Q&A: Portales city manager discusses staffing shortages, shelter issues

Editor's note: This is one in a continuing series of state-of-the-entity interviews with local officials. Sarah Austin is the city manager for Portales.

Q: What are some issues that continue to be on the agenda every two weeks? Anything the council is currently working on that stands out?

A: We have planning and zoning stuff, as always, that's a big thing on the agenda. And one of the new things the city did recently was go to a consent agenda. Curry County uses it, too, and it's where you can place non-controversial items and non-resolutions, things like that, that don't need to be done in the traditional manner.

Projects: We are working on a lot of different projects that we're trying to get grant money for. We have about 30 to 40 projects out there right now on different street projects and our swimming pool and skate park.

Q: How is the stray problem in Portales? Is the shelter fully packed? Any disease outbreaks?

A: A while back, we had some problems with worms. And I think they've since mitigated that, and they've structured it to where they can quarantine the animals that they need to. We don't have a lot of strays that we're seeing.

We're not at capacity yet, but that could change in a week. It just depends on the time and season. Holiday time, people seem to get animals, and then in a few months they grow big, and they don't want them anymore, which is unfortunate.

Q: Can you talk about dumping in the city? You have mentioned the city will be getting new dumpsters. How many? For the current dumpsters, are there quite a few that need to be repaired?

A: We are taking a new direction this year. We have ordered 72 dumpsters that are coming. Also, with the illegal dumping, the city thought it would be in the best interest of the citizens to have a company come in and do a once-around-the-alleys to clean them up, and to get rid of the trash that doesn't necessarily belong.

That's going to come out of the code enforcement abatement fund. We have also budgeted for a mobile trailer and a mobile welder so that way when we have really bad dumpsters, we can send the welder out there and get the bottom of those dumpsters welded. The structure of that dumpster is great. It's the bottom that gets rotted out due to whatever's thrown in the dumpster.

Q: Is the Portales Fire Department still going through staffing shortages? What about the police department?

A: These are just not the type of positions people seem to want to do anymore. And, you know, we try to stay kind of comparable, with the wages that we pay them in hopes that that encourages people to come here.

We're six down in our police department now. We are back up to fully staffed in our fire department. We want the community to realize, however, that 90% of his (Fire Chief TJ Cathey) staff has spent less than a year on the job. So, they're still learning too.

If anybody wants to be a volunteer firefighter or a paid firefighter or police officer, come talk to somebody at the city. You can come in with no experience and we will send you through all the training that you need.

Q: When will city officials be moving into the new building at 1028 W. Community Way? Why was this switch of location needed?

A: City Hall has been at 100 W. First St. since the 1960s, with electrical codes that were great for 1960. But never the electrical and the internet needs of 2023.

We don't have enough offices, as most of our city departments are staffed here. We have a lot of roof repairs that need to be done. We thought we'd remodel this building, or we'd look at purchasing. And if we could purchase a building that needs minimal remodel, we are keeping the taxpayer dollars best interest in mind.

This new building has 27 offices and we're going to fill 26 of those. The electrical is up to code, there are no roof leaks. We're going to start moving at the end of June.

Q: What do you feel is the city's No. 1 priority today? And how are you and the council addressing it?

A: Safety is our No. 1 priority. And then you can stagger it down from there: safety, solid waste problems, streets, problems, things like that.

That is part of the reason we're working with the county to see if we can get some financial support for the (police dispatch) calls that we're doing out into the county.

- Compiled by Landry Sena, The Staff of The News