The Española City Council has shaved more than $1 million off its proposed capital outlay requests in light of the state’s economic downturn.
The city plans ask for $775,000 in new appropriations for capital outlay at the upcoming legislative session set for January. According to city documents, the money would help fund six projects (see requests at the bottom of this story).
Mayor Joseph Maestas said the session will be financially constrained with only $150 million available. About 56 percent of that is taken right off the top for education appropriations, Interim City Manager Veronica Albin said.
Originally the list consisted of eight projects totalling $3.3 million. These included: $1 million to design and construct a replacement water tank off of Industrial Park Road and $500,000 to plan, design and construct improvements to the KDCE and Rio Grande lift stations. The lift stations are part of the city’s sewer infrastructure that transports waste over areas where gravity can’t assist, such as hilly areas, Planning Director Cyrus Samii said.
Councilor Alfred Herrera said much of that scaling down had to do with looking more thoroughly into just what was necessary.
“We got more information subsequent to filling out the original request,” he said.
For example, the $1 million water tank would only cost $300,000 and could be funded from a gross receipts tax revenue, he said.
It is also important to request what is within the state’s financial means, he said.
It is too early to tell what chances the city has of acquiring the funds, Councilor Danielle Duran said.
“A lot of it depends on the strength of our delegation,” she said,
During the 2008 legislative session, the city received $250,000 for its water system and $185,000 for the Police Department.
The legislative priorities were approved at an Oct. 28 city council meeting. In addition to the $775,000 in new appropriations the city is requesting the reauthorization of $320,000 from past appropriations to go toward different projects and $500,000 as a request to the governor to improve, extend and construct sewer lines in the city.
Grants Administrator Lupita De Herrera said there has been no official warning to the city regarding the loss of any capital outlay that was previously allocated. However, she said there is a $25,000 appropriation that the city received in 2005 that could be at risk. The money was supposed to be used for planning, design and construction of a retaining wall at the Veteran’s Memorial Wall. So far there have been no discussions on the project, she said. Since the city has done nothing to move forward with the project it is possible that the money could be de-authorized, she said.
Councilors remain divided on whether or not to hire a lobbyist for this year’s legislative session. At the Oct. 28 city council meeting Councilor Cecilia Lujan said the city could not afford to hire an effective lobbyist. However, Duran said it was important to at least explore the option and find out how much hiring a lobbyist would cost.
Albin had been instructed to look for possible lobbyists that would offer their services for $20,000 or less. Lujan said at the meeting that an effective lobbyist would cost $50,000 to $60,000,
Albin said she has received proposals from lobbyists Ira Robinson and Roman Maes. Both were within the $20,000 price range. She said she also followed up on a recommendation from Duran and had been in contact with lobbyist Mark Duran. His fee was a minimum $24,000, she said. Mark Duran and Danielle Duran are not related, she said.
A final decision on whether to hire one of the lobbyists would be made at the next meeting of the legislative committee, which has not yet been scheduled, she said.
• $100,000 for improvements to the Española Recreation Center and Ranchitos swimming pools. Española Plaza/Community Services Director Leroy Garcia said the pools are in need of new boiler and filtration systems.
• $250,000 to acquire regional utility easements. The city is in the process of having its old easement agreements with the Santa Clara Pueblo appraised, Planning Director Cyrus Samii said. Once that process is completed, which should be by the end of November, the city will review the results with Pueblo officials in order to arrive at a lease agreement, he said. The amount the city is requesting in legislative funds is based on preliminary expenditures for the easements that the city is anticipating.
• $100,000 to design, construct and improve facilities at the Plaza de Española. Plans call for the addition of portales and tienditas, Garcia said.
• $150,000 to design, construct or improve Española Public Library. The library is in need of more space, Garcia said. There is interest in having the library move into the Post Office building on Bond Street once construction on the new Post Office on Industrial Park Road is complete, he said.
• $150,000 to install a traffic signal at the intersection of State Roads 68 and 291.
• $25,000 for 2009 Fiestas de Española.