Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Waste transfer stations, roads and hospital top county's wish list draft

Julia M. Dendinger News-Bulletin Staff Writer; jdendinger@news-bulletin.com

The county is gearing up to make another round of requests for state funding to continue and begin various capital improvement projects around the county.

At a workshop Monday afternoon, the commission reviewed the county's draft Infrastructure Capital Improvements Plan (ICIP) for fiscal years 2009 through 2013. The commissioners requested nearly $21 million for 2009 alone.

During the workshop, Commissioner Ron Gentry called for parity in the requests for road projects in individual commissioner's districts. Gentry pointed out that in District 4 there was $3.5 million in requests for the five years of the plan, 2009 to 2013.

"Now I'm not saying Commissioner (David) Medina's district doesn't need $3.5 million over the next five years, but my district has a $300,000 request for 2009 only," he said. "It's ridiculous to think that nothing else is going to be needed until 2013."

Commissioner Georgia Otero-Kirkham said that while it made a certain amount of sense that her district did not have any requests for 2009 due to recent funding, the lack of any projects for her and Commissioner Pedro Rael's districts was of concern.

"I don't mind my district going down in road requests for this next year. It has benefited greatly," she said. "But to not have Districts 1 or 2 on there at all doesn't make sense. We might not need anything in 2009, but what about the years after that?"

Gentry suggested that each commissioner prioritize road projects within their district, and then, as a body, the commission would prioritize the districts in the plan. "We need to come up with a true county infrastructure plan," he said.

The four commissioners in attendance agreed to review road project needs for their districts and bring back requests to be worked into the ICIP. Commission chair Rael was unable to attend the workshop.

One road-related item that County Manager Eric Zamora asked be funded at $300,000 per year across all five years of the plan was the request for the purchase of heavy road equipment. "With the road trade, we are going to see the need for services increase as we bring on more populated roads," he said. "We are looking at eventually having four crews throughout the county and this will help us purchase the equipment we'll need."

To start addressing the ever-present issue of trash in the county, a request of $180,000 for solid waste equipment is on the ICIP list. Zamora said that funding would allow the county to purchase a truck to haul roll-off carts away from convenience centers throughout the county.

Gentry said that a request was put in last year for either a solid waste transfer station or a convenience station for the southern part of the county. "Where is that?" he asked. Zamora said that project had been folded into the $750,000 request for county-wide solid waste facilities.

"That will allow us four convenience centers throughout the county," the manager said. Gentry said he would like to see that two southern sites be designated as the priority projects.

"We especially need something in the southeast part of the county. There's nothing there," he said. "You can see that people have started north towards Conejos and then just stopped and dumped stuff by the road."

Medina said that he wasn't sure roll-off containers would be a good solution to the trash problem. "They are going to fill up like that," he said, with a snap of his fingers. "Maybe we should go ahead with transfer stations."

Commissioner Lynette Pinkston agreed that the southern part of the county should be first in line for trash services. "Meadow Lake has Conejo," she said. "This is step one in a process. The convenience centers are a quick fix, but they are not a permanent fix. This is the beginning to stepping up to transfer stations and possibly mandatory pick-up."

Gentry pointed out that the county had to go through the proper steps to get a permit for an actual transfer station, whereas a convenience center did not require a permit. "If we do go to mandatory pick-up, the convenience centers will be there and they won't be as much of an investment as transfer stations," he said.

If the county receives the $750,000 for the four convenience centers, each center would cost $187,500. Gentry requested that if the county is not awarded all of the money, then two convenience centers in the southern part of the county be given priority. "Maybe in Jarales and Casa Colorado on a trial basis, and then we can add more later," he said.

Other solid waste requests included $300,000 to finish the Conejos Landfill closure and clean up and $750,000 for a Conejos transfer station building. Zamora said that money would build a new building with an internal compactor and administrative offices.

The commission left the $11.2 million request for a county hospital. Otero-Kirkham asked if it would be better to take the Department of Finance Authority's advice and request the money in increments of $2 million.

Gentry said he didn't think that would be beneficial to the project. "If we go into a construction bid, it's going to be difficult because that won't be enough," he said.

Pinkston said she believed the hospital needed to be the county's No. 1 priority on the list. Otero-Kirkham said that should be followed by roads.

A request for $250,000 for a new road department substation was also on the list. Zamora said it was a project requested by Gentry and would serve as a fueling station and have repair facilities.

On the subject of a community center in Highland Meadows, Zamora said residents of the area had expressed a strong desire to not have one built. "The last meeting I went to out there, it seemed they would like to see that money put towards making improvements to the fire station," he said. The request was for $200,000.

A request for $200,000 to remodel the road department building was kept, but a request for $500,000 for a new building was shifted to address the design and engineering of a new county administration building.

"I think we should look at something over behind the new judicial complex," Gentry said. "I believe the district attorney already has plans for a building there and is seeking funding this year. That would eventually get everything in one spot." Gentry went on to say that the location of the current county administration building would "make a great parking lot for the jail."

A final version of the county's ICIP will be brought before the commission on Aug. 15.

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