Portales, Roosevelt settle on services contract

After more than a year of back-and-forth discussion, the city of Portales and Roosevelt County have agreed to an intergovernmental services contract.

This new one has no financial contribution from either entity. Instead, it is services for services.

Noteworthy topics in the new agreement, which was approved by city officials on April 22, include 911 dispatch, animal control and fire/EMS services.

“The agreement settled the expectations from both governing bodies in reference to the administrative duties that the Dispatch Center provides for (Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office),” said T.J. Cathey, Portales’ interim city manager.

In the previous agreement, the city provided office space for police, plus janitorial services and paid utilities. This is no longer happening, as dispatch has since been moved out of that space.

For animal control, the shelter only took in strays within the city’s limits for the last two years.

“Within the last 3-4 months, we’ve been able to start accepting limited surrenders as room allows now that our stray population has drastically decreased,” Community Services Director Kelly McClellan said.

In the new agreement, the shelter has started the service of euthanizing dangerous animals on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office.

McClellan said they do take in surrenders from those living in the city, but only as kennel space allows.

Cathey said he hasn’t been able to find a previous agreement that dealt with fire/EMS services. However, under the new agreement there is no change for Portales Fire Department other than the county no longer paying the city $30,300 annually for response.

Fire and EMS services will continue to operate as they have been, within a 308 square-mile district. The new agreement essentially makes this function official on paper.

The new agreement also reads that the county will continue to provide detention services at the Roosevelt County Detention Center just as previously.

“Instead of charging and sending checks back and forth, we’re just going to provide the services for the community that we need to so that our citizens and our constituents are taken care of,” said Portales City Councilwoman Veronica Cordova.

The city and county agreed the contract will last through 2026.