Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Community leaders are seeking financial assistance from the State Legislature for a variety of projects including implementation of a 1 1/2-mile access road to the cheese plant and a proposed $7 million new science center at Eastern New Mexico University.
County, city, ENMU and economic development officials met with Sen. Gay Kernan on Monday at the ENMU Ballroom to discuss the various requests for funding.
The proposed access road would link U.S. Highway 70 to the cheese plant scheduled to break ground next month near the Roosevelt/Curry County line.
City and county officials lauded the joint venture, claiming the road would save local truckers about four miles of travel. The entities are seeking $200,000 from the Legislature to help fund the project.
“The cheese plant road: What a good investment that would be,” said Kim Huffman, the executive director of the Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce. “That would open up potential for a new industrial park, besides giving a lot of the folks who work there a shorter route to travel.”
Eastern President Steven Gamble listed a $7 million request to construct a new science center as the university’s top institutional priority.
“The last new building at ENMU was in 1989, so we feel like we’re making up for lost time,” Gamble said.
Other requests from Gamble, who is asking for over three times as much money as the city and county combined, include $3.5 million for a new health sciences center at ENMU-Ruidoso campus.
Gamble, a strong supporter of the three-percent salary increases for faculty and staff, noted in his priority packet that his educators are paid about 10 percent below the national average.
Gamble also presented figures in defense of the 135-mile rule, which allows students living within 135 miles of campus to pay in-state tuition.
The impact of the rule to the 238 Texans who attend ENMU is over $3 million, but Gamble is fearful Gov. Bill Richardson may be planning to tweak the rule.
A spokesperson from Richardson’s office said Monday he has heard discussion of possible modifications to the rule but is unaware what if any changes are being proposed.
In all, ENMU officials are requesting over $10 million, city officials $1.19 million, Roosevelt County officials $1.77 million and Huffman $85,000 to complete the Community & Economic Development Center.
Other projects considered high priority:
l $400,000 for road equipment for Roosevelt County.
l Funding for the first phase of improvement at the Roosevelt County Fairgrounds (a total request of $905,000).
l $350,000 in Portales street improvements.
l $120,000 for roof repair/replacement at Portales City hall.
l $230,000 for road improvements on Avenue O from Lime to Spruce streets.
l $100,000 for a new dump truck for the city.
l $60,000 for new playground equipment at Morrison and Buena Vida parks.