Year in Review: Portales Inn plans in progress

Editor’s note: This story is part of a series reviewing the year’s events in eastern New Mexico.

2017 heralded significant changes in Portales’ city government, the most notable perhaps being an announcement that Mayor Sharon King won’t seek a third term in 2018.

King, who was elected in 2010, said her health is too great a concern to dedicate herself completely to mayoral responsibilities.

“I’m trying to be a good mayor and balance my health at the same time. It’s time to concentrate more on my health and less on other things,” said King, who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma — a type of bone cancer — in 2013.

The mayor wasn’t the only city official to announce she wouldn’t seek re-election — Ward A Councilman Antonio Salguero will also be stepping down in 2018, after nine years.

Councilors Michael Miller of Ward C and Oscar Robinson of Ward B — 12 and 17 year veterans of the council, respectively — both plan to run for their seats once more.

Ward D’s Dianne Parker fell in the middle, saying she hasn’t decided if she’ll continue with the council.

Changes didn’t end with the council itself; the Portales Police Department found a new home in September, after councilors approved $339,000 to purchase the former magistrate court building on U.S. 70.

City Manager Sammy Standefer said in September that the headquarters could move into the building “up into next summer,” pending needed remodeling.

Even the way citizens make their voices heard at council meetings received an update in 2017.

After a proposal was introduced in September by City Attorney Steve Doerr, the council agreed to limit the public comments section of its agenda to three minutes per citizen.

The changes were amended to allow the council to respond to comment after certain members took issue with a piece of the proposal that compared responding with taking formal action.

Also occurring in 2017:

• Portales received word in March of the coming revitalization of the former Portales Inn building, as well as plans to make it a hotel once more.

The council in March voted to grant Albuquerque-based Ambience Hospitality the building, parking lot, and a $500,000 incentive for the redevelopment of the hotel.

The new hotel will be a Best Western Plus, and construction is set to begin in early 2018, according to City Attorney Randy Knudson.

• Councilors in February voted to approve a payment of $336,102 in member contributions to the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority after declining to commit finances to the authority earlier in the year.

The payment was recommended by the Portales Finance Administration Committee, which suggested the city include a notice that it would be re-evaluating its membership in 2017.

The council’s apprehension in January stemmed from concerns that efforts by ENMWUA to transport water from the Ute Reservoir would be fiscally unsound for the community.