Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Quay County’s road superintendent told county commissioners Monday that repairs on a flood-damaged, eight-mile stretch of Quay Road M may begin as soon as early November.
Road superintendent Stephen Salas said $750,000 in state disaster funds earmarked for the May 2023 flash floods recently were approved.
Salas said the forthcoming work by Pacheco Construction of Tucumcari would use up most of that money.
Quay Road M runs from north of Bard to the caprock in the southern part of the county.
Salas said he would request another $750,000 in state disaster aid for repairs for six other flood-damaged county roads, including Quay Road 51 and Quay Road AC.
Salas said many of the county’s regular road projects are ahead of schedule, enabling crews to devote more time to maintenance. Highway crews bladed nearly 230 miles of road in September; the usual number is about 100.
The storm in May 2023 dumped six to eight inches of rain in less than 24 hours in parts of eastern Quay County. The subsequent flooding damaged or destroyed numerous infrastructure, including a multimillion-dollar bridge days from completion on Old Route 66 between Glenrio and San Jon.
Replacement of that bridge remains in limbo after the county sued the architect and contractor over the span’s lack of insurance coverage.
In other business:
— County manager Daniel Zamora said he was investigating the possibility of using state energy-efficiency funds help to replace windows at the county courthouse.
He said the program would cover up to 50% of the cost of energy-efficiency upgrades.
Nearly all the windows on the 1939 courthouse are original.
Zamora previously estimated that replacing the windows with new ones that conform to the courthouse’s historic appearance would cost at least $1 million.
He said he’s been in touch with state Sen. Pat Woods about capital outlay funds during the 2025 legislative session to augment the windows-replacement project, plus upgrade the courthouse’s HVAC systems.
— Zamora said the state’s Rural Health Care Delivery Fund is looking at expanding dental services in the county by using an office once used by retired Tucumcari dentist Gary Balzano.
Zamora said the fund would cover three years of operating losses by another dental facility. He said he’s been talking to Balzano about a dental service leasing his office or making repairs to it.
State health officials say Quay County lacks dental care, especially for Medicaid patients.
Zamora said Tucumcari’s lone practicing dentist, Dr. Matthew Pacheco, has welcomed the prospect of another dentist in the area. Zamora said one dentist can treat a maximum of 2,500 patients per year.
— Salas said county workers would join with the Tucumcari Tuesdays volunteer group on Nov. 12 to clear debris from the abandoned Tucumcari Inn motel.
He said the group needs heavy equipment to help remove vegetation that’s almost 10 feet tall.
— Zamora said a collapsed sewer line under Fourth Street leading from the Quay County Detention Center recently was replaced, but that hasn’t solved sanitation problems there.
He said the sewer problems likely exist under the building and has contacted a contractor to investigate.
Another option would be buying shredders for the jail’s sewer system, but each would cost $25,000, with at least four required.
— Commissioners approved a five-year, $51,433.74 jail administration system contract with Motorola Solutions for the detention center.
The system electronically monitors cell checks and inmate movements. Zamora said Motorola’s system cost less and “provides more bang for the buck” than another provider.
— Commissioners approved a five-year correctional communications service agreement for the jail with NCIC. The company provides telephone, video and messaging services for inmates. The company collects per-minute fees for usage.
— Tucumcari MainStreet director Connie Loveland gave her quarterly report detailing the organization’s events and activities during the summer and fall.
She said the TucumScary block party Saturday in downtown Tucumcari drew more than 1,500 people, with an estimated 500 children, according to people-counters with the organization.
Loveland said La Cita / Tucumcari Lumber gave away 200 caramel apples, 60 cookies, 100 pounds of candy, 10 cases of water and three 55-gallon barrels of popcorn during the event.
— During submission of his first-quarter financial report for the county’s DWI Program, coordinator Rico Marano reported 15 driving-while-intoxicated arrests were reported in the July-to-September period. He said that was unusually high compared to recent years.
— Zamora said the October gross-receipts tax revenue report, which accounts for August transactions, continued to be strong. He said revenue was particularly strong in the construction, retail and food distribution sectors.