Windmills' fate still up in the air

PORTALES — The fate of the windmill collection at the Roosevelt County Fairgrounds remains up in the air after the board of commissioners were unable to come to a final decision during their regular meeting Tuesday.

The board previously voted during its Oct. 15 meeting to auction off 45 of the 75 windmills to fund maintenance on the remaining 30, while a second vote to auction off the entire collection failed 2-2 with the absence of Commissioner Dennis Lopez to break the tie.

Discussion of how to proceed resumed with all five commissioners in attendance Tuesday, this time with a few members of the public having weighed in.

Former Roosevelt County Commissioner Bill Cathey, who was in office when the collection was donated to the county in 2012 by Bill Dalley, spoke at the meeting and offered his aid in finding a community solution to maintaining the windmills.

“The wind and the weather has done a lot of damage, but back when we got these things I got with the local high schools and FFA, got materials for them and built some of the towers you see out there,” Cathey said. “So I’ve got a proposal for you. I’ll take the dilapidated ones that are tore up and I’ve got friends that work with wood who could work with them.”

Cathey asked the board to wait until Aug. 1 to see if he could gather volunteers, donations and materials before deciding to dispose of any windmills. He proposed soliciting help from groups like the nearby school districts, FFA chapters, and Boy Scout troops to turn the damaged windmills into projects instead, which he would help provide tools and materials for.

Members of the board were skeptical, adding that a committee had been previously formed to find a similar solution to the issue, such as getting sponsorships from local businesses, but no group approached expressed any interest.

The commission was also worried this would only be a temporary solution and that it may find itself having to address the same problem several years from now.

Chairman Shane Lee suggested the individual board members reach out to their constituents on the topic before taking further action, noting that members of the board had been told the windmills were an eyesore by some, while others had advocated for them to be kept.

For now, the issue has been tabled to see if the county can locate any contracts or other records regarding the windmill donation that may grant more options. As it stands, the only way the windmills can be disposed of would be through public auction or gifting them to another government entity.

The decision to auction 45 dilapidated windmills was left standing because of the time required to organize an auction, but can be reversed if the board finds a preferable option later down the line.

County Manager Amber Hamilton said the county has been in contact with parties interested in purchasing some of the windmills, including members of Dalley’s family.

Other action items from the Tuesday morning meeting at the courthouse include:

• The board approved new incentives for various county offices that require special training or certification.

• The board approved to award a contract for aggregate materials for the Road Department to K. Barnett at $38 per ton. The county only received one bid for the contract at a $13 increase.

• The board approved a contract with Martin-Ray Laundry for two commercial grade washers and dryers.

The board will meet again on Dec. 3.