Commission hears no objections during public meeting

The Quay County Commission heard no objections during a brief public hearing Monday about its county infrastructure and capital improvement plan for fiscal years 2021 to 2025.

The plan essentially serves as a wish list for when the New Mexico Legislature awards money for capital-outlay projects. Though the county can list items for the next five fiscal years, the summary details projects only for 2021 and 2022. Each item also is ranked by priority.

The proposed projects would cost nearly $15 million in total.

For 2021, the items listed on the capital improvement plan by priority:

• Quay Road 63 construction, $1.25 million;

• Quay Road 62.9 construction, $1 million;

• Quay County Detention Center renovations, $500,000 (with $250,000 funded to date);

• Fairgrounds roof replacement, $350,000;

• Quay Road AR construction, $1.5 million;

• Quay Road AP construction, $550,000 (with another $300,000 in 2022);

• Asset management procedure plan, $100,000 (with $50,000 funded to date).

• Bridges 1042 and 1625 on Historic Route 66, $3.25 million (with another $3.25 million in 2022);

• Feasibility study of South Ute Lake Road, $150,000.

The items listed on the plan for 2022 by priority:

• Ute reservoir watershed restoration, $500,000;

• Dump truck equipment, $350,000;

• Pneumatic roller, $170,000;

• Courthouse window replacement, $400,000;

• Dozer equipment, $750,000;

• County vehicles, $300,000.

County resident Scott Bidegain said he’d like to see the Quay Road 63 “repaved and fixed.” County commissioner Franklin McCasland noted the road was at the top of the priority list in the plan.

The commission will consider the plan for final approval during its next meeting Aug. 26. It must be submitted to the state by Sept. 6.

County manager Richard Primrose and county commissioner Sue Dowell were absent Monday.

In other business, the commission:

• Approved county fire marshal Lucas Bugg’s purchase agreement of $273,351 for a 3,000-gallon tanker and pumper firetruck for Conservancy Fire District No. 2. The truck is being purchased from Midwest Fire of Luverne, Minnesota.

• Approved a $29,778 grant agreement from emergency management coordinator Daniel Zamora that would cover 25 percent of his yearly salary and benefits. The money comes from the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security.

• Approved a final plat agreement of the Air Park at Ute Lake subdivision near Logan. The developers seek to build the development, which includes two airport runways, east of 12 Shores Golf Course. Each of the 59 housing units would have a private airplane hangar.

• Approved finance director Cheryl Simpson’s request of a memorandum of agreement with the New Mexico Department of Health’s Rural Primary Health Care Agency. Simpson said the agency awarded $111,920, an increase from about $90,000 last year. The money will be used for a variety of services at the Quay County Family Health Center.

• Heard road superintendent Larry Moore say the county’s application had “made the first cut” in qualifying for the state’s $50 million Local Government Transportation Project Fund to replace two bridges on old Route 66 near San Jon. Moore said county officials likely would know Thursday whether they would get the $6 million requested for the projects during a state transportation commission meeting in Ruidoso.