La Casa director recognized

Before any money talk at Tuesday’s Portales City Council meeting, Mayor Orlando Ortega presented two certificates of appreciation in recognition of Seferino Montano and his non-profit business, the La Casa Health Centers.

Montano, executive director of the health center, has been serving the city of Portales in the current capacity for 27 years.

Ortega read a proclamation to Montano stating “La Casa Health Care serves a vital safety net delivering care to over 5,000 patients with over 16,000 patient visits annually, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.”

In other business, the council:

l accepted a bid award from the state to purchase roughly 580 tons of asphalt to pave a walking trail at Industrial Park.

The bid was for $46 a ton, and Howell said he may be able to cut back on some of the asphalt to make the bid work financially. The project will be complete by the end of August at the latest, Howell said.

l voted to increase cemetery lot fees from $150 to $250.

l discussed qualifications for a community development director. Advertisements for the position require the candidate to be bilingual, something City Manager Gerald Depo said is important to attract more Hispanic businesses to the area.

But Ortega noted that the idea may backfire if it shuns more qualified candidates who aren’t bilingual.