Meetings watch — Feb. 5

Portales City Council

The following took place at the Portales City Council Meeting on Tuesday:

• Mayor Pro-Tem Ronald Jackson and City Manager Doug Redmond presented City Clerk Joan Martinez-Terry with the Employee of the Year Award for 2013.

• The council unanimously appointed Kent Peterson as Alternate Municipal Court Judge.

• The council unanimously approved five resolutions for compliance with Community Development Block Grant requirements. The resolutions are yearly requirements to stay in compliance with the CDBG Program, and will cost the city no money.

• The council unanimously approved two resolutions to authorize a submission on an applications for Airport Aid to the New Mexico Department of Transportation. The first grant is for a sealcoat and remarking for Runway 1-19 at the Portales Municipal Airport. The estimated grant amount will be $135,006. The state will pay 95 percent of costs, while the city will pay 5 percent. The second grant is for installation of an airfield lighting circuit conduit. The estimated cost will be $140,000. The FAA will pay 90 percent, and the city and the airport will each pay 5 percent.

• The council unanimously approved Ordinance No. 710, which includes amendments to chapter 10.5 of the Portales City Code. The amendments concern the Local Economic Development Act, and include goals and strategies on how to improve economic development for the City of Portales.

— Compiled by CMI staff writer Eric Norwood Jr.

Roosevelt County Commission

The following took place Tuesday morning at the Roosevelt County Commission meeting:

• The new owners of the Roosevelt County wind ranch, representatives of EDF Renewable Energy, introduced themselves to the commissioners and gave an update of the $430 million project.

Project Developer Melissa Peterson said wildlife surveys of the property near Elida will be conducted in the spring, and the wind turbines for the project have been secured. There will be 125 turbines, per the agreement.

She said EDF hopes to break ground late this year or early 2015. Peterson added the wind farm is EDF’s first project in New Mexico.

• The commission approved an agreement between Cannon Air Force Base and the Roosevelt County Detention Center for the purpose of housing detainees for Cannon in the county’s jail.

Jail Administrator David Casanova said the agreement needed to be updated since its inception in 2008. Roosevelt County Manager Charlene Webb said RCDC has held two detainees for Cannon since the deal was made in 2008.

A Cannon Public Affairs officer said the only notable change to the agreement is that detainees are not to have their photos taken at the jail.

Casanova said the detention center will charge Cannon $65 a day to house a detainee, the same price they charge other counties to house inmates.

The commission also approved a similar agreement with Chaves County.

• The commission voted to add Commission Chairman Kendell Buzard to the Roosevelt County Checking Account for signature purposes.

• The commission approved out-of-state travel to Spring Branch, Texas, for a Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office deputy and K-9 to attend a three-week, K-9 handling course.

• During department head reports, Casanova said the county’s jail now has razor wire atop the facility, completing one phase of jail security projects since the two jailbreaks that happened in 2013.

• During Roosevelt County Clerk DeAun Searl’s report, she told commissioners filing day for the county election will be March 11.

— Compiled by PNT senior writer Christina Calloway