County votes for 'horse hospitality'

A new livestock pavilion will be open at the Curry County Fairgrounds before the county fair in August, 2024.

At least that’s the plan as Curry County commissioners voted Monday to approve a contract with the state for a $6.5 million grant to build the multipurpose pavilion, County Manager Lance Pyle said.

Commissioners also approved the contract for the architect of the project, Formative Architecture of Albuquerque for $652,860.

Pyle said Formative must have the design work of the metal building done and ready for the county to purchase May 1.

“All phases of the design scope should be ready to issue to potential bidders by June 5,” Pyle said.

Pyle said groundbreaking for the new building will be after this summer’s county fair and it is to be completed before the 2024 county fair.

Pyle described the pavilion as a 41,400 square foot structure with portable stalls.

“It will enhance the fairgrounds and allow us to recruit and host larger events to Curry County,” Pyle said.

Part of the project is the demolition of the existing animal barns at the fairgrounds. Pyle said those barns are more than 50 years old.

Pyle said the $6.5 million represents the beginning of funding for the livestock pavilion.

“More money is needed for the construction,” Pyle said. “We have requests pending with the Legislature and the governor of over $5.1 million.”

The new pavilion will be “great” for Clovis, said Economic Development Executive Director Tina Dziuk said. “A lot of bigger equine events require more up to date facilities.”

Dziuk said she likes how the Events Center general manager labeled the need for a better facility, “horse hospitality.”

Dziuk said Clovis wants to be able to draw bigger events and the center will have more stalls and wash stalls.

“We’re going to be able to compete for the events that we haven’t been able to have in the past,” Dziuk said.

In other business at Monday’s meeting, commissioners approved change orders on the courthouse renovation and addition project.

Four change orders valued at more than S56,105 were approved. The largest was for painting the interior. Other items approved were installation of a concrete water vault to provide access to water lines for the detention center and renovation of HVAC units.

Commissioners also unanimously passed a resolution in support of Senate Bill 7.

The bill proposes creation of a “rural health care delivery fund,” according to Pyle.

The fund is for counties with populations of less than 100,000 people.

“It would benefit a regional behavioral health facility, Plains Regional Medical Center, La Casa,” Pyle said.

Pyle said such a fund would be helpful in the beginning years of the proposed regional behavioral health facility, now in the stages of requests for funding to the Legislature and governor’s office.

Pyle said the regional behavioral health center is a partnership between five counties and three cities: Curry, DeBaca, Quay, Roosevelt and Union counties, along with Clovis, Fort Sumner and Portales.

As of Monday, the bill has passed one Senate committee, and now it is in the Senate finance committee.

Jorge Cruz, hospital chief executive at Plains Regional Medical Center said, “At Plains Regional Medical Center, we are supportive of efforts and investments that seek to expand access and funding for rural health care in New Mexico.”

Cruz said the company looks forward to seeing the next steps Senate Bill 7 proceeds through the legislative session.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced on Jan. 30 the introduction and progress of bipartisan legislation creating the fund that will support rural facilities and providers across New Mexico and “improve access to health care for thousands of New Mexicans.”

Sponsored by Sen. Liz Stefanics and Rep. Gail Armstrong, Senate Bill 7 created the Rural Health Care Delivery Fund, designed to provide support for rural health care delivery in parts of New Mexico often underserved by available health care options.

The fund will support newly constructed providers and facilities that offer new or expanded health care services in counties with fewer than 100,000 residents by defraying operating losses for up to five years. The legislation was approved by the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee with bipartisan support.