeP9P9NvTNzV4U0~3xJZTuLpp9GkzotWMk3xBs7PmILnfOjsRa8sImESzWiw8GugmoBEInRFYNmr7KYW82hok7Ta1yzFEMiRBFVzb4gP4ptA902ptwxK3KpvkikG5rqrLaygLNODWhkL0RoKzlISPgJFL3gAVcb5-28WSClbCfV7cGCm9z-yhF9V-LIYFl-zo7pwiC65Wn~wJFqlnXX~q4oGKAwg3mSxM0k1XKlQwpSwEBV5LI3js6pF5v~k2wKGxfOjLddX9JkcIYrAw0A35myWD2HBGDnP-~3W7erir9Z-RTPxyWvrsZqi3x1JmSfgY2iT8xvkRTSPMJ4Ug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tinian's Department of Public Works told a municipal budget committee on an island budget hearing that it needs higher wages, a truck and trailer, and two building inspectors to carry out road maintenance, building inspections and solid-waste operations.

“The operator ones are making $7.61 per hour, and operator 3 makes $8.39 per hour,” Resident Department Head Joel Ontellon said, adding that employees were leaving for private employers that pay substantially more. He said DPW currently has five staff in roads and grounds and seeks salary increases and another truck and trailer to pull equipment.

The request matters because DPW is responsible for paved and unpaved road safety, signs, guardrails, drainage, pavement markings and inspections of building safety codes on the island. Ontellon told members that the department also handles solid waste collection and disposal and is trying to collect fees once resources allow.

Committee members pressed for specifics on several budget lines. Ontellon said a line item of $123,700 listed as \"cleaning services\" on the department’s submission appears to be a typo in the department request. He also said a funded building-inspector recruitment has been open since January, was reannounced through OPM and currently closes Oct. 10; the administration’s proposal shows two funded inspector positions. “Nobody has applied for our building inspector position since we opened it,” Ontellon said.

Finance staff on the call gave differing numbers for two revolving funds tied to building safety and solid waste, prompting members to request reconciled balances. Finance staff gave a building-safety revolving balance of $37,801.23 and a solid-waste ledger balance later reported as negative $49,985.14; participants noted multiple, conflicting account figures among agencies and called for a joint reconciliation meeting.

Committee members and DPW officials also discussed alternative funding and support. Ontellon said the department has used revolving funds for vehicles and is coordinating with the mayor’s office and the Department of Lands and Natural Resources for assistance. He thanked the mayor’s office and DLNR for prior help. Ontellon said some solid-waste positions are in process and that the department is working with the Office of Planning and Development (OPD) on SADRA grant resources but cannot access SADRA funds until the CNMI comprehensive plan is completed.

The department gave a price estimate for a new truck and trailer — about $50,000 and $5,000 respectively — and said a building-inspector salary of about $25,000 (funding line) would likely attract applicants. Members suggested redirecting part of other request lines (for example travel or cleaning) to pay travel for inspector training in Saipan if necessary.

The hearing produced no formal motions or votes. Committee members asked DPW, finance and the mayor’s office to reconcile revolving-account balances and to confirm procurement inventories before approving any vehicle purchases.

Ontellon closed by thanking the committee for visiting Tinian and said the department will provide any additional details requested by members.","The Department of Public Works in Tinian told a municipal budget committee it needs higher wages to retain road crews, new vehicles and trailers, additional building inspectors and clearer revolving-fund accounting for solid waste and building-safety programs.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6197265,"Tinian fire and EMS seek travel, training and vehicles; one ambulance limits response options",1245,5149000,6394000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3853600-e63ad2aae10dfd70f098cc72a4cbdd9b&start=5149&end=6394","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3853600-e63ad2aae10dfd70f098cc72a4cbdd9b/thumbnail_5149000.jpg","/articles/6197265/Tinian-fire-and-EMS-seek-travel-training-and-vehicles-one-ambulance-limits-response-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6197265-52fc50c320d18e0b5b9842fead47a2fd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447858&Signature=BbW2QHIBHVpLqDyC817pHkNHtlPVyP01XxI1RnBabnVDCbHyVv684cW9TVFq9JrpAjKXxc7YwGZhm9ndvjX~DXloWq0tuGSw3~OO1uJp1QFTbW1~GHseYydtqNFZNv0VOVwcX4U3kDs5qsaBOhqq1CN~GELrVJ5vqRVBFoCvIvMtFK1zpbmJtEtUzzL3BBkvUMWD1V5sTcz9PJfRAeqpzD54u~~KV9WPb2OB~WDMApw5ZyZ0R5Nd3qoDfSyq1mv5ZhqvY7~pXMU42d1CMwfYFFddujEpB9pX~jnFo7r8-346e0UUNMXIzZkGT4HZbyDsZT0tJL9LfwHcgdF7BCBmKA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Deputy Commissioner Raymond T. Dela Cruz told a budget hearing that the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services on Tinian needs travel and training funds to certify medics, replacement or retrofit vehicles, and other equipment to sustain emergency response.

\"I have six personnel that need to go up to Saipan for evaluation, OJT, so they can be checked off, for the medic. So that way they can touch patients,\" Dela Cruz said, explaining a $30,000 travel request paired with $30,000 for personnel training.

The department reported one ambulance, a 2,000-gallon pumper and a 300-gallon mini pumper. Dela Cruz said the ambulance is nearly five years old and that, when the ambulance is unavailable or a second call occurs, the department’s pickup truck is used to transport patients.

Dela Cruz listed other needs including equipment ($75,000 request), vehicle repairs and maintenance (a line around $100,000) and freight and handling costs for medical supplies that must be shipped from Saipan. He said turnaround for shipments and out-of-pocket freight has been a recurring operational cost.

The department said it has roughly 19 firefighters, cross-trained across duties, and that it is seeking to fill two funded vacancies; recruitment notices have been open nearly a year with no applicants. Dela Cruz said turnout gear previously replaced with NMHC support has improved readiness, but gaps remain for backup gear and vehicle retrofits (estimated $5,000–$6,000 per truck for basic retrofits).

Committee members asked about contingency planning for storms and hydrant access. Dela Cruz said hydrant status and water availability are managed with the Central Utilities Company and that some hydrants are dry; the department must sometimes drive a quarter mile to refill fire trucks. Members urged contingency planning for an above-average typhoon season.

No formal votes or motions were taken; members asked finance and central agencies about grant cycles and whether equipment and ambulance requests could be submitted to NMHC or other grant sources. Dela Cruz thanked the committee and said the department will continue recruiting and coordinate with central offices on equipment requests.","Deputy Commissioner Raymond Dela Cruz told the committee his fire and EMS station needs travel and training funds to certify medics, equipment funding, and more vehicles; currently Tinian has one aging ambulance and a limited fleet for search-and-rescue and fire response.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Tinian acting police director seeks 10 officers, academy support and dedicated travel funds

Tinian Public Works seeks higher pay, equipment and staff to meet road, waste and building duties

Tinian fire and EMS seek travel, training and vehicles; one ambulance limits response options