Budget Hearings: UVI Tech Park Spends $150,000 Annually On WAPA; Property And Procurement Wants To Build Auto Race Track In Stt

ST. THOMAS — Senators heard testimony from three government-owned entities on Tuesday, including the University of the Virgin Islands, Property and Procurement and Public Works, as part of the Legislature’s series of budget hearings in the Committee on Finance, chaired by Senator Clifford Graham.

Commissioner Randolph Bennett made his department’s case for its annual budget of $15.4 million, and requested another $21 million — monies that may not be available because of the budget deficit of over $100 million — explaining that the funds were needed for an auto race track in St. Thomas, some $9 million, he said. Another $12 million would be used to refurbish multiple government-owned buildings to provide employees with a safer environment from which to work, noting that the buildings needed to be in compliance with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Gustav James, Department of Public Works commissioner, requested $21 million and gave an update on the Paul E. Joseph Stadium project as well as other efforts being helmed by D.P.W. He admitted that the Paul E. Joseph Stadium was delayed, but said it was back and track would be be a “premier facility.”

The University of the Virgin Islands requested $34.4 million, which includes pay raises for the school’s employees, and is $4.7 million more than the institution’s fiscal year 2016 budget.

Senators were surprised yesterday to learn of the U.V.I. RTPark’s high utility cost, which was revealed to be $150,000 annually by Director Gillian Marcelle, the tech park’s executive director.

Dr. Marcelle, whose tenure at the research and technology facility was derided by Senator Nereida Rivera-O’Reilly, said the wind turbines and the solar system installed at the park worked initially but were currently not operational. Asked by Senator Kurt Vialet who was responsible for the systems’ maintenance, Dr. Marcelle said when the energy-saving equipment were put in place, the then-RTPark’s managers had arrangements with an array of service providers.

“Since I have been in the role, and very recently with a director from the RT Park board, we are taking the operation and maintenance of the RTPark very seriously, working with our U.V.I. colleagues, of course,” Dr. Marcelle said. Asked what the cost for W.A.P.A. was when the systems we in operation, Dr. Marcelle said she did not know offhand.

But Mrs. Rivera-O’Reilly, who had accused Dr. Marcelle of using her wit to outsmart others, said Dr. Marcelle’s response to Mr. Vialet was validation that she was not being forthcoming. The senator chided Dr. Marcelle further, noting that she has headed the RTPark for over 18 months and has not been able to resolve the wind turbine and solar energy problems.

“The previous speaker clearly sees through your responses and so I’m not feeling alone anymore,” Mrs. Rivera-O’Reilly said, referring to Mr. Vialet as the previous speaker. “I thought it was really in my mind,” she added, chastising Dr. Marcelle further.

Earlier, Mrs. Rivera-O’Reilly had berated Dr. Marcelle for employees who had ostensibly been relieved from their duties at the RTPark or placed in part-time positions since Dr. Marcelle took over.

“You are a very intelligent woman, a mastermind at manipulating, as a matter of fact. There were people who were real human beings, who had real jobs and did real things. And you’ve come in to roll out what you call your RTPark 2.0, and in the midst of that you’ve created a vacuum where there are no longer people employed, [but rather] contract people who lost benefits,” Mrs. Rivera-O’Reilly said. “I don’t care how you try to paint the picture, it’s not a good picture.”

The RTPark was talked up to be an energy efficient facility that would serve as a model for energy efficiency in the territory when it opened in 2013. Dr. Marcelle promised to get the park back to standard, and said “urgent attention” was being paid to the wind turbines and solar energy units as part of an internal energy efficiency audit.