Curry officials to make final infrastructure priority considerations

CLOVIS — Curry County commissioners are due to make final consideration of their priorities for infrastructure improvements in the coming years today at their regular meeting.

The meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. at county offices at 417 Gidding St.

The Infrastructure and Capital Improvement Plan for fiscal years 2019-2023, due to the state by next month, is essentially a planning document updated each year and used as a reference for legislators when determining how to distribute available funds.

Facilities Superintendent Ben Roberts said he compiled the list and recommended nine highest-priority projects after speaking with county department heads and receiving input at a public meeting Aug. 3.

Roberts placed courthouse renovation and improvements at the top of the list, with an estimated project cost of $3 million. Other high-ranking projects were for water conservation and distribution of groundwater, Fairgrounds and Events Center parking improvements, information technology upgrades and additions and various items from the county’s five-year road plan, according to county documents.

The ICIP will be subject to discussion by commissioners, who will make a final determination as to how to rank the projects in the plan.

The top five items frequently get the most consideration from legislators for capital outlay.

“If there was funding available, (legislators) would go to this,” said Roberts. “(The ICIP) could increase our chances for funding in the future but it is not an application.”

At the public meeting Aug. 3, Roberts noted a recommendation from Patsy Delk on behalf of the High Plains Historical Foundation to establish “a museum highlighting the history of local communities,” preferably to be located at a Fairgrounds buildings. Roberts placed the project with an estimated preliminary cost of $100,000 onto the list for the five-year plan.

Those in the public still interested in recommending projects can do so at today’s meeting.

Roberts said he will take whatever final rankings commissioners make and submit it to the state before Sept. 1.

Also on schedule for today’s meeting:

• Update from New Mexico Department of Transportation Traffic Engineer Francisco Sanchez on a road improvement project on the U.S. 60/84 corridor between Clovis and Melrose.

• Approval request for contract with WWRC, Inc. for a $363,931 re-roofing project at the county courthouse and Juvenile Detention Center. County Manager Lance Pyle said the county will aim to have WWRC begin the project by the end of the month, at which point it will have 90 days to complete the work.

• Approval request for letter of support for Xcel Energy’s Sagamore Wind Project in Roosevelt County.

• Discussion and approval request for a resolution establishing an allowance for uniform items for certain county employees, namely jail staff and administrators.

• Commissioners’ report on their annual site inspection of the Curry County Detention Center, which occurred Aug. 1.