Roosevelt declared emergency area

PORTALES — Roosevelt County is officially an emergency area.

Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved the measure via teleconference.

The resolution allows the county to accept federal and state funding related to COVID-19 and also authorized the county manager to modify the county personnel policy and establish policies in response to COVID-19.

County Manager Amber Hamilton updated residents on ways the Roosevelt Commission has been dealing with the virus.

“In terms of COVID-19, there is more going on obviously than we can capture, but just some highlights,” Hamilton said. “We do have local emergency management meetings weekly in terms of everyone involved in Roosevelt County. We also have a weekly one with Cannon Air Force base, and that’s between them, Roosevelt and Curry County. We also have weekly county leadership meetings with the department heads and elected officials as we’re working through this.”

In other business:

• Commissioners transferred account funds from the Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Reserve Account into the General Fund.

• A request for award for fairgrounds drainage and ADA planning and engineering was tabled until May 5.

• A request to purchase two used semi trucks for the county road department was approved.

• Contract renewal for the purchase of crushed caliche with White Rock Crushing, LLC was approved.

The commission meeting scheduled April 21 was canceled. The next commission meeting is set for May 5.