Meetings watch: Commission matches grant money for growth planner

Freedom New Mexico

At the Roosevelt County Commission meeting Tuesday morning in the county courthouse, commissioners:

• Approved matching money of $1,300 for an Office of Economic Adjustment grant to pay for a regional growth planner, an administrative assistant and expenses to carry out recommendations from the Regional Growth Management Plan. The City of Portales plans to apply for the grant.

• Heard Portales MainStreet manager Nicole Wilkening say MainStreet’s first priority is completing renovations on the Yam Theater. She hopes it will be functional, although still lacking “bells and whistles” by late spring.

• Heard Wilkening announce a memorial honoring the United Daughters of the Confederacy members who wrote the pledge to the New Mexico flag is being dedicated at 11 a.m. Oct. 17 at the courthouse.

• Voted to trade in two road graders for $14,000 and buy two new ones for about $190,000 each, plus an extra $6,400 per grader for higher-quality tires.

• Renewed contracts with Stephens Construction for hauling road material, HCI Inc. for on-site caliche crushing and Larry Boreing for misdemeanor probation services.

• Voted to request proposals for attorney services before deciding whether to renew a contract with local lawyer Randy Knudson.

• Approved payment of a total of about $1,500 in indigent medical funds for two claimants who had appealed previous denials, one claimant citing a mistake and the other supplying documents that hadn’t been provided before.