No Vote on Cruz Bay Creek Contract at VIPA Board Meeting

A vote on the nearly $75,000 contract to beautify the Cruz Bay Creek was scheduled for the Wednesday, November 21, V.I. Port Authority board meeting, however lack of a quorum prevented the funding from being officially approved.

The five board members who did attend the meeting voted to authorize the contract, according to published reports. The deJongh Group, which was selected in August to plan the beautification project, submitted a proposal totaling $74,868. Board member Gordon Finch reportedly asked VIPA Executive Director Darlan Brin to conduct a poll vote by either phone or fax to secure the necessary votes to approve the contract.

While VIPA has been vague about just what it hopes to accomplish at the Creek, Brin reportedly told a local daily newspaper that the planning process will include moving fishing boats and other small craft from the Creek to the Enighed Pond Marine Facility.

“What’s on the drawing board in terms of the master planning are things like the beautification of the area, landscaping and things like that,” VIPA spokesman Marc Stridiron told St. John Tradewinds in August. “Those are the larger questions that will be addressed.”

VIPA has previously stated its commitment to involving St. John residents in the design of the Creek.

“One thing I want to stress is that public input will be critical at all phases,” Stridiron said earlier this year. “This is not just going to be the Port Authority and architects determining what to do in the area. The process of planning the area is going to involve a heavy amount of public input.”

Stridiron did not return calls requesting comment on the board meeting vote as of press time last week.

 

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