Lujan gives infrastructure update

CLOVIS - With a fist bump to greet everybody and slightly crossed fingers, Sen. Ben Ray Lujan updated Clovis and Curry County leaders Monday on what a $1 trillion federal infrastructure bill could mean going forward.

In an hour-long meeting at the Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce, New Mexico's junior senator said the House of Representatives was still debating the measure, which passed the Senate last week on a 69-30 vote. Both chambers would have to hammer out differences between their separate pieces of legislation before anything goes to President Joe Biden's desk. Lujan said there will be a window for amendments, and he spent the meeting asking what tweaks to the recently passed bill could help local leaders. Lujan did not note any concerns that earmarks related to the area would be deal-breakers in the House legislation.

Clovis Mayor Mike Morris and City Manager Justin Howalt said they were appreciative of water-related funding - including funding the federal share of the multi-county Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System. An award for the city's effluent reuse project was not eligible for the earmark process, but Deputy Communications Director Adan Serna told The News Lujan was working with the city to find a funding path for the project, which will soon head to its final connection point at Colonial Park Golf Course.

District 3 City Commissioner Fidel Madrid specifically addressed Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and was pleased to hear $6 million could go to road upgrades and safety improvements. Madrid said not having sidewalks or any type of guardrail were safety issues with a drainage ditch only a few feet away.

"There is nothing to keep a car from going into the ditch," Madrid said. "There is nothing to keep a car from hitting people."

Curry County Manager Lance Pyle said he was trying to get funding for improvements to Curry Road N, which becomes 21st Street inside Clovis city limits and is a high priority for both the county and Cannon Air Force Base. He also noted costs in establishing the new Countyline Fire Department that would serve the area near the Southwest Cheese plant, and in buying equipment for the Ranchvale Department.

Clovis Municipal Schools Superintendent Renee Russ said the federal money schools have received to battle COVID-19 has helped in numerous ways, but she noted many new endeavors reveal new responsibilities and expenditures along with their benefits.

An example Russ gave was funding for outdoor classrooms. The classrooms lead to lower COVID-19 transmission concerns and give kids a break from routine, but there's an additional labor factor because any furniture has to be moved in and out each school day.

Russ sought flexibility with federal funds, including extending spending deadlines and opening up eligibility categories so the district could use the money on partnerships with the city and the United Way of Eastern New Mexico that would serve more residents.

"We don't want to be poor stewards of these funds," Russ said, "and we don't want to spend just to spend."

In other matters addressed by Lujan:=

• Lujan said an expansion of broadband would be helpful to students of all levels, and that he imagined both Russ and Clovis Community College President Charles Nwankwo knew which students struggled with Internet access when COVID-19 pushed all instruction online. In many areas of the state, Lujan said, broadband Internet is either not available or what is available is out of a family's price range. The expansion, Lujan said, would strengthen the broadband systems and include a smaller version of emergency legislation that covered those payments for eligible families.

Russ said those emergency programs are beneficial, but noted the internet service the district offers falls within Child Internet Protection Agreement filtering standards and private service providers may not have those requirements.

So far, the district has handled that with parents signing paperwork documenting they are aware of the difference in access.

• Lujan noted his partnership with Florida Sen. Rick Scott on pushing through RIDE Act provisions. The Reduce Impaired Driving for Everyone act requires automakers to include advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention technology in all future new cars. Lujan said the requirement was similar to other processes that gave drivers seatbelts, airbags and backup cameras.

• Regarding PFAS and PFOA contamination, Lujan said he thinks there is now substantial language on the books that will give the federal government the ability to buy livestock herds that ingested water that was contaminated by the chemicals in Air Force firefighting foams.

"There is no more room for excuses not to do the right thing," Lujan said.