Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The Second Street improvement project in downtown Tucumcari is a contract signing from the start of construction after the city commission voted unanimously Thursday during a special meeting to accept a nearly $1.8 million construction bid for the project.
An Albuquerque construction firm, J&H Services, submitted the winning bid, beating another firm, Lone Mountain Contracting Inc., to win the contract.
In accepting the bid, the commission followed the recommendation of Bohannon Huston, the project’s engineers.
The commissioners are expected to officially sign the contract June 11 at their regular meeting.
Construction should be completed 120 days after the signing, acting city manager Mark Martinez said.
The construction would include a removal of street, roadbed and current curbs and sidewalks along Second Street from Main Street to Aber Street in the city’s downtown, as well as improvements in appearance, such as planters with trees and shrubs, and trash receptacles.
The project is financed through grants from the Great Blocks program of New Mexico. Other aesthetic improvements will be added as more grant funds become available, Martinez said.
Project manager Ralph Lopez said earlier that the project has been delayed due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The commission also approved a new grant of $30,355.74 from federal CARES Act funds to help the Tucumcari Senior Citizens Center provide more protective equipment for its employees and more assistance in providing home-delivered meals to seniors as they cope with COVID-19 isolation and restrictions, including extra workers.
The grant funds are distributed through the Northeast New Mexico Non-Metro Area Agency on Aging, through the New Mexico Economic Development Department.
Reopening plans
Before Thursday’s regular meeting, the commission held a public work session to discuss a plan for reopening city offices and facilities that have been closed due to COVID-19 pandemic concerns.
Commissioners generally agreed the city’s library, City Hall, the Recreation Center and the Historic Museum should open for limited hours with precautionary measures such as floor markings to promote social distancing and strong recommendations to wear masks.
City Hall will open its lobby from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays, with appointments for other times during regular business hours.
The library can open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday for checking books in and out and allowing residents one-hour time limits to use library computers, according to library director Linda Gonzales.
Commissioners did not resolve possible opening hours for the recreation center and the historical museum.
Other business
During the meeting, commissioners also expressed concerns about:
• Sending citations to out-of-town owners of run-down properties to “get their attention” after letters informing them of code violations failed to generate a response, according to District 5 Commissioner Todd Duplantis, who served as Mayor Pro Tem in Mayor Ruth Ann Litchfield’s absence.
• Speeding on Rock Island Street, mentioned by District 2 Commissioner Paul Villanueva. Martinez said Police Chief David Lathrom has offered to step up patrols there.
• Improvements at the Tucumcari Convention Center, as brought up by District 1 Commissioner Ralph Moya. Moya said colored concrete should be considered for floor repairs. Martinez said painting walls at the Convention Center is proceeding well.
• A problem related to a ditch that overflows onto private property, a concern Moya mentioned. Martinez said he conferred with officials from District V of the New Mexico Department of Transportation about that and other problems on state routes that go through the city. Martinez said the DOT would try to determine who owns the ditch, whether it’s the city, the DOT or a railroad, before deciding on action to stem the flooding problem.