Meetings watch — July 16

Portales City Council

Here are three things you should know about Tuesday’s Portales City Council meeting:

• Council approved Mayor Sharon King to sign a cooperative agreement with the New Mexico Department of Transportation for fiscal year 2014-2015’s local government road fund.

John DeSha, public works director, said Portales was awarded, $56,197, which the city will match by 25 percent. The city’s match is $18,732.

DeSha said the city will repair 18th Street from U.S. 70 to Avenue O by performing pavement rehabilitation.

“The road is just falling apart,” DeSha said.

Councilor Oscar Robinson asked if the drainage on the street would be repaired and DeSha said the cost is too expensive.

• The council approved a 12 month contract for a new DWI prevention specialist, LeAnn King, no relation to the mayor.

King’s contract will have an option to be renewed for a second year if funding continues in the grant the program received earlier in the month.

The two-year grant is worth $72,000 or $36,000 a year and the prevention specialist will implement prevention classes in Roosevelt County schools for students in grade 1-12.

King will be working in at least two of the four school districts in Roosevelt County the first year and will add at least one district the second year.

• The council approved a request for a consolidated joint use agreement between the city

and the Portales Municipal School District for shared use of the school’s facilities.

Jodi Kibbe, recreation director, said the city had three previous contracts and this time they combined the three into one document.

The school facilities under this agreement are the Portales High School baseball field, Wheeler Park girl’s softball field, Bill Wahlman tennis court, Lindsey Elementary School and the Steiner Park property.

Kibbe said there were no changes to the contract except for it being combined into on contract.

City Manager Doug Redmond said he met with Superintendent Johnnie Cain to go over the contract and only a few things were clarified, but not changed.

—Complied by staff writer

Lillian Bowe