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The city council appointed multiple individuals to various boards, approved emergency expenditure for repair of a collapsed sewer line, and approved combining GCCS, NMDOT, LGRF, and City of Grants agreements for Washington Avenue phase two and three. Arieanna Crowson – CC
GRANTS, NM – The city council approved for the design for improvements to both Roosevelt Avenue from 4th Street to Iron and Sakelares Boulevard, the council also approved an ordinance for a Safe Haven Baby Box and another extension to the city charter advisory committee.
Multiple individuals were appointed to various boards. Anna Marie Lopez was reappointed to the Recreation Board. Rocky Mistry and Alene Joyner were appointed to the Lodgers’ Tax Board and Richard Morgan was appointed to the city charter advisory committee.
There were updates given regarding the city charter, some of the updates included that the committee has been unable to meet due to not having seven members and that they have been struggling to make sure each part of the charter is worded correctly and all parts of the charter are following the law. Following the updates there was approval for a resolution to both give another sixmonth extension to the City Charter Committee, but also change the overall makeup of the charter which was originally one person from each district and three people at-large. The resolution changed the makeup to have one person from district one, one person from district two, one person from district four, and four people at-large. The reason for this change was due to an issue finding individuals to join the committee from district three.
There was discussion regarding public safety. Police Chief Maxine Monte went over the various presentations that the police department has held, as well as to go over the data from January compared to February regarding arrests, traffic stops, and various calls. Fire Chief Mike Maes gave updates regarding the fire department, which included that the fire department recently received their license to carry narcotics, as well as that they have received their temporary PRC license and are expecting the permanent license soon. With the PRC license and the prescription license Maes also notified the council that the fire department may require new personnel, six to twelve. They will also soon be requesting funds for a new ambulance due to the two current ambulances being older, used and high on miles.
The council approved the fire department addition design task order to North Eighty Construction. The design task order is for improvements to Fire Station One located behind City Hall on High Street. The improvements to the fire station would include an additional long bay for the longer ladder truck that the fire department is acquiring, as well as storage for emergency supplies and indoor areas for training, exercise, and larger meetings. The bid received from North Eighty Construction was a total of $52,802.66.
The fire department is also on the next step to acquiring a Safe Haven Baby Box at the fire station. The city approved the ordinance for the Safe Haven Baby Box. The ordinance includes the various legal responsibilities that come with the baby box. Also included in the ordinance is that a safe haven site may ask the person leaving the infant for the name of the infant’s biological father or biological mother, the infant’s name and the infant’s medical history but the person leaving the infant is not required to provide the information. New language in the ordinance also includes that if a child is native American and has a tribe the infant’s tribe shall be notified and pre-adoptive placement and adoptive placement shall be in accordance with the Federal Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978. Chief Maes said that the estimated cost for the baby box at the fire station which is $15,000, shipping will cost $500, and installation will cost around $10,000. There will also be a continuous cost due to them having to have ADT installed for the baby box. The total cost for the baby box is expected to be around $25,000 to $26,000.
The council approved to combine the Grants-Cibola County School’s NMDOT LGRF Agreement and the City of Grants NMDOT LGRF Agreement for the Wilson & Co. Task order for Washington Avenue Phase two and three. GCCS and the City of Grants have a Memorandum of Understanding to work together regarding construction and improvements of Washington Avenue in the Mesa View Area. Incorporating the two agreements would allow them to advertise the agreements as one bid package when the time comes to go to construction. With the agreements merged the task order amounts to $44,989.21 including NMGRT.
The council approved a resolution for a General Funds Cooperative Agreement with NMDOT. The City of Grants has received a co-op agreement with NMDOT in the amount of $3,000,000 with no share to the City of Grants. This agreement will allow the planning, designing, acquisitions of Right-of-Way, construction and/or construction management activities for the construction/reconstruction of Sakelares Boulevard.
Wilson & Co. made a proposal for both Sakelares Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue from 4th Street to Iron Avenue for Preliminary and Final Design. The proposal for Sakelares Boulevard is in the amount of $1,521,381.21 including NMGRT and the proposal for Roosevelt Avenue is in the amount of $384,036.02 including NMGRT. The council approved both proposals from Wilson & Co.
Due to a sink hole at or near 808 Smith Street due to a collapsed sewer line emergency repairs were necessary in the area. The sink hole affected approximately eight homes and the sewer lines totaling 250ft needed to be replaced along with replacing two manholes. The emergency repair of the collapsed sewer line and Compass Engineering’s cost of repair was approved in the amount of $70,388.44 including NMGRT.
The council approved the rehabilitation of the San Jose 500,000-gallon water storage tank. The rehabilitation includes interior and exterior cleaning and coating/painting with an additive alternative that would include hand rails, man ways, etc. to meet American Water Works Association and confined space standards. The city received four quotes and it was recommended that the city award D & R Tank Company the bid in the amount of $219,068 excluding NMGRT. Funding for this project will come from the $5 million special appropriation awarded by the State of New Mexico for drinking water improvements All Grants City Council meetings are livestreamed and available to watch live or replayed on the City of Grants Facebook page and the City of Grants NM YouTube. According to the Open Meetings Act approved by the Grants City Council, regular meetings ordinarily will be held every last Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m.