Curry to hear water presentation

CLOVIS — The Curry County Commission will hear plenty about water and financial obligations when it meets Tuesday morning.

Clovis Mayor and Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority Chair David Lansford is scheduled to give a presentation on water supply at the 9 a.m. meeting at the Curry County Administrative Complex. The presentation will also include discussion of the tentative tax increase passed Nov. 7 by the Clovis city commission to raise $15 million to fund an interim groundwater project.

The tax increase, about $51.80 annually per $100,000 in property within city limits, was approved by the city commission, with enactment delayed until and unless the state and federal government chip in their share of a proposed $90 million groundwater project — $20 million authority, $30 million state, $40 million federal.

Also included on the agenda is a presentation from Blake Prather on a water assurance plan for the next 40 years.

The county will also consider its $29,284 member contribution for 2020 to the authority, and authority Executive Director Orlando Ortega will update the commission on pipeline construction on Curry Road R, Sandoval and Zulek streets.

Other items on the agenda include:

• A presentation from new Plains Regional Medical Center Administrator Drew Dostal.

• A 2.25% cost of living increase for all county employees with at least one full year of continuous employment. The increase would apply to all other workers once they complete their first year with the county.

• An update to the county’s infrastructure capital improvement plan for the upcoming state legislative session. The top five projects identified for capital outlay dollars are courthouse improvements and renovations, various road projects, a new 4-H/Extension building at the county fairgrounds, County Road P/Q improvements and County Road 11 improvements.

• Consideration of a contract renewal with Spectra for management of the county events center, and a separate agenda item discussing the event center’s overall cost and benefits to the county. The latter was requested by Commissioner Robert Thornton at the close of the Nov. 12 commission meeting.

• Consideration of removing the scoreboard at the Curry County Events Center and adding an LED video board as a replacement.

A letter from Spectra District General Manager Keller Taylor notes there is one quote for $5,200 to remove the current scoreboard, but that the approximate $100,000 the county would need to invest in an LED video board would be better spent on other facility needs.