Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The Tucumcari City Commission on Thursday took action that brings closer increased water supply coming into the city and the final disposal of wastewater going out.
The commission approved a letter that commits the city to put up $375,000 toward the $1.5 million needed to replace the 165,000-gallon Hoover tank west of the city and install water supply lines from city wells to the tank, and transmission lines from the tank to the city.
The rest of the funding, $1.125 million, will come from the New Mexico Finance Authority's Drinking Water Revolving Fund.
The city will pay off its $375,000 obligation to the finance authority over 22 years at an annual interest rate of 0.25 percent, according to documents from the finance authority.
The commission also committed the city to purchasing for $50,478.53 a 318-acre tract just north of the city's wastewater treatment plant from Jack Smith.
The city will irrigate the property with treated wastewater from the treatment plant, preventing the treated water from entering any nearby streams, to comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations against dumping even treated wastewater into a “Waterway of the U.S.”
The commission on Thursday also approved the the cancellation of the city's franchise agreement with Comcast, a cable television service.
City Manager Britt Lusk said cancellation of the contract clears the way for Plateau to take over the cable service and to install fiber-optic internet cable on the cable lines.
Plateau purchased the cable television facilities from Comcast in recent weeks. Plateau will offer very high speed fiber-optic internet and cable television services to Tucumcari residents, Plateau's chief operating officer Vince Tyson told the commission in September.
In his report to the commission, Lusk commended efforts that went into the city's showing to support the planned Coronado Park racetrack and casino Oct. 4 and noted the success of downtown's Fired Up event Sept. 29.
He was joined by Vicki Strand and Ralph Lopez of the city's Community Development Department, who had met with New Mexico Finance Authority and New Mexico Department of Transportation officials on the Mountain Road project that will resurface Mountain Road from Historic Route 66 to Interstate 40 and will include the installation of higher-capacity water lines to promote business growth near I-40.
In public comments, Gail Houser, executive director of Tucumcari Main Street, noted the success of Fired Up, which the Main Street organization puts together, and said artist Doug Quarles is expected to begin work on a 17-by-40-foot mural map in downtown this week.
District 5 Commissioner Todd Duplantis and District 1 Commissioner Ralph Moya said the city should be improving enforcement of its animal control ordinances because too many animals are roaming free, and animals are being abandoned in the city.
Under questioning from Moya, Lusk discussed economic development activity. He mentioned progress on a proposed Local Economic Development Act project, interest in the building that housed the recently shuttered Kmart store, workforce development activities with ACT, the testing organization and regional Stronger Economies Together activities the Greater Tucumcari Economic Development Corporation has been involved.