Hagåtña, Guam – Governor Lou Leon Guerrero and Rear Adm. John Menoni, Joint Region Marianas Commander, met at the Joint Region Marianas Headquarters November 6. The meeting marked the sixth convening of the Civil-Military Coordination Council (CMCC) since its inception in 2010.
Representatives of the Government of Guam, Joint Region Marianas, and local and U.S. federal agencies also were in attendance.
“I have been very transparent and consistent with my message that our Administration supports the buildup as long as it is balanced, responsible, and responsive to the needs of our people and the protection of our environment and culture,” Governor Leon Guerrero said.
In response to Governor Leon Guerrero’s growing concern regarding the need for additional regulatory and compliance personnel, Adm. Menoni and the Governor ordered the immediate establishment of a joint working group to propose solutions for the Government of Guam’s staffing needs. The most critical staffing shortages are with the Guam Department of Labor’s (GDOL) Alien Labor Processing & Certification Division and the Guam Environmental Protection Agency (GEPA).
Additionally, during the meeting, representatives from Officer in Charge of Construction provided an overview of military construction projects at the future site of Marine Corps Camp Blaz, Naval Base Guam and Andersen Air Force Base. Briefings were also provided by GDOL and GEPA.
The Admiral was pleased to announce a third-party contract to provide a professional archaeologist to address a State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) manpower shortfall caused by military realignment undertakings workload. The SHPO will make the final selection decision on who is hired. Per the 2011 Programmatic Agreement this new assistant will only work on non-DoD undertakings.
“The CMCC demonstrates our joint commitment to our enduring partnership and transparency with each other,” Adm. Menoni said. “I want to express my gratitude and appreciation for the relationship we’ve fostered since my return to the Marianas this year. I firmly believe our partnership has a foundation of trust, collaboration and transparency.”
For Governor Leon Guerrero’s full remarks, please see attached.