Lansford seeks "skin in the game" effort on water supply

CLOVIS — Mayor David Lansford has argued for months that “putting skin in the game” was eastern New Mexico’s best shot at getting federal funding for a major infrastructure component of the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System.

Then the city commission approved a property tax to generate $15 million, on the condition the federal government chips in $40 million and the state $30 million by March 2022. Since then, the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority has received federal and state awards of $15 million and $1 million, respectively.

Those awards proved, Lansford said during a Clovis city commission study session, the merits of his argument. And now he’s looking at a similar philosophy on protecting existing groundwater.

“You can’t just have infrastructure without the water to put in it,” Lansford said.

He has directed City Manager Justin Howalt to find every available funding source to take part in a Cannon Air Force Base application in October for the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration program offered by the Department of Defense.

The REPI program uses Conservation Fund dollars to match Department of Defense payments used as inducements to landowners near an installation. In this case, Lansford said, money would be used to induce landowners to convert irrigation water rights to municipal water rights.

The transition would reduce the stress on those acres and allow for aquifer recharging. Lansford said the approach has been proven with the Wall property the city purchased in 2014.

“What we’ve seen is a stabilized aquifer area,” Lansford said. “We’ve seen measurable benefits.”

While REPI wouldn’t match city and county dollars, Lansford said, making those commitments shows the area is willing to put skin in the game on both groundwater and infrastructure.

Lansford doesn’t know how much local entities could contribute, but that County Commissioner Chet Spear has envisioned $4 million to $5 million from Curry County. City funding sources include:

• A possible increase in EPCOR’s franchise fee from 2% to 3%.

• The 0.25% gross receipts tax dedicated to the water utility authority, minus authority membership payments. The tax does sunset in 2021, but the commission has the option to renew.

• The eight remaining $35,000 payments from Curry County annually as part of a shared services agreement.

• Payments in lieu of taxes from Southwest Cheese.

Lansford said he would like a resolution to be considered, and hopefully passed, during the March 19 commission meeting promising a good-faith effort to make a financial commitment to a REPI application.

“It’s not a law; it’s a policy statement,” Lansford said.

In other business at the Thursday meeting:

• Commissioners approved an agreement between Clovis Area Transit System and the New Mexico Department of Transportation for a one-year pilot program targeting senior citizens on Medicare without mobility options.

The $186,000 funding, which requires no city match, will cover a full-time driver and a 10-passenger bus to take clients to out-of-town medical appointments in Curry and Roosevelt counties.

Mary Lou Kemp, director for CATS, said she and the state are looking at ways to make more people eligible for the program, but the overarching goal is to determine how much use such a program would generate.

• City Human Resources Director Andre Moquin updated commissioners on revisions to the city personnel policy.

Moquin said the goals of the policy overhaul were to make it easy to understand and enforceable with a proper balance between administration and rank-and-file employees.

Some changes include limiting the city nepotism policy to the mayor, city commission and city manager, a reporting requirement for any gifts valued at $25 or more and allowing employees on a probationary hiring period to use sick leave.

• Emergency Management Director Dan Heerding updated commissioners on coronavirus and what the New Mexico Department of Health was doing with the virus spreading.

The state did not have any confirmed cases, and Heerding shared simple tips like handwashing.

Lansford said handwashing is certainly recommended but has limits because we live in a non-sterile world between doors, steering wheels and phones. Lansford, a longtime pharmacist, advised against touching the eyes because, “it’s a portal right to your sinuses.”

• The city accepted a 2018-19 audit report from Integrity Accounting. Erick Robinson of Integrity said there were two minor findings, but that, “the city is in very good shape,” from a financial standpoint.

• A courtesy car rental policy was approved at Clovis Municipal Airport, with Director Josh Matekovic noting the lack of a car dissuaded pilots from landing at the airport.

The policy allows visiting pilots quick use of a car — up to two hours and up to 50 miles — so they can go to Clovis or nearby communities and have lunch or run errands.

The policy gives Matekovic the latitude to reduce or waive penalty fees for excessive use. He said he planned to punish blatant violations but recognized the necessity of forgiveness if somebody drives the car 51 miles.

• The commission approved an easement for Plateau Telecommunications to install fiber optic cable near Southwest Cheese. Cheese plant officials had no objections. The vote was 7-0, with Commissioner David Robinson abstaining due to his employment as Plateau CEO.

• The next meeting is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. March 19 at the North Annex of the Clovis-Carver Public Library.