Extending commercial leases for public property and facilities, while removing or limiting legislative scrutiny - two separate bills seeking to do just that garnered support during Thursday’s public hearing. Senator Joe San Agustin’s Bill 8 seeks to extend public property lease term to 30 years and completely remove the required legislative review period of 60 days and a public hearing. 

On the other hand, Senator Telo Taitague’s Bill 15 seeks 10 years and increases the review period to 180 days.

Guam International Airport Authority general manager John Quinata is in full support of Bill 8, calling it common sense, sharing, "Although there has been a lot of interest, heavy interest,  the current law as written continues to be an impediment to progress."

The Guam Economic Development Authority's Diego Mendiola read aloud written testimony from his agency's CEO and administrator Melanie Mendiola, who says the current five-year limit makes any real property development unfeasible. He announced, "Since the enactment of Public Law 32-40 in 2013, GEDA has had first hand experience with foreign investors losing interest in Guam, along with missed opportunities that may have generated economic activity and increased our local workforce."

The five-year law was introduced in 2013 by former senator Tom Ada to improve transparency. "For example, if we dig into the lease where the ITC Building sits on, that lease agreement was actually for something like 50 years renewable for another 50. So that lease is probably for like 100 years. The increase in rent from Day 1 to the 100th year was probably like $0.15," continued Diego Mendiola.

While he admits 30 years is the gold standard, it’s unclear if he is in full support of either measures.

Meanwhile, former senator and Port Authority of Guam general manager Rory Respicio, who was also a main sponsor of the law, is in support of Bill 8, testifying, "I see firsthand how the current statutory restrictions, though perhaps necessary at that time at their passage, may have been too draconian and may have resulted in unintended consequences."

Still, some like Senator Therese Terlaje are against removing legislative oversight. She said, "While some of you may be in management now, it is our job on this side to do the things you were trying to do back then. It’s exactly the same; make sure the people of Guam get the value they deserve for the properties they have given up for these purposes.

"We haven’t always seen that."