EPCOG hears speaker on government funding

CLOVIS — Raymond Mondragon, governmental specialist for the Eastern Plains Council of Governments, spoke Wednesday at the board meeting about the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act recently passed by Congress.

“Based on formula funding,” Mondragon said, “New Mexico is expected to receive $2.5 billion in funding.”

Some of that, Mondragon said, will be towards the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System. Mondragon said during a conversation with Clovis Mayor Mike Morris, he was informed the legislation would fund the federal share of the pipeline project, which will connect member communities to the Ute Reservoir in Quay County as a potable water source.

The bill still requires House approval and a presidential signature, and the project is last in the priority list of five rural water projects being funded over the next five fiscal years.

In other business at the Wednesday meeting:

• Mondragon discussed a proposal to dissolve the state workforce program's four regional boards that exist now and replacing them with two governing bodies, a metro board and a rural board.

“There is going to be opposition to this,” Mondragon said, with rural communities fearing urban communities would get a “bigger mouthpiece” in the new setup.

Formal hearings will be held to discuss this proposal, he said.

• Mondragon did not give specifics, but announced a restaurant franchise is considering coming to Clovis.

“They are looking at Clovis and they are evaluating that,” He said. “We are on their radar.”