Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The Tucumcari City Commission Thursday decided to buy an ambulance and authorize an agreement for state and local funding of an expanded-capacity water line to Mountain Road and Interstate 40 in order to accommodate business expansion there.
The new ambulance will raise the number of ambulances the city's Emergency Medical Services group operates to four, Fire Chief Doug Hogan told the commission.
The new ambulance would be used mostly for patient transfers to hospitals in Lubbock, Amarillo and Albuquerque, where advanced care is available, Hogan said.
The ambulance's price is $77,934. Of this amount, the New Mexico Department of Health will pick up $58,450 and the city will pay the remaining $19,483, Hogan said.
The water line agreement will finance installation of 10-inch and six-inch diameter water lines along Mountain Road and all appropriate steel casings at crossings, valves, fire hydtrants, water meters and other hardware.
The project is expected to cost $909,963. Of that amount, the New Mexico Finance Authority's Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund will pay for $682,472, and will make a loan to the city for the remaining $227,491. The loan will be paid off over 22 years at an interest rate of one-quarter of 1 percent.
At a public workshop before the regular commission meeting, commissioners discussed how to handle city properties that are in violation of city code, purchasing city property and weekend vendors.
The commission took no action on these items.
District 1 Commissioner Ralph Moya said the city should be conscientious about ensuring its own properties are in compliance with the city's nuisance codes, especially if it intends to enforce them on residents.
Moya said residents of his district, which includes north side neighborhoods, are upset when they are notified they need to mow down tall grass and mesquite to comply with the nuisance law, while city properties are not always properly maintained.
City Manager Jared Langenegger said that sometimes property that residents have said belong to the city do not, but said he would make sure the city's zoning control officers keep tabs on city properties.
He said the city uses a work order system that allows city employees to report work that needs to be done, including repairs and property grooming.
District 5 Commissioner Todd DuPlantis asked whether some liens could be lifted on some properties for sale. Liens can add thousands of dollars to the cost of purchasing even low-priced properties in town, he said.
Langenegger said liens, especially property tax liens, cannot be removed from most properties for sale.
Even if the city buys a property, District 4 Commissioner Robert Lumpkin said, it must pay off liens, even if the city does not owe property tax after procuring the property.
The commission also discussed vendors who often sell merchandise from vehicles in parking lots on weekends.
They sell chiles, honey, pinon and other products.
Moya said one vendor told him he comes to Tucumcari because the city does not check for business licenses.
Langenegger said such businesses should be licensed and he mentioned some weekend vendors who do buy business licenses.
The cost of the license is $110 a year, he said.
Langenegger said he would consider having corde enforcement personnel make random weekend checks on these vendors.