Bryan met with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland as U.S. Virgin Islands received $3.4 million in grants

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. met virtually with Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on June 24, 2021, and the U.S. Virgin Islands was awarded $3,417,256 in discretionary grants through the Office of Insular Affairs, according to Government House.

Government House said Haaland also told Bryan that the Office of Insular Affairs would work with the Virgin Islands government in its discussions with the Environmental Protection Agency about Limetree Bay and on streamlining fiscal processes between the territorial government and the U.S. Treasury.

Of the total award, $2,560,260 was distributed through the Office of Insular Affairs' Technical Assistance Program and $856,996 through its Maintenance Assistance Program.

Technical Assistance Program funding included $630,872 for the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency's 911 Emergency Communications Center phone system upgrade project, $375,000 for the Department of Finance's electronic payment process solution, $350,000 for the Bureau of Information Technology's cybersecurity vulnerability prevention project, $122,000 for the Virgin Islands Fire Service to procure two Cascade units, and $10,000 for the Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation to hire a temporary grant writer.

Additional Technical Assistance Program grants included $495,000 for the University of the Virgin Islands Business Innovation Center, $250,000 for UVI's constitutional development and self-determination project, $286,310 for the Virgin Islands Centre for Architecture, Crafts and Build Heritage Inc. for a project development conference for design, construction and curriculum, and $41,079 for Beyond Visions Inc. for virtual workshops on capacity building and technical assistance.

Maintenance Assistance Program funding included $267,996 for the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority to procure mini-excavators and utility pickup trucks, $208,000 for the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority to procure a zero-turn mower, tractor mower and trailer, $206,000 for WAPA to procure a Mack dump truck, and $175,000 for the Bureau of Information Technology's data center maintenance management solution project.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-meets-with-interior-secretary-deb-haaland/