The News-Bulletin: Belen receives $400,000 grant

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Belen receives $400,000 grant

Jackie Schlotfeldt News-Bulletin Staff Writer; jschlotfeldt@news-bulletin.com

Belen The City of Belen announced that it received $400,000 in appropriations through a Community Development Block Grant (CDGB) last week that will be used for the First Street improvement project.

City Manager Sally Garley said the project will provide infrastructure improvements such as curb and gutters, drainage, paving and lighting on First Street between Bernard and Baca.

"The estimated cost is $554,318," Garley said. "The city's cost will be about $154,000."

Mayor Ronnie Torres said he and Kevin Eades of Molzen-Corbin and Associates went to Hobbs, N.M., to present the project before the CDGB council.

"It was very well done," Torres said. "We'll put it to good use."

Torres went on to say that he, Mildred Garley and Julie Baca, of planning and zoning, then traveled to Ruidoso, last week to learn what award, if any, they would receive.

The funding for the project will not be available until the new fiscal year in July, but Torres said they have all the design work done so the project can go out to bid and they can get started on it as soon as possible.

"We want to have it done within the one-year time so we can apply for more funding," Torres said.

CDBG funds for projects have to be utilized and projects completed before an application can be submitted for another grant.

The last CDGB was received a little over two years ago and was used for improvements to Gonzales Road.

In other action, the council:

Received a donation of $100,000 from Jim Wood, vice president of New Mexico Development Partners, which supplied the matching contribution for a new fire truck for the City of Belen.

Three weeks ago, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Foundation presented the city $100,000. The money from BNSF was contingent upon the city securing a matching $100,000.

"Jim Wood stepped up to help the City of Belen," Torres said. "This will cost the citizens of Belen nothing."

Fire Chief Manny Garcia said adding a new fire truck to the department will help with ISO (Insurance Service Office) ratings.

"While we are new to the community, we are a part of Belen and want to be good neighbors," Wood said.

Annexed and granted a permanent zoning designation of C-1 for property located at 51 Interstate 25 Bypass Road. The property, which consists of three acres, was previously zoned C-1 in the county.

Adopted the Open Meetings Act resolution. The Open Meetings Act requires the council to specify, on an annual basis, when meetings will be held, what is reasonable notice to the public to inform them when a meeting will be called and what exceptions can be taken regarding special, emergency and closed meetings as per the Open Meetings Act.

Adopted a grant amendment resolution to the New Mexico Department of Transportation, Aviation Division, which added new language to the existing resolution adopted on Oct. 16. Garley said the language was changed to include "repair and maintenance of visual approach indicators" to the existing resolution.

Proclaimed May 20 Circus Day in Belen. The circus will be holding two shows on Sunday, May 20, at 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. at Eagle Park. Sally Rizzo of the Belen Breakfast Optimist Club said Mayor Torres will ride in on an elephant for both shows. All proceeds will go towards helping children in the community Rizzo said.

Heard from Anthony Baca during citizen's petitions regarding documentation he requested from the City of Belen.

Baca, who was speaking on behalf of the Citizens for a Better Belen, said his request for the state procedure and procurement code was not given to him, so he went and dug it up on his own.

Torres responded by saying he told Baca the code could be found on the Internet when he was asking about it.

Baca also requested a procurement case study, specifically the Heart of Belen project, so the committee from the Citizens for a Better Belen could review it and report any of their findings.

Baca went on to say that he did receive the organizational chart for the Belen Police Department as well as the city safety plan. "We, as business people, can look for holes and evaluate it and take it to (Sen.) Michael Sanchez and try to get more help for you," Baca said.

E-mail this story
Printer-friendly version