“Prosperity and an improved quality of life is a product of good planning and hard work, it’s why we worked with the community to envision the future of our island and what we can do to shape that future with Imagine Guam. It’s exciting to see this project move forward. It can serve as a model as we move forward now with Guam 2065.”
– Governor Eddie Baza Calvo
Today, Governor Calvo met with the Southern Development Master Plan Task Force to discuss a comprehensive master plan for the southern villages of the island.
“I’m going to provide my support and my office’s support to help you as you go through this task, which is important work,” the Governor stated.
“Part of what your task force will do is gain input from the community. We saw with Imagine Guam, which is now in its second phase of Guam 2065, that our people have great ideas and big dreams of how we can shape our future. I’m glad we have a process through which residents of our southern villages can articulate those dreams as a master plan for southern development is created.”
Agat Mayor Tayama, who attended the meeting along with other leaders of southern villages, thanked Senator Tommy Morrison for bringing them together. Senator Morrison introduced legislation that became Public Law 33-145, with a specific provision that further empowers village mayors to have clear responsibility and leadership in plotting their course for land use by electing a southern mayor to lead the council.
“It’s simple. The best way to determine our future is to control or influence the processes that help define it. This law guarantees that what happens in the south is best determined by those who live in the south,” says Senator Tommy Morrison.
Wil Castro, Director of the Bureau of Statistics and Plans, said the last major land planning initiative was 18 years ago.
“The Southern Development Master Plan will be useful in informing the Land Master Plan as part of the governor’s Guam 2065 initiative,” he stated.
The meeting was an opportunity to meet with members of the task force and discuss key master plan components including the scope of work involved, stakeholder engagement, timelines and resources that
will ensure an integrated comprehensive master plan for southern Guam becomes a reality.
The Southern Development Master Plan Task Force includes the southern village mayors and officials from the Bureau of Statistics and Plans, the Department of Land Management, the Guam Environmental Protection Agency, the Guam Economic Development Authority, and the Guam Visitors Bureau.
For more information, contact Wil Castro, Director, Bureau of Statistics and Plans, or Monica Guerrero at (671) 472-4201/2/3 or email wil.castro@bsp.guam.gov or
monica.guerrero@bsp.guam.gov.
