Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
City commissioners voted to raise fees at Tucumcari Municipal Golf Course, but at least two questioned whether the increases were high enough.
Commissioner ultimately approved the increases during their regular meeting Thursday, but with the stipulation the fees be reviewed within a year and be compared to other golf courses in the region.
City manager Paula Chacon said fees at the golf course hadn’t been raised since 2011. Many of the increases listed in the resolution ranged from less than $10 to just over $50 per year. They will take effect on Jan. 1.
Commissioners asked whether the fees had been compared to other courses. Chacon admitted she had not done that.
Commissioner Renee Hayoz said, “These (increases) seem really low.” She said she wanted more research on how much other courses are charging.
Fellow commissioner Mike Cherry noted they “weren’t much of an increase.”
“I wonder why they went up at all,” he added.
It appeared the measure would die from the lack of a motion or second, but Cherry added the review stipulation, and it passed.
Membership dues will be as follows:
— Individual, $450
— Family of two, $580
— Family, $650
— Senior citizen, single, $425
— Motel for 100 rounds, $500
— College for coach and all students, $1,000
Cart shed fees will be $200. Green fees did not change.
Other action
— Commissioners approved a $2 million state recreation grant to renovate the Little League fields and Tucumcari Recreation Center. The city must spend the funds by June 30. Chacon said she already had a nearly $120,000 plan of improvements to the fields.
— Commissioners approved a four-year lease with Casey Gonzales for 200 acres of vacant city-owned land east of the airport. Gonzales was the only bidder, at $56.10 an acre.
— Commissioners approved a resolution for a state Water Project Fund loan and grant agreement for a new transmission line for the Hoover water tank and renovating the 11th Street water tank. The grant is $2.52 million, with a loan of $280,000.
— Commissioners again approved a resolution authorizing the city to enter into a loan agreement with the New Mexico Environment Department for Phase 2 of the wastewater reuse project. Project manager Ralph Lopez described it as a “re-do” because a slight mistake in definitions within the previous resolution.
Manager’s report
Items from Chacon’s report:
— Chacon said she wanted five high-priority items to give to state lawmakers for capital outlay consideration.
Among the options are new city vehicles, a new trash truck, a new building at Tucumcari Memorial Park cemetery, street repairs, fire hydrant repairs and a new ambulance.
Chacon said she would have a finalized priority list to give to the Legislature by January.
— She said she would send in applications for brownsfields funding to remove contaminants from the old Tucumcari Police Department building, Princess Theatre and the water dispenser on Third Street.
Chacon said she believed there are underground fuel tanks at the dispenser, the site of a former gas station.
Comments
During commissioner comments, Moya suggested using tax revenue from cannabis sales to outfit Tucumcari Police Department squad cars with computers and license plate scanners.
Police Chief Patti Lopez said her department received a $110,000 quote in the spring for similar equipment. Chacon estimated the city receives about $140,000 a year in taxes from marijuana sales.
Moya also said he’d received complaints about aggressive dogs at a home in the 1000 block of East Heman Avenue. Chacon said Quay County Paws & Claws was working with the homeowner to spay or neuter the dogs, and the owner was seeking to fix the fence. The dogs’ owner has appealed 10 dog-related citations.
— In public comments, Toni Wilson voiced concerns about “dangerous” properties at 1114 S. Second St., 917 E. High St. and 115 W. Gamble Ave.
— Haley Place urged that residents “take extra time” to look after lonely or vulnerable residents during the holidays. He urged Tucumcarians to make one act of kindness per person, including a phone call or text.
Place also asked for and received a moment of silence for children whose parents were lost to fentanyl overdoses.
— Elsie Varela again complained about inaction from Chacon regarding an insurance claim on her vehicle due to potholes. She said her insurer denied her claim because it wasn’t filed in a timely manner. Chacon said she would follow up with the adjuster on the matter.
— Wilson and Place also complained about the lack of Christmas decorations on First Street light poles. Chacon said later in the meeting that bad weather prevented city workers from hanging the décor and that they would be installed. The next day, city workers were seen installing some of the decorations.
Work session
During a work session Thursday, Chacon suggested the city pick up the expense of a 10% increase in state health insurance premiums that take effect on Jan. 1.
Chacon said the premium hikes would cost the city an additional $82,500 for the final six months of the fiscal year and would be equivalent to $1 an hour for city employees if they had to pay for them.
She said the increase wasn’t part of the city’s budget because the state didn’t inform municipalities about it until late in the year.
She said earlier in the year, she had drafted a $181,000 check to the state for insurance increases but never sent it because multiple entities have filed lawsuits to contest them. The money remains in the city’s account and would cover the cost of one year of the premium increases.
Cherry asked for a status report on the lawsuit and that the city paying for the increase on behalf of city employees be placed on the next meeting’s agenda on Dec. 28.
— Mike Poe of SPC in Dalhart, Texas, made a presentation on the city buying or leasing new video cameras for city hall, police department, convention center and recreation center.
Poe said the cameras have night vision, heat sensors and hold at least seven days of footage.
Moya said he wanted other bids before making a final decision.
— Connie Loveland of Tucumcari MainStreet gave a year-end report of the organization’s activities.
She said it was creating a welcome packet of vital information for new businesses.
Loveland said the New Mexico Route 66 Association was about half-finished with its efforts to repair historic neon after May’s hailstorm. Tucumcari MainStreet is assisting with the effort.
She said attendance at the Tucumcari Railroad Museum has dropped somewhat, mostly because it has closed on Tuesday, historically its slowest day, due to the lack of manpower.