By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
Raton City Commissioners met Tuesday July 12 for their first regular meeting of July hearing about the ICIP and approving event forms and other agreements.
Commissioners heard from City Manager Scott Berry about the Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan which includes Lake Maloya Dam project as well as the Bartlett Mesa acquisition. It goes on to include Evidence storage building for the police department, drainage and storm drain improvements and a document storage facility as the top five items for funding. The due date for the proposal has been moved up one month to August 19, 2022. Berry has asked for public input from the community before the ICIP goes to the state. (Link to Raton 2022 ICIP)
Commissioners then approved the event for the Relay for Life which will be held on historic First Street this year on October 1st from noon to 8:00 p.m.
Commissioners approved the change to the lease agreement with the Raton Country Club for the government liquor license.
They also approved the funding request from the Center for Community Innovation for economic development work as well as providing a training portal for the local workforce. The funding requests covers the costs for the SkillSharp software portal ($6000) as well as $2000 for marketing and promotion and $24,000 for the annual workforce services. Patricia Duran covering for Daniele Vanderpool who was unable to be there due to her husband’s covid test noted that they have over 65 current users and about 19 of those being high school students. Duran is hopeful that the workforce training will grow to over 200 users as time goes along.
The Northeastern New Mexico Educational Foundation was the only proposal to service the CYFD grant covering the Boys Council, Girls Circle and the Restorative Justice. The grant for this year is $135,027 and will await CYFD approval.
Commissioners approved the dispatch agreement with Colfax County at a cost of $49,062. This is a renewal of the ongoing agreement for dispatch services to the county.
Commissioners approved the bid of $28,190 for a chip seal spreader from WM Serzio. The spreader is in excellent condition noted Public Works Director Jason Phillips. It is a 1998 chip spreader with only 987 hours of use.
Commissioners approved the proposal for professional services from Alpha Design to oversee the bidding process and work to paint the Arthur Johnson Memorial Library exterior. A bid for the work will be brought to the commission soon in order to get the work done in September.
City Manager Berry noted in his report that he spoke with Senator Heinrichs’s office about some grant funding and has asked the NECOG for help in writing the grants.
Construction projects in Raton are proceeding well with some minor rain delays. Berry added that the solar project will receive some funding from the second half of the American Recovery Act funding.
Commissioners will meet again on July 26, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. in the commission chambers at city hall.
Two questions . On the demolition of the house on 1st street. The contractor who received the bid was going to charge half the price of what his competitors bid This should be a warning flag that somebody tipped off this contractor who was awarded, that the other bids were a lot higher. Second, the city of Raton has a city manager. Why is Jason Phillips sitting in for the city manager? Is Jason Phillips being groomed be to be your new city manager to follow in the footsteps of his cousin Scott Berry ?. Do you see the corruption in the city of Ratón, something that’s never changed. Our firefighters do you need more support and the city is turning a blind eye to them they needed a new fire house for the last 20 years I have not received anything what’s really going on?
To answer question two Jason Phillips was sitting in for Scott Berry as Berry was home in isolation after testing positive for covid. As for the fire fighters if you go down West Troy you will see the brand new fire station. This is station two and has housed fire and EMS while the old station was being renovated.
Just wondering Mr Berry I see that you seem to always help the police department, but what do you do for the fire department I’ve noticed that our fire department could use some help.