Portales to review infrastructure plan

PORTALES — The Portales City Council on Tuesday is scheduled to review its 2020 to 2025 Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan.

The meeting is set to begin at 6:30 p.m.

Priorities were discussed on Friday when the city held a public hearing on ICIP. After receiving no comments, the list was approved for review and approval during Tuesday’s meeting.

At the top of the priority list are ongoing well-field improvements, followed by fire protection and water circulation upgrades from last year. A cemetery expansion and the acquisition of a backhoe for the cemetery were also near the top.

Many road improvements found their way onto the list, with Avenue A from First Street to Second Street and improvements to University Avenue ranked highest.

The acquisition of several vehicles, including a dump truck and street sweeper was also high on the list.

The list will be reviewed and possibly rearranged on Tuesday before being put up for approval by the board. The list features priorities for the next five years and is re-evaluated each year.

Other issues to be discussed on Tuesday include:

• The mayor is slated to present a 20-year service award to Beatriz Valdez, the head custodian of the general services department.

• The Finance Administration Committee will recommend the ratification of bills for July 2019 and will provide an update on the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority (ENMWUA) before giving its recommendation regarding the Fiscal Year 2020 Member Contribution Invoice for the ENMWUA.

• The council will seek to approve Amendment Seven to enter the bid and construction phase on the water storage improvement project, pending funding agency concurrence.

• The council will vote on Resolution 19-20-06 to submit an application for Section 5311 Rural Transit Funding to the New Mexico Department of Transportation.

• The council will hold a public hearing and take action in regard to Ordinance No. 741, relating to the city’s collective bargaining rights, responsibilities and procedures in the employment relationship between employees and the employers.

The meeting wraps up with an executive session to discuss threatened or pending litigation.

Opportunity for action could follow the closed meeting.