Governor files first 3 administration bills

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón announced Wednesday that she will submit her first three administration bills to the Legislature, including one that has the goal of legalizing structures in the seaside La Parguera sector of Lajas, the home of one of the island’s three bio bays.

The La Parguera measure comes after Designated Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) Secretary Waldemar Quiles amended an order that had collectively legalized structures in La Parguera to say that each case will be evaluated separately.

ining Officers and Administrative Judges are ordered, after the required procedures and in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Regulations of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources and the Rules of Procedure for Administrative Hearings of the Environmental Quality Board, to evaluate the applicability of the provisions of this Administrative Order to the particular circumstances of each case under their consideration and, if they deem it appropriate, order the filing of the cases related to the provisions established in this Administrative Order to become academic,” the order notes.

The La Parguera measure aims to resolve the legal uncertainties surrounding existing structures and residences in the sector -- where a property owned by the governor’s in-laws was the subject of a complaint filed with the DNER -- ensuring their alignment with environmental conservation.