Year in review: Water situation leads most headlines in Portales

Headlines focused mostly on Portales’ water restrictions, but City Manager Sarah Austin said 2023 had plenty to cheer about.

Austin said one of the biggest achievements for the city was a skatepark grant for $728,385. The grant will be used to design and construct the first phase of the project.

“It uses no water, has a low impact match and will be friendly for all ages. It is designed for all backgrounds taking (Americans with Disabilities Act) into account. This is going to be a great addition to our city,” Austin said.

The city completed nine different street projects this year, to provide higher quality and safer travels for residents, Austin said. Some of the completed projects include painted lines on Kilgore South and Eighteenth Street, construction of Stafferwood and completion of planning for Fifth, 18th, Avenue O and Avenue K.

Other city highlights this year include the improvement of city parks. Austin said some of the primary focuses included upgrading the playground equipment and establishing cleaning schedules to maintain the parks.

The city has applied for several grants to build a basketball and volleyball court for Rotary and City park, an amphitheater, a dog park in Buena Vida Park and establish improved 3D landscaping, walking paths and lighting in all parks.

The lowlight for the city this year has been the water situation, Austin said. For much of the year, residents were not allowed to water their lawns, wash their cars or fill up pools due to concerns about wells going dry.

Austin said 2024 will come with a lot of new initiatives. She said the No. 1 focus is on water and how the city can match demand with production.

“We are actively applying for all grants that we will qualify for and we are working with community members to update our plan and we continue, on a daily basis, to improve our current situation,” Austin said.

The city is working with a small committee on an updated water plan and will make announcements in February, Austin said. The city will soon also host a town hall meeting on the water situation and encourage questions from residents.

“We ask the community to consider the water conservation efforts as well as please continue their patience with us as we work through this challenging time,” Austin said.