Committee discusses project funding

CLOVIS — On Wednesday, The City of Clovis Public Works Committee discussed possible means of funding the city’s various construction projects, and provided an update on a number of Clovis Municipal Schools projects.

Clovis City Manager, Justin Howalt, provided an update on projects currently underway.

Some of the projects discussed at the meeting included Seventh Street renovations from Maple Street to Main Street, Martin Luther King Boulevard work, the Llano drainage project, the Thornton and Seventh Street project, and a project involving a roundabout.

Howalt said the city is searching for federal construction dollars to complete the Martin Luther King project, which is projected to cost around $6.5 million.

Howalt said the New Mexico Department of Transportation recently put out a call for applications for transportation project funding.

The state funding requires a match of 5% local funding to 95% state funding. Howalt said the city will submit an application to access some of the state funding for the Seventh Street project.

To bolster the city’s application, Howalt said, “I’m proposing to use our drainage funds for that match requirement,” Howalt said, “which will take about $1 million out of that fund to use towards that match, and I think we could be really successful with that application and be able to fund about a $5 million application with that.”

The city is also seeking funding via a direct appropriation from Congress, and Howalt said that the city sent a request for funding to the office of U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M.

The request sent to Fernandez was for funding to complete the Martin Luther King project.

If successful in acquiring federal funding, Howalt said, the city will be able to fund the $3 million drainage project.

Another option for generating construction funds, Howalt said, is to cash in the city’s road bonds, which are cyclical and come up every three years, generating $3.5 million

“Depending on what happens with our Seventh Street project, if we are not successful with the funds through the DOT, we can use the road bond project for that since that was our first priority, but if we are successful then it frees up the funds then to potentially go towards Martin Luther King,” Howalt added.

Clovis Municipal Schools Deputy Director of Operations John King provided an update on school-related projects.

King said the district has recently gotten approval for a request for proposal last month to approve a construction project for Barry Elementary school.

King said contracts from contractors as well as their bonds and insurances are in the necessary process.

Soon that information will be sent to the state to receive a purchase order amount in order to proceed on the classroom edition on the north side of the school, and the roofing and HVAC, and water main line replacement above the ceiling in the existing building, King said.

The goal, King said, is to begin the project in June or July at the latest.

King said a project involving the roof being replaced at the Clovis High School G building, is expected to get the green light by next week.

Other summer projects, which involve Sandia, Zia, Yucca and the CHS D and F buildings, will commence on May 28, King said.

“Summer projects, we're going to be really busy. We have several schools that we’ve got the purchase orders in place, notice to proceed is ready to go,” King said. “We are probably going to see activity seven days a week all summer long.”

The summer projects primarily involve flooring replacement, window and door replacements, fencing extensions, and security camera installations.

At the end of the summer, King said, several schools will also receive new classroom furniture.