Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Pipeline money pleases officials

"This amount of money changes everything."

That's what Clovis Mayor Mike Morris said about news from Santa Fe that $30 million should soon be on its way into the coffers of the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority (ENMWUA) to be used to build the Ute Water Project.

Approval of the state money awaits signing of the bill that authorizes the funding.

Morris also serves as chairman of the board that oversees the pipeline project.

Morris also is "excited" about the money that will be coming from the US government.

"We don't know how much that will be yet," Morris said, "The Federal government is supposed to fund 75% of the project and there is money for it in the infrastructure bill that was approved."

Morris described this past Thursday's monthly session as "typical."

Among the items on the agenda was a presentation by Clovis' DeAun Willoughby CPA regarding the fiscal year 2021 state required audit of the agency.

"This is one of the cleanest audits I've ever done," Willoughby said. "I was very impressed with everything about this audit."

Willoughby gave the ENMWUA her highest rating.

Jim Honea from Jacobs Engineering of Albuquerque gave the board an update on the project.

Honea said about 38,000 feet of the section from Cannon Air Force Base to Portales has been done. He expects completion of that section by mid-summer this year.

During the open forum time near the end of the meeting Matt Wood, an area resident who is considering buying property south of Clovis in Curry County asked about the low or no water situation there.

Wood wanted to know if the ENMWUA would be providing service to that section of the area. Wood said he and his wife are looking at some real estate there that has no water.

Morris said, "Your situation is why this project exists. But the goal of this project is to provide water to the population centers of the area."

ENMWUA Administrator Orlando Ortega said, "Water service to such areas could be years down the road."

Morris said the estimated completion date for the project as a whole would be around 2035-36.

Five of the six members of the board were present for the Feb. 24 meeting: Chairman Morris, Vice-Chairman Mayor Ron Jackson of Portales, Secretary Chris Bryand and Juan Garza from Clovis and Mayor Max Carter from Texico.

The ENMWUA board meets again Thursday, March 24th at 3:00 pm at The Memorial Building in Portales.

 
 
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