Search Through All NoticesHagåtña, Guam - The Department of the Navy has sent a new lease for the Eagles Field property to address the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) concerns as expressed in its legal opinion on March 31, 2023. At her direction, the Governor’s legal team provided a copy of the OAG’s opinion to the Department of the Navy and discussed possible revisions to the initial draft lease addressing the concerns of the OAG. As a result, at 1:56 pm today, the Dept. of the Navy transmitted a newly revised draft lease to the Office of the Governor.
This afternoon, Lt. Governor Josh Tenorio reviewed the lease with legal counsel, and he believes that the lease revisions have resolved Attorney General Moylan’s legal concerns. As such, the Lt. Governor sent the revised lease to the Office of the Attorney General for review.
To address the OAG’s concerns relative to legislative appropriations, Governor Lou Leon Guerrero will use $10.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, which do not require legislative appropriations, to pay for all monetary considerations under the lease. Additionally, the lease eliminates the potential recovery of monetary damages in the event of a default.
Governor Leon Guerrero previously set aside ARPA funds to construct a new hospital and medical campus.
To address concerns regarding the provision allowing the federal government to use the medical facility during war or national emergencies, the new terms clarify that only the President of the United States can declare a national emergency, and whatever powers the President currently has during a national emergency over all hospitals will also apply to this hospital. The lease does not confer any new rights on the federal government that are not already provided in federal law.
This lease will allow the Government of Guam to build a medical campus in a central location that is minutes away from major population centers and closer to many southern residents who currently must go to Tamuning or Dededo for emergency care.
The Revised Eagles Field Lease Agreement can be downloaded and viewed here:
https://governor.guam.gov/press_release/new-lease-addresses-attorney-generals-concerns/?_thumbnail_id=22444
###
###
