by John Davis, KUAM News Tuesday, May 13, 2008 Subscribe to John's newsfeed   E-mail this article Printable version KUAM Toolbar Web Widgets Get RSS headlines

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Daily disconnections of village streetlights continued today. Joining residents in the dark in the villages of Dededo, Agana Heights and Umatac, residents in Tamuning, Yigo and Agat had their lights turned off due to non-payment of the public sector's past-due debt. But while only certain streetlights are supposed to disconnected because of arrears, the word from the Department of Public Works is that the Guam Power Authority may have to pull the plug on every single streetlight on island.

While island streets are getting darker by the day, GPA is saying "pardon our progress", disconnecting up to 60 streetlights daily as crews continue disconnecting streetlights in the north, central and south. They're dismantling the streetlights in villages, with the exception of those that illuminate safety areas such as bus stops, blind curves or intersections. At last week's Consolidated Commission on Utilities meeting GPA general manager Joaquin Flores stated that Department of Public Works money appropriated to pay for island streetlights will run out in early July.

Without any additional appropriations, GPA communications director Art Perez says those same safety measures might have to be revisited, as all streetlights could be disconnected islandwide come July, because Fiscal Year 2008 appropriations have fallen short. "An additional $2 million needs to be re-appropriated by the lawmakers just to pay for the debt for this year," Perez explained.

On Monday the utility agency began taking down single poles with multiple streetlights. Perez confirms the disconnections will continue as the Government of Guam has failed to make good on paying its bills, just like every other ratepayer on the island. (Not to mention there has been no indication of $7.9 million being paid to GPA by the June 1 deadline.)

"That has yet to happen and from what I understand, it's not going to happen any time soon," Perez noted.

Arrears accumulated between the Carl Gutierrez administration in 1997 and on into the Camacho Administration in 2002 totaling more than $13.4 million, since Senator B.J. Cruz's (D) bill to address streetlight arrears didn't make it pass lawmakers the second time around. Additionally, senator Eddie Baza Calvo's (R) Bill 247 would de-appropriate lapses from GPSS personnel to pay the debt being in it's infant stages, but it's in need of additional number-crunching. There is no realistic resolution between the governor or lawmakers to pay a portion of the debt. Aside from the blackouts along roadways, ratepayers will also see a 6% increase in their power bills beginning June 1, but as Perez says, there is still one offer on the table - GPA's offer.

"If the significant portion of the streetlights amount that is owed to the authority, and I believe $7.9 million was forwarded to the authority in payment of this outstanding streetlight debt, then the June 1 base rate increase could be delayed until next year," the spokesman projected.

Tomorrow's disconnections will cover Barrigada, Yona and more of Dededo.