Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Dora Fire Chief Paul Luscombe accepts a certificate of appreciation from Portales Mayor Ron Jackson.
Jennifer Contreras accepts honors as Portales' Employee of the Month from Mayor Ron Jackson.
Funding for street improvement projects on 18th Street and Avenue K received approval Tuesday from the Portales City Council.
The council approved a $290,000 project funded by $14,500 in city funds and $275,500 in New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) money for 18th Street projects. The projects include pavement rehabilitation and resurfacing of the intersection at 18th and Staffordwood and improvements on 18th from Avenue O to U.S. Route 70. The improvements include concrete pads at the 18th Street intersections with Avenue O and U.S. 70, and signing and striping.
Mayor Ron Jackson said he was glad to see new signs, especially near Roosevelt General Hospital, since "our signs blew away" in a recent windstorm.
On Avenue K, pavement rehabilitation and drainage improvements will be conducted through $300,000 in NMDOT capital appropriations. The funds were made available as a grant to the city.
The council learned on Tuesday that a 45-day public input period would start on Wednesday on goals set for the use of disadvantaged business enterprises (DBE) for a portion of $1.3 million in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) -funded improvement projects for Portales Municipal Airport.
The improvements are scheduled to be completed over a two-year period beginning Oct. 1. The current goal in draft form is to use disadvantaged business enterprises for 3.84% of projects, based on value, according to documents attached to the council agenda.
Projects include parking area maintenance, design and installation of a windcone and landing lights.
The current contract plan is available for review from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at the City of Portales, 100 W. 1st St., Portales through Oct. 21. Comments will be accepted for 45 days by Gennasaret Richards, the city's personnel director, at the city building, or by email at grichards@portales. Comments will also be accepted at the Federal Aviation Administration Civil Rights Staff, AWP 9, P.O. Box 920007, Los Angeles, Calif., 90009-2007.
The FAA website shows that a DBE must be 51% owned by persons who are "socially and economically disadvantaged," including "women, Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans, Subcontinent Asian-Pacific Americans, or other minorities."
In other action Tuesday the council:
• Authorized city attorneys to seek judgment to clear property at 931 E. Canadian Street, which has been declared to be "covered with ruins, rubbish, wreckage or debris, making it dangerous," according to documents attached to the council's agenda.
• Accepted donation of two thermal imaging cameras to the Portales Fire Department from the Legacy Church of Clovis and Portales.
• Approved payment of August bills totaling $1.6 million.
• Declared September to be Suicide Prevention Month in the city, noting that suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people age 10 to age 14, the third leading cause of death in those 15 year of age to 24 years old, and fourth between the ages of 35 years and 44 years.
• Declared Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month, to celebrate "Hispanic and Latino American people, cultures and achievements."
• Honored Jennifer Contreras, executive assistant in the Public Works Department as employee of the month.
• Gave a certificate of appreciation to the Dora Fire Department for assistance with firefighting and ambulance service when needed.
