County releases infrastructure draft plan

The Quay County Commission last week unveiled its annual draft of infrastructure and capital improvement plan, with reconstruction of Quay Road 63 near Tucumcari its top priority.

The plan essentially is a wish list sent to the New Mexico Legislature to help lawmakers decide where to allocate annual capital improvement funds.

The commission held a public hearing on the list during its regular meeting July 11. It likely will approve the final list during its next meeting July 25.

Several projects, especially high-dollar items such as roads, are requesting the money over two fiscal years.

The following is a list of infrastructure projects, listed by priority and the amount requested:

• Quay Road 63 construction, $1.25 million;

• Quay Road 62.9 construction, $1 million;

• Fire and EMS radio equipment upgrade, $250,000;

• Bridge 1042 on Old Route 66, $5.25 million;

• Sheriff’s vehicles, $200,000;

• Quay Road AR construction, $1.5 million;

• Quay Road AP construction, $850,000;

• Asset management procedure plan, $100,000;

• Quay County Detention Center renovations, $760,000;

• Ute Reservoir Watershed restoration, $500,000;

• Dump truck equipment, $400,000;

• Pneumatic roller, $250,000;

• Courthouse window replacement, $1.164 million;

• Bulldozer equipment, $750,000;

• County vehicles, $300,000.

In other business:

• Commissioners voted 2-1 to table a vote on a service agreement with the Greater Tucumcari Economic Development Corporation.

Commissioner Jerri Rush said she wanted more time to look at the proposal from EDC executive director Patrick Vanderpool and moved to table the measure. Commissioner Robert Lopez seconded it and approved the tabling.

Commission Chairman Franklin McCasland said he believed more time was not needed after members heard Vanderpool’s nearly one-hour presentation.

The proposed EDC contract requests $50,000 annually from the county. Vanderpool in a letter to commissioners cited the assistance his office gave in helping Paulita’s Mexican Foods relocate from Rio Rancho to Tucumcari and assist the Evans family in developing a meat processing facility east of Tucumcari.

“We’ve fielded calls from a potential crypto mine and from a large-scale retail developer,” Vanderpool stated. “We continue to support Tucumcari Biofuels and the Tabletop Co-op. And we’ve worked with New Mexico’s Environment Department to secure funding for cleanup of the Tucumcari Truck Terminal.”

• Commissioners approved an enhanced 911 Act grant program agreement of $130,316 with the Tucumcari/Quay Regional Emergency Communications Center and the state through June 30, 2023.

Funds will be used for 911 emergency-related services to Quay and Harding counties, as well as related reimbursements for travel, training and geographic information systems software and hardware.