FLOOR 04/11/2023-REPORTED OUT TO THE FLOOR 03/06/2023-REPORTED OUT TO THE COMMITTEE ON RULES AND JUDICIARY 02/17/2023-REASSIGNED TO THE COMMITTEE ON BUDGET, APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCE BILL NO. 35-0017 Thirty-Fifth Legislature of the Virgin Islands February 15, 2023 An Act approving the Lease Agreement between the Government of the Virgin Islands, acting through its Commissioner of the Department of Property and Procurement, and Suntech Group, Inc. d/b/a St. Thomas Gas for Parcel No. 4 Submarine Base, No. 6, Southside Quarter, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, consisting of approximately 27, 732.393 U.S. sq. ft. or 0.637 U.S. acre as shown on P.W.D. File No. D9-1426-T78 to be used for the purpose of operating a trucking, transportation, delivery, and retail business of bottled propane gas, and for no other purpose PROPOSED BY: Senator Novelle E. Francis, Jr. WHEREAS, on October 5, 2022, the President of Suntech Group, Inc. d/b/a St. Thomas 1 Gas, executed the Lease Agreement between the Government of the Virgin Islands and Suntech 2 Group, Inc. d/b/a St. Thomas Gas; 3 WHEREAS, on November 3, 2022, the Commissioner of the Department of Property 4 and Procurement executed the Lease Agreement between the Government of the Virgin Islands 5 and Suntech Group, Inc. d/b/a St. Thomas Gas; 6 WHEREAS, on November 30, 2022, the Acting Governor of the Virgin Islands approved 7 the Lease Agreement between the Government of the Virgin Islands and Suntech Group, Inc. 8 d/b/a St. Thomas Gas; 9 2 WHEREAS, Suntech Group, Inc. d/b/a St. Thomas Gas, will be leasing Parcel No. 4 1 Submarine Base, No. 6, Southside Quarter, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, consisting of 2 approximately 27, 732.393 U.S. square feet or 0.637 U.S. acres, more or less, as shown on 3 P.W.D. File No. D9-1426-T78; for an initial term of 10 years, with two 5-year options to renew; 4 at an initial annual rent of $54,000.00, payable in monthly instalments of $4,500.00, to be used 5 for the purpose of operating a trucking, transportation, delivery, and retail business of bottled 6 propane gas, and for no other purpose; 7 WHEREAS, rent after the first year and every year thereafter, including the renewal 8 terms, will be adjusted in accordance with the Consumer Price Index, but no adjustment in 9 rental for any given year will increase by more than three percent over the preceding year 10 period; and 11 WHEREAS, title 31 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 21, section 205, subsection (c) 12 provides that in addition to the Governor’s approval of any lease, the Legislature of the Virgin 13 Islands must also approve all leases that exceeds a term of one year; Now, Therefore, 14 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands: 15 SECTION 1. Pursuant to title 31 Virgin Islands Code, section 205, subsection (c), the 16 Legislature of the Virgin Islands approves the Lease Agreement between the Government of 17 the Virgin Islands, acting through its Commissioner of the Department of Property and 18 Procurement and Suntech Group, Inc. d/b/a St. Thomas Gas, for Parcel No. 4 Submarine Base, 19 No. 6, Southside Quarter, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, consisting of approximately 27,732.393 20 U.S. sq. ft. or 0.637 U.S. acre, more or less, as shown on P.W.D. File No. D9-1426-T78; for an 21 initial term of 10 years, with two 5-year options to renew, to be used for the purpose of operating 22 a trucking, transportation, delivery, and retail business of bottled propane gas, and for no other 23 purpose. 24 3 BILL SUMMARY 1 This bill approves the lease between the Government of the Virgin Islands and Suntech 2 Group, Inc. d/b/a St. Thomas Gas. 3 BR23-0316/February 1, 2023/LMW 4