Liquor license sought

A house on a residential block of Tucumcari may become the site of a liquor license, according to the property owner, Ralph Moya, and a notification on the doorway of the abandoned residence.

Moya, who is District 1 Commissioner on the Tucumcari City Commission, recused himself and spoke as a citizen Thursday after two neighbors complained to the commission about the potential liquor license and what it could mean in terms of late-night music and drunk driving,

Both neighbors spoke Thursday in public comments.

Moya, however, said the properties in that block all are zoned commercial, and a business there would serve the community.

The residence at 428 S. Second St. is across the street from Moya’s offices at 419 S. Second St.

The entity seeking the liquor license is the Tucumcari Zia Club, which has apparently been spun off from the Tucumcari Knights of Columbus that had announced it was going “inactive” Aug. 24.

Moya denied any connection with the Knights of Columbus or the Tucumcari Zia Club.

The New Mexico Secretary of State’s office lists the Tucumcari Zia Club as having formed in Sept. 1, 2015, as a nonprofit organization whose leadership, including Jerry Lopez, Matt Bednorz and Benjie Torres, reflects the leadership of the Tucumcari Knights of Columbus. District 4 Commissioner Chris Arias is listed as a director of the Knights of Columbus but not as an officer with the Zia Club.

The Tucumcari Zia Club’s license is pending before the New Mexico Alcohol and Gaming Division, according to the document on the residence’s doorway and on its website.

The document on the doorway invites persons who wish to protest the license to make written protests to the Director, Alcohol and Gaming Division, P.O. Box 25101, on or before Sept. 13.

Complaints will be forwarded to Tucumcari city government, which will then schedule public hearings on the license before voting whether to approve it, according to the document.

In announcing the Knights of Columbus going inactive, the Knights in a news release announced they were selling their building by the end of August.

Arias told the Quay County Sun a man from Albuquerque recently made an offer on the Knights of Columbus Hall at 203 E. Main St., and the deal would close in late August.

However, one of the council’s officers and a district deputy expressed optimism the Tucumcari organization would resurface in the coming months after reorganization.

In other matters Thursday, the city commission:

• Received a favorable report on the city’s 2020-2021 budget from the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration.

The report, signed by Brenda L. Suaza Dillo, a member of the department’s Local Government Division staff, warned, however, that “due to the estimated expenditures and transfers exceeding estimated revenue, your entity’s General Fund cash balance is being depleted.”

Interim city manager Mark Martinez said the city needs to change its cash reserve policies to avoid chronic deficits in the general fund and suggested the commission take up that discussion in a work session.

• Approved a contract for design services for an aircraft-fueling center at Tucumcari Municipal Airport.

The fueling center will feature two 12,000-gallon fuel tanks, one for regular AvGas and another for Jet A fuel. The fuel center also would feature convenient loading of tanks from delivery trucks.

Design services are expected to total $125,000 over the next five months,

The bill for design services will be split 90%, or $112,521.40, from the New Mexico Aviation Division and 10%, or $12,502.38, from local funds,

The plan calls for construction to be completed by the end of 2020.

Bohannon Huston, the Albuquerque engineering firm overseeing the project, has subcontracted the design phase to Argus, a Kansas-based firm specializing in fuel delivery systems, according to documents.

Project manager Ralph Lopez said the new fueling system would replace one that is 40 years old.

• Approved a $12,000 contract to warranty sprinkler systems at the Tucumcari Municipal Golf Courts. The $12,000 contract for the warranty services through WinSupply, an Albuquerque irrigation service, will be paid from golf course revenues, Martinez said.

• Approved a continuation of legal services pertaining to water rights from Egolf+Ferlic+Martinez+Harwick for another year. The firm will receive $25,000 from the city as a retainer.

• Tabled an agreement with New Mexico State University that would allow the city to use its students on internships. The commission tabled the resolution after Martinez said information was not complete.

• Approved a $28,500 contract with Ricoh for maintenance of copying and fax machines in city offices throughout the city.