Portales council declares property 'dangerous'

Portales City Council on Tuesday declared a property at 700 Abilene as “dangerous” due to foundation damage. The property is not used for anything, and windows are boarded up. However, kids will try to climb inside of it to play, City Manager Sarah Austin said.

“The structure itself is not safe either,” Austin added.

Kelly McClellan, the community services director, said the property had received many complaints. She said the city had contacted the owner multiple times, and she was hoping she would not have to bring the issue to the council.

Now, the city will work with the owner to get the structure demolished.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, Portales library director Tawna Luscombe gave a presentation on the status of the library and what they’ve got going on.

She said 29 security cameras were installed in September that cover both indoors and outdoors. The cost for the cameras was just over $28,500 and was paid for with grant funds.

“It gives a lot of peace of mind to the staff to be able to see anywhere in the library at any time,” Luscombe said.

Looking ahead, Luscombe said they are looking to make several improvements, including new paint, replacing some computers, adding to their audiobook collection, and the addition of Family Book Club.

“We encourage everyone to go,” councilwoman Dianne Parker said. “It’s such a great facility.”