ST. EUSTATIUS–The agreement between NuStar Statia Terminal NV and the Island Government of St. Eustatius was finally and joyously signed on Thursday.
Present at the signing were Acting Island Governor Julian Woodley, Commissioners Charles Woodley and Derrick Simmons on behalf of the Public Entity, and NuStar’s Vice-President of Terminal Operations John Roller and Operational Manager Terence Keogh.
Also present were Director of Economy and Infrastructure Anthony Reid, Island Council member Rechelline Leerdam, Island Secretary Koert Kerkhoff, and Executive Assistant to Commissioner Woodley Berlushyne van Putten.
The revised agreement went through a lot of trials and tribulations to reach at this point. On January 26, the Executive Council and NuStar signed a letter of intent as a precursor to the long-term agreement which the Executive Council had been negotiating with NuStar since Commissioner Woodley took office.
On February 9, the original NuStar agreement was scheduled to be signed, but upon instruction of Dutch Government Representative Gilbert Isabella, Acting Governor Woodley was instructed not to sign the agreement until the Dutch Government Lawyer (Landsadvocaat) could review it.
The agreement was even subject to a Court case that pitted the Governor against the Commissioner.
Commissioner Woodley then signed the agreement since the Governor refused to sign under instruction, which made the agreement illegal.
The Government Lawyer provided key points that needed to be corrected for the agreement to be legally sound.
Once the Island Government received the agreement, the Commissioners, the coalition parties, their lawyers and advisors, and their support team went to work in revising the agreement and sent it on to the related Ministries, as well as to the Dutch Government Lawyer.
After several weeks of review, the Lawyer sent the agreement back to the island without need for correction. The agreement was then handled in the Island Council and voted upon by the majority and passed.
The revised NuStar agreement was signed by Acting Island Governor Woodley and Vice President Roller, after which a copy was handed to Island Secretary Kerkhoff.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/68035-revised-agreement-with-nustar-signed
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