Sept. 12, 2003 – The St. John Coastal Zone Management Committee was forced to postpone its Friday meeting because it didn't have a quorum.
The meeting was rescheduled for 10 a.m. Monday at the Legislature Building in Cruz Bay.
Committee members Julien Harley and Madeline Sewer showed up on Friday. The third member, J. Brion Morrisette, was absent.
The committee by law has five members, Harley noted, but there are two vacancies. He said that because all three current members must be present to make a quorum, the committee could not vote on whether to extend a CZM permit to allow the Water and Power Authority to construct an undersea waterline from St. Thomas to St. John.
The permit was issued October 2001 and ratified by the Legislature on March 21, 2002. WAPA needs the extension because the CZM permit is good for only a year.
WAPA sent two representatives to the meeting. One of them, Alicia Sylvester, said that the project had been delayed because of funding problems but that funding is now in place.
No one from the public showed up for the meeting. One person was present representing the Planning and Natural Resources Department, under which the CZM program falls.
Harley said residents are reluctant to accept nomination to the St. John CZM Committee because they don't want to face a legislative confirmation hearing. "They don't want to go to the Senate to be embarrassed," he said.
He also said, however, that the current Legislature is less acrimonious than the previous one. And he asked that anyone interested in serving on the committee call him at 776-6484.
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