Tempers flare at SSCAFCA board meeting

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In the end, the Southern Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control Authority board authorized its executive director, David Stoliker, to work with the city of Rio Rancho and Wilson and Co., the city’s preliminary engineers on the project, to develop specifics on the Guadalajara Plan.

SSCAFCA has identified $1.5 million, including $450,000 from the state Legislature that the neighborhood association lobbied Rep. Jane Powdrell-Culbert for. SSCAFCA was the agency designated to receive the funds.

Chamiza Estates board member Eddie Paulson argued SSCAFCA would get “more bang for its buck” by directing its money toward the Alberta Watershed further south. .Paulson also expressed concern that Chamiza Estates president Don Chapman might have a conflict of interest because he owns one of three lots the project would buy to expand a holding pond on the west side of NM 528.

In my job I work for the federal government. One of the things I always look at and we’re always cautioned against is involving ourselves in a conflict of interest, trying to promote a project where we would financially gain. It’s against the law. We’ll go to jail if we do that. We also make sure that we don’t that we don’t give the appearance of a conflict of interest. because that loses the public trust.
 
Chapman said he has a contract to sell the 1.5 acre lot and hopes to close the deal on Feb. 27. He said he initiated the sale plan long before SSCAFCA and the engineers identified the need to expand the pond.

“I didn’t know they were looking at that lot until a couple of weeks ago,” Chapman said. “If they are going to buy that lot, they are going to be dealing with somebody else.”

Chapman said he purchased the lot in 2003, but declined to say how much he paid for the lot then or is selling it for now. He also declined to name the potential buyer.

“I’m not looking to get rich off of this,” he said. “Land is going for around $100,000 an acre down there. You know that.”