By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
Raton City Commission met Tuesday to award bids and approve applications for grant monies.
After presenting proclamations to MainStreet for the July 4thactivities and to Raton Fire and Emergency Service for fireworks commissioners heard from Mark McDonald and Anita Mallory about a new program called Restart. It is a program to provide housing and help for mental illness and drug abuse. The model the organization is using is based on the Oxford Housing Model. City Manager Scott Berry will meet with the group and discuss how the city can help.
Jared Chatterly presented a short report on the Denver Outdoor Retailers show where he passed out over 1000 stickers and other trinkets to show goers helping to promote Raton and its outdoor recreation opportunities.
The meeting was then opened up for comment on the ICIP plan for the city. The capital improvement plan is important in asking for money for capital improvements. The top five items include street improvements and drainage work, the great blocks program and dam improvements for the Lake Maloya Dam. There will be three more public hearings on the ICIP and residents can discuss or make suggestions via phone or email the city office to make comments. (Link to ICIP Plan for 2020)
Commissioners awarded the bid for Shuler Theater improvements to Nature Scapes of Cimarron for $22,980. That’s over $4000 less than the next bid by N&K Electric of Raton who bid $27,400. Stoven Construction bid $38,700 with Colt Builders from Capulin bidding $55,243.
Commissioners approved participation in the application for grant money for railroad track improvements. The Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (Build) Transportation Discretionary Grant will be used to continue improvements on the track that the Southwest Chief uses. The city will pledge $12,500 as did Colfax County earlier Tuesday. The Tiger Grants that the organizations received in the past are no longer being offered.
Commissioners approved the second addendum to the contract with Better Cities Economic Development. This addendum makes changes to the scope of work and length of the contract. The amount of the change was approved at the last city commission meeting which changed the contract amount from $48,000 to $78,375.
City Manager Scott Berry noted in his report that he had attended the NERP Meeting to discuss transportation issues in the area. Berry noted that he really wants to meet with the new District 4 engineer to discuss Second Street and the frontage roads that run next to I-25 in Raton. They also want to discuss the Clayton Road I-25 Interchange due to increased traffic and congestion at the intersection especially coming from high volume travel days. There have been times when the traffic getting off I-25 is backed up to the Highway 72 exit. Berry noted the NMDOT commission meets in Las Vegas in November.
Commissioners will meet again on July 23 for their next regular meeting.
(Link to RFES Fireworks Proclamation)
