Manager wants prioritize courthouse windows

Quay County’s manager said he was inclined to move up priority of replacing the courthouse windows on its Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan.

The county commission on Monday held a public hearing on updating the five-year plan, which serves as a guide and wish list for capital outlay funding from the New Mexico Legislature.

County manager Daniel Zamora said the county spends $3,000 to $5,000 a month on electricity in the courthouse, which also holds other county offices. He said new windows would improve its energy efficiency.

Last year’s ICIP contained a request for $1.164 million to replace the courthouse windows — second in priority only to receiving $30 million to build a new Trigg Memorial Hospital.

The county earlier this year received $10 million in state funding for a new hospital and has applied for another $20 million in federal money for the project.

County Clerk Ellen White suggested adding new climate control units to the ICIP list. She estimated the current Mitsubishi units were between 15 and 18 years old and “on their last legs.”

Road superintendent Stephen Salas suggested requesting capital outlay funds for several pieces of equipment for his department, including a transport unit, a backhoe and a loader.

Salas said earlier ICIP requests such as construction on Quay Road 63 and Quay Road 62.9 could be removed from the list because work had started or funding had been obtained for those projects.

Requests for dump truck equipment and a pneumatic roller for the road department also could be removed because they were fulfilled during the last legislative session.

An amended ICIP list is scheduled to be approved by commissioners during their early July meeting.

In other business:

— Commissioners approved an E-911 grant agreement of $704,601 with the county’s regional emergency communications center for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. The state funds will be used to maintain the county’s emergency dispatch system.

Jamie Luaders, manager of the county’s dispatch system, said 96.27% of all emergency calls since Jan. 1 were answered by dispatchers within 10 seconds. Answering the remaining calls took no longer than 15 seconds.

— Commissioners approved the official canvass from last Tuesday’s primary election.

White said there were no incidents or discrepancies reported during local primary voting.

Commission Chairman Robert Lopez said it was “a smooth election.”

— Zamora reported the county saw a record $340,000 in gross receipts tax collections in March.

He attributed part of that to an increase in construction, which jumped from $13,000 to $97,000 in collection in a single month. Commissioner Brian Fortner also noted increases in collections in the lodging and food sectors.

— Commissioners approved three resolutions recommended by county finance director Samantha Salas. The resolutions establish a end-of-year closeout policy, a capital asset policy and a cash handling policy.

Zamora said the new policies serve as a checklist for officials. The new policies were prompted by findings in a recent audit.

— Commissioners approved an annual federal Emergency Management Performance Grant application of $28,011.50 for half of the salary and benefits of county emergency manager Bill Kardokus. The county covers the other half of the cost.

Commissioners also approved a Hazardous Mitigation Grant application for $46,125 in federal funds, with a county share of $15,375. Kardokus said the money would be used to update the hazardous mitigation plan, last updated in 2018.

— Commissioners approved a memo of agreement with the New Mexico Department of Information Technology to install a radio repeater on an existing radio tower near Palomas.

Zamora said the repeater would increase radio coverage for sheriff’s department in the county. The only radio repeater the county once had was on Tucumcari Mountain. Another repeater was installed near Wheatland.

— Stephen Salas said demolition of a destroyed bridge on Old Route 66 between San Jon and Endee would be completed this week.

He said they were awaiting permits to build a temporary low-water bridge in the area.

The bridge, days from completion, was destroyed by flash flooding in May 2023. The bridge was not covered by insurance, and the county has filed suit against the contractor and architect.

Salas also said the county was adding new barriers to keep traffic from the 1930s bridge in that area. That span withstood the flood, but its approaches were damaged.

— Commissioners approved a resolution for a $100,000 state loan agreement for the Bard-Endee Fire Department to buy a truck.

— Zamora said the summer internship program has 45 area youths participating with varying entities and businesses throughout the county.

Among the entities employing interns are the City of Tucumcari, Tucumcari MainStreet, Odeon Theatre, district attorney’s office, the Paws & Claws animal shelter and the Tucumcari and San Jon school districts.