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Saturday, August 30, 2008
Peralta seeks funds to study sewer service
Sandy Battin News-Bulletin Staff Writer; sbattin@news-bulletin.com
Peralta
Add to Peralta's wish list funding to extend sewer services along N.M. 47 and to some of its more densely populated neighborhoods.
The sewer proposal was among the top five projects that Peralta will seek funding for as part of its infrastructure capital improvement plan.
The plan includes projects for 2010 through 2014, and Councilor Joseph Romero, who wrote the list after a meeting to gather citizens' suggestions, says "it's tough to get funding from the Legislature without" such a document.
Over the course of five years, Peralta has identified $11,898,750 in projects to be considered. "It's ambitious," Romero said during a town council meeting on Wednesday. "We still have a little bit of sympathy going, I hope." He referred to the fact that Peralta is the state's newest municipality to incorporate.
The state requires governments to designate the top five projects, and the council unanimously passed its plan. Included are:
Procurement of administrative facilities, with a request for $230,000. Last year, Romero said, the state gave Peralta $415,000 for a town hall. It had requested $650,000 and was seeking the remainder of the money. The funding would be used to renovate, furnish and pay for the town hall in the old Bennie Tapia building on N.M. 47.
Comprehensive plan development, costing an estimated $50,000. "We've been incorporated for a year, and we still have no fundamental document to base all our decisions on," Romero said. The project description says that the plan would serve as the basis for decisions regarding planning and zoning, permitting and developing, nuisance abatement, animal control, law enforcement, and water and wastewater planning.
A sewer line, the third priority on the list. The $4,282,500 project could conceivably be extended from the Bosque Farms system, which already goes to Peralta Elementary School. "That's not set in stone," Romero said. First, the project would go to a conceptual design phase that would look at all options for delivering sewer service.
"It doesn't include the entire town," Romero said. It would take the line from the school south on N.M. 47 to Valencia Road and to several high-density residential areas within a half-mile from the main line. Among those neighborhoods might be La Sombra Loop, Molina Road and Alicia Circle, Romero said.
"This would serve to protect the quality of water drawn from private wells in the area," the plan description said. "Currently, no sewer services are available, and septic tanks are prevalent. Unless steps are taken to protect the groundwater, serious contamination is imminent. In addition, this project will serve in an economic development capacity by providing desirable services along the town's commercial corridor."
Romero said he presently favors extending service from Bosque Farms as being the most affordable option. "The design might indicate something different," he said. "The idea is to identify the alternative that best fits our needs."
A squad truck for the fire department. Romero said it would help in hauling critical equipment that is currently spread out on several vehicles. "It would allow for quicker response to emergencies," he said, with the right equipment always at hand. Cost is estimated at $180,000.
Traffic and roadway improvements, costing an estimated $835,000. It would include a traffic mitigation plan for residential and collector streets, redesign and construction or resurfacing of several residential streets and the acquisition of road maintenance equipment.
Other requests in the plan are a community center with facilities for senior citizens, at a cost of $1.1 million, and a shuttle station to bring passengers to the Rail Runner, at a cost of $835,000. An emergency management plan is also included, costing about $65,000.
Over the course of the years, the projects that Peralta identified as hoping to seek funding for are renovations to the fire station; purchase of a fire pumper; a pedestrian and bicycle path; an equestrian trail network; purchase of a new fire department brush truck and hazardous material response truck; and acquiring land for the fire department.
Meanwhile, the council hired Fran Oquin as the municipal clerk. A former employee of the Department of Defense, she had been acting as the town's receptionist for the last several weeks.
"She's more than qualified," said Mayor Bryan Olguin. "She ... has a vision and is concerned about the Town of Peralta."
Councilor Nancy "Pug" Burge asked that a review and evaluation process be added, and Oquin said that that is already in the works.
In other action, the council:
Received word from the State Department of Finance that its budget had been renewed and approved.
Was invited to attend a meeting on the Open Meetings Act and Inspection of Public Records that the State Attorney General will be giving from 9:30 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Sept. 17, in the Rio Rancho City Hall, 3200 Civic Center Circle NE. Oquin also urged citizens to attend.
Were told by the mayor that he'd received a letter saying that an extension of Fenceline Road to the Manzano Expressway had been added to the county transportation plan. Meadow Lake residents had asked that a second access route to their community be considered. Olguin said that addressed concerns from Peralta residents, who'd been concerned about extra traffic from Meadow Lake being routed onto La Ladera, bringing anywhere from 80 to 150 additional cars down that street per day. "This is very good for the residents of Meadow Lake ... Now they'll get their access," he said.
Learned from organizer Santana Brown that a school supply drive for Peralta Elementary had been very successful, with five boxes of donations given by local residents.
Were told by resident Kathy Garcia that a car wash and bake sale is being organized at the Motor Car Mall to benefit the volunteer fire department.
Received inquiries about when potholes in the local roads were to be repaired. The mayor said road repair estimates are being taken and that town officials will be meeting with the county road department to discuss the issues. Olguin said that the problem seems especially prevalent on Chughole Lane, Sunflower and Wellesley.
Learned that the Peralta Fire Department was on the scene of a ditchbreak.
Heard from a woman that a burro had strayed onto N.M. 47, but that the Bosque Farms Police Department had taken care of the dangerous situation almost immediately.
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