City council approves $125,000 grant for DWI program

The Portales City Council has approved two grants totaling $125,000 for the local DWI program.

It was one of several resolutions passed at the regular council meeting Tuesday night at City Hall.

The grant agreement is for money through the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration Local Government Division.

Marcia Brown, coordinator for the Portales/Roosevelt County DWI Grant Program, said the in-kind match required of the city would be met in non-monetary ways.

“The city in-kind match is with office space — the use of the Roosevelt County Courthouse for Teen Court, for instance,” Brown said. “It actually doesn’t cost the city money — just office space.”

In other business, WWRC Inc. of Clovis was awarded a bid for the construction of a building for snow removal equipment at the Portales airport. WWRC’s bid of $254,000 was the lowest of four proposals by private firms.

Also, the council authorized a 2009-10 application for money to make more airport improvements. If the city received money through the Federal Aviation Administation, General Services Director Mike Parkey said, the airport’s lighting system would be upgraded and the runways would be repaired.

Interim City Manager Tom Howell introduced Dawn Kryder, the city’s new director of the Senior Citizens Center and Portales Area Transit, and the council honored Michael Lucero for 25 years of service in the water departmet.

“As far as longevity within the department, he’s been here the longest,” Howell said. “Sometimes, he’s our memory — and that helps a whole lot.”