Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
PORTALES — Less is more when it comes to capital outlay requests, the Portales City Council decided on Tuesday.
Councilors approved a four-item wish list:
• $395,000 for wellfield improvements,
• $175,000 for water circulation upgrades,
• $50,000 for cemetery expansion,
• and $50,000 for a drainage study.
The list of city improvements — submitted for the New Mexico state Legislature to consider funding — was shortened from five items to four.
City Manager Sammy Standefer recommended the fifth item, the construction of a new fire substation, be removed, citing an upcoming loan of $1 million from the New Mexico Finance Authority to help pay for the project.
“We are getting a loan, and capital at this point would just take us longer, and we would need to halt some of that activity. We do believe it’s on a train track, if you will, and we’re gonna be able to accomplish that goal (without capital outlay funding),” he said.
Removing the fire substation from the list made sense to Councilor Dianne Parker, but she wondered why the city shouldn’t replace the project with another one.
Standefer said focusing on fewer projects could increase the odds of receiving funding.
“I think you’re better off, especially this year, presenting a little smaller list, really targeted on one, two, three, four,” he said.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting in the Memorial Building:
• Councilors approved the ratification of $1.1 million in bills for the month of November.
• Councilors approved a notice of intent to authorize a loan of $1 million between the city of Portales and the New Mexico Finance Authority for the construction of a fire substation on the north side of the city.
The loan itself will come before the council for approval on Jan. 9, according to City Clerk Joan Martinez-Terry.
• An application by the Portales Fire Department for a $19,000 grant through the EMS Fund Act was approved.
• Beer and wine licenses for two businesses — A.J.’s Wings and Pizza Hut of Portales — were approved.
• Councilors approved a four-year contract for city attorney services by the Doerr and Knudson law firm.
• Councilors approved two use agreements with the Portales Bowhunters Club.
The first agreement allows use of a room in the Portales Recreation Center until May 31, and the second allows use of an archery range on New Mexico 202 until June 5.
