Committee formed to resolve water issues

In the wake of Portales city officials declining to commit finances to the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority’s financial plan, during Wednesday’s Water Policy Advisory committee meeting Clovis Mayor David Lansford implored the body to help resolve the stalemate.

To that end, City Commissioner Ladona Clayton will spearhead a strategic planning committee charged with developing a manner of action.

“What I am suggesting is this committee consider more or less updating or modifying the (water) policy to include several factors that we all face as a community,” said Lansford, who serves on the ENMWUA board. “We’ve got a number of areas of water policy that we need address. The first one I would like to address, that we need a policy for, is the issue that has evolved into Portales not signing off on the resolution to support pledging their financial commitment for the financial plan for the utility authority. What is it going to take for Portales to sign the resolution? It’s going to take an understanding there’s going to be a return on investment in a reasonable amount of time for them as a community. ...They’re tired of spending money on the utility authority project, when there is no foreseeable return on that investment. They don’t need it in 30 years, they need it now. It all boils down to there is no short term goal.”

Officials said the Portales financial commitment to the water utility authority would be $600,000 to $700,000 per year for the next 20 years.

Water Policy Advisory Committee Chairman Commissioner Chris Bryant asked Clayton if should would be willing lead the task of crafting the strategic plan effort.

“In defense of Portales, I’m Portales born and raised, I graduated from Portales High School and have family there,” she said. “But if I think I’m going to be out of water in 10 years, I’m not listening anymore unless you’ve got something to offer me about how you’re going to help me get there. We already have people out of water in (Curry) county, so to me this is the most pressing issue facing Curry and Roosevelt counties. I want to help with this matter that impacts all of us.”

Bryant said he stood in agreement with Lansford’s call to action.

“We’ve got to put a plan together and come up with something,” he said. “I agree with the mayor in that we need to find some short-term solutions. I believe Portales would get back on if we could show them they would receive water in 'X' amount of years or whatever, and how it would be done. A plan would have to be formulated and given to them where they see this happening. With Commissioner Clayton in place I’m confident we can get them (Portales) some of the answers they have been looking for on the project.”

A balance approached to addressing the area’s water needs is key, per Lansford.

“I do think the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority needs to take a two-pronged approach in the future,” he said. “Instead of focusing solely on infrastructure development, there has to be a tandem effort with reserves to ensure you have the (water) supply to go with the infrastructure. Clovis is going to have to assert itself as a leader in this water plan or we’re going to have consequences we don’t like. We need to demonstrate to Portales they will have access to affordable ground water, more so than they do now.”

Lansford said the New Mexico Water Trust board will meet in March to determine whether to give the NMWUA another extension to work out a Portales agreement.