City approves Second Street measures

The Tucumcari city commission on Thursday unanimously approved four resolutions, applications or agreements to address repairs and reconstruction of two blocks of Second Street downtown.

Commissioners swiftly approved the four measures. Commissioner Ralph Moya, a frequent skeptic of city legislation, made the motion to approve those items. He said the work is needed because an acquaintance told him Tucumcari streets are “worse than the roads in Mexico.”

These are the measures the commissioners approved:

n A resolution requesting participation in the New Mexico Department of Transportation Local Government Transportation Project Fund for Second Street. The state’s share would be $475,000 and the city covering $25,000. The city must allocate all the money by June 30, 2022.

• An agreement with the state’s Local Government Transportation Fund for the Second Street project.

• A $150,000 grant agreement for Tucumcari MainStreet in partnership with the city for Second and Main streets. It would require $18,000 from MainStreet’s cash reserves and $12,000 in in-kind work from city or state workers. The agreement required a clean audit for the city, which it received a few months ago.

• An application for public infrastructure funding from the MainStreet Capital-outlay fund for fiscal year 2020. The city seeks $700,000. The city’s share, if it receives the grant, would be $84,000.

The city’s long-term goal is to rebuild a half-mile of Second Street from Main Street to Route 66. Because downtown contains historic buildings and other infrastructure needs, redoing Second Street there is expensive, and city would have only enough money for two blocks for now.

During city commissioners’ comments, mayor pro tem Todd Duplantis said the city needs to make a capital-outlay request to the New Mexico Legislature to repair its streets.

“If we don’t make an effort, we’re doing an injustice to our citizens,” he said.

In other business, the commission:

• Approved a resolution encouraging city officials’ participation in the Municipal Officials Leadership Institute certification program. Commissioner Chris Arias, who requested the resolution, said the program “serves the best interest of the city and its residents,” and the resolution lays out a plan for commissioners who wish to participate. Moya, noting “I’ve got contacts throughout the state,” said he didn’t have an interest in the program. Mayor Ruth Ann Litchfield said the resolution doesn’t make the training mandatory, and Duplantis said the resolution could apply “at each commissioner’s discretion.”

• Approved a first-quarter budget adjustment as recommended by finance director Rachelle Arias showing an actual surplus of $191,362, as opposed to a previously anticipated deficit of $38,111.

• Heard from Connie Loveland, executive director of Tucumcari MainStreet, the city’s Great Blocks on Main Street program had won the Best Practice in Planning award from New Mexico Economic Development.

• Approved the reappointments of Tommy Snapp and Earline Sheff to the Community Development Board and the appointment of Julia Calbert to the Senior Center Board.

• Heard from Evon Lusk during public comments thanking Arias for livestreaming the candidates’ forum earlier in the week at Mesalands Community College. She said a few commenters complained about the lack of notice about the forum; she encouraged residents to come to the city commission’s twice-a-month meetings to stay involved. Lusk is the wife of city manager Britt Lusk.

• Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce executive director Carmen Runyon encouraged residents to submit dates and times of holiday events to her by Nov. 1 for the Very Merry Tucumcari listing.

• Announced Maribel Lucero was the city’s employee of the quarter. She works in the finance department.

• Heard a proclamation from Litchfield that November would be National Hospice Palliative Care Month.