Liquor license for city tabled

PNT correspondent

Portales city councilors debated over applying for a Government Liquor License at their Tuesday meeting, an issue which had not been brought up since January 2014.

Councilors tabled the item indefinitely after discussion with council members and City Manager Sammy Standefer saying there was not a financial reason to pursue the liquor license any further at this point.

The city has already authorized the YAM Theatre to use a picnic license, which can be available with two weeks notification, according to Standefer.

This one time picnic license costs anywhere from $100 to $300, which costs less than the government liquor license, he said.

Council members also expressed concerns about liability issues that the city could face as the owner of a liquor license.

“There are more liabilities than we were aware of,” said Mayor Sharon King.

“The city does not need to go into the whiskey business,” said Councilor Keith Thomas.

“I do not see the immediate advantage, but I would like to leave it open for discussion later,” said Standefer.

The following is other action that took place at the Tuesday council meeting:

• Councilors approved a proposal to ratify the Finance Department actions concerning bills from August and September.

City Finance Director Marilyn Rapp said that in both August and September, the city spent a little over $2 million, which was higher than usual for August.

• Councilors approved a resolution authorizing the mayor’s signature on the grant agreement for the special appropriation project.

Standefer said the city is asking for $30,000 for water circulation upgrades in the area around Brown Elementary School. The $30,000 will go towards designs and help with the construction documents. The project will be handled by Public Works.

• Portales Fire Chief Gary Nuckols presented an update about Elite Medical Transport to the council members.

According to Nuckols, Elite Medical Transport will become operational in Portales Friday (today) to help with the increase in demand for medical transfers. The Roosevelt General Hospital CEO contacted Elite Medical Transport to help alleviate the increased demand for transport and the issues it was causing the Portales Fire Department and Roosevelt General Hospital.

RGH, Elite Medical Transport and the fire department agreed that Elite would be listed as providing “Interfacility transport services only,” Nuckols said, adding that the PFD will continue to do transfers but will also be able to focus more on Portales and Roosevelt County’s needs, which Nuckols said will always be the PFD’s main concern.

Nuckols also said Elite will be basing operations out of Portales with the PFD facing a net loss of around $30,000 to $40,000 per fiscal year but that the increase in call volume will offset the loss from the transfers. There will also be a benefit to the patients in saving money, he said.

• Interim Planning Director Donna Rutherford presented the council with four items.

The first was a Variance for Encroachment on Beech Street. The resident wished to add on to her house in the backyard.

The second item was a special use permit for a daycare center. The daycare is moving from one address to another and since special permits do not transfer, the owner had to apply for another one, according to Rutherford.

The third item was the Nixon Subdivision asking for approval of a preliminary plat. The land for the eight lots of the subdivision will be north of the Bethel Highway on Roosevelt Road R, according to Rutherford. County electricity and water will be provided to the subdivision and county commissioners had already approved this measure, according to Rutherford.

The fourth item was the South Southern Hills Subdivision also asked for approval of a preliminary plat. The subdivision is comprised of 36 lots and will need roads as well as county utilities. County commissioners had already approved this measure as well, said Rutherford.

City councilors voted unanimously to approve all four measures.

• Mayor Sharon King gave an update from the Water Utility Authority’s trip to Washington D.C. The group met with the energy and water committees, which were able to offer assistance about the timing. The group was also able to meet with the Pentagon to discuss the portion of the pipeline which will go across Cannon Air Force Base and where they might find funds to help with it. The meetings were beneficial in terms of information, said King.

• Deputy Clerk Veda Urioste reminded city council members that Toss No Mass will be held on the morning of Oct. 31. The city adopted a mile on the Roswell Highway and will need to clean it up, she said.

She also mentioned that she is trying to get signs to mark the adopted sections of the road. She has to submit the request to the state and then the New Mexico Department of Transportation will put the signs up.

• Urioste also discussed the Martin Luther King Talent Show, saying the deadline for entries is Oct. 30 and the talent show will be held on Nov. 30 at the YAM Theatre. Students from fifth grade through college age are invited to participate. The categories include art, talent and essays. The schools have been notified about the talent show, including the county schools, according to Urioste.

• Nuckols also discussed what the PFD was doing for National Fire Prevention Week, which is currently going on. They will be making contact with about 1,100 children, he said. The theme for this year is “Hear the beat where you sleep,” which promotes household smoke detector awareness.

“The kids are great. We have a lot of fun with this event,” said Nuckols.

• The council then went into executive session

No action was taken.