Meetings watch: Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority

The following were actions taken by board members at the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority meeting Thursday morning in the Portales Memorial Building:

• Board members approved the passing of easement agreements for six parcels for the interim pipeline that would carry water to Cannon Air Force Base from Clovis.

The first parcel, titled “W,” according to Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority Executive Director Justin Howalt, is located in Roosevelt County just south of the Curry County line, and was obtained from the property owner for $1,750.

The other five parcels are located adjacent to each other on the property of the Bonestroo Dairy near Oasis State Park in Roosevelt County, Howalt said.

The agreed price for each of the five construction easements was as follows:

• “FF”: $1,800

• “GG”: $600

• “HH”: $3,700

• “II”: $3,350

• “JJ”: $950

Howalt explained that the next step of the process is to obtain a title for the easement, which he said the authority would attempt to complete as quickly as possible.

• Board members approved amendment 16 of engineering company CH2M Hill’s contract.

According to Howalt, amendment 16 changed task order four and five within CH2M’s contract.

Task order four, which was budgeted for $174,000, is a general services task order that the authority can use to pay for CH2M’s administrative duties, said Howalt.

“We can use that to help us with funding applications. When they come to the meetings, we give reports — they bill for that. When they provide graphics for us, for funding applications — they can bill towards that,” he said.

Task order five, budgeted for $42,000, is for setting up and scaling back documents to line up with available construction funding, according to Howalt.

“There’s obviously work that goes in with taking one set of plans and paring it back to a smaller set of plans,” he said.

• In presenting Ute Reservoir Caretaker Rex Stall’s Interstate Stream Commission report, Howalt said that he hasn’t yet received the report from the ISC on the reservoir’s water levels, but believes them to be “consistent for this time of year.”

• In his state activities report, state lobbyist Joe Thompson proposed rescheduling the board’s next regular meeting in Santa Fe from Jan. 19 to Jan. 23 or 24.

According to Thompson, Jan. 19 falls on a Thursday, when the state Legislature typically allows its members to take a day off.

He said that, in rescheduling the meeting, he also wanted to add meetings with state legislators and members of state government.

“My inclination this year would be to try and have some designated meeting with the state engineer and some of those folks — put a little more structure into the day for you, rather than having legislators just come over and say hi,” he said.

Thompson said that he would determine whether Jan. 23 or 24 is more convenient and notify the board.

• Federal Consultant John Ryan gave his report on federal activities, emphasizing that a new president in 2017 is a crucial period for the Ute Pipeline Project.

Ryan pointed out that the authority should focus on certain criteria in advocating for funding at the federal level.

“We hope to have a new administration look at the priorities a little differently, and potentially change criteria that would advantage our project. We get dinged because we’re a new project that isn’t very far along,” he said. “We would like to reduce that criteria. We’d also like to improve the criteria that our project serves Cannon Airforce Base and national security, and give us more credit for that.”

Ryan pointed out that it would benefit the authority to identify potential allies in the new administration, one of which being Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke, President-Elect Donald Trump’s selection for secretary of the interior.

“That is probably a good thing. Two of the other rural water projects are in Montana. The Montana delegation has been extremely supportive, and strong advocates for the Rural Water Completion Act,” he said. “I think that ought to be our highest priority with regard to something that congress can do to help our project get funded faster: The inclusion of the Rural Water Completion Act in any infrastructure bill.”

The Rural Water Completion Act would fully fund all current rural water projects in the United States.

• CH2M Hill Project Manager Wendy Christofferson reported that a “repackaging effort” had been completed on Finished Water II, the Clovis-Cannon portion of the pipeline project.

Depending on available funding, Christofferson said, CH2M may add additional segments further to the east to “get more pipe in the ground.”

She added that investigation into a reverse pump station between Clovis and CAFB, meant to reverse water flow to the base, had been completed.

The cost of the pump station would be $2 million to $2.5 million for construction alone, she said.

Mayor David Lansford requested CH2M look into the cost, and said his request came from a desire to “reduce stress” on CAFB and help its sustainability.

• CH2M Hill Senior Project Manager Julie Samora reported her company continued to speak to land owners to obtain easements on which to install pipeline.

According to Howalt, of 18 total easements, 11 have been approved so far.

— Compiled by Staff Writer Eamon Scarbrough