Resident awarded for fixing generator

Mayor Orlando Ortega Jr. presented a certificate of appreciation to Michael Parkey after he fixed a generator at the Portales Police Department on the night of June 4, when tumultuous weather bombarded Portales. Parkey received the certificate at the Portales City Council meeting Tuesday night.

Parkey, a city employee, was called to the police station after electricity and the station’s generator failed, causing problems for local dispatchers and police officers, said Police Chief Jeff Gill.

On the first trip to the station, Parkey’s car broke down, thanks to excessive water on the roads. He walked home and drove another automobile to the station in a timely manner, and proceeded to work on and eventually fix the generator, which was located outdoors in the hail, wind and rain, Gill said.

“He is an asset to the city,” Gill said.

Also at the meeting:

• The city presented Lloyd Seefeld as the new, full-time emergency management director for Portales and Roosevelt County. In the past the position had been not been full-time.

The position is mandated and 50 percent funded by the state. The remaining money to pay the salary comes from the city and county.

• The city adopted a state mandate to increase per diem and mileage reimbursements. Mileage reimbursements rose from 25 cents per mile to 32 cents per mile.