Commission OKs '08 Legislative Priorities

By Eric Maddy
The SCORE

BERNALILLO - Sandoval County hopes to get more than $11.5 million from the state for capital improvements and will backing eight initiatives in its lobbying efforts in the 2008 state Legislature under a resolution approved unanimously on Thursday, Oct. 18.

Nearly half of the request is for the county’s desalination project, which would generate 1.75 million gallons of water, or enough to serve 10,000 county residents. The $5.1 million request, if approved by the state, would match county funds already set aside and allow the county to plan, design and construct the first phase of the project.

Other capital outlay requests, in order, include:

•La Plazuela Drainage, $1.3 million: This would supplement $3.9 million in county money to construct and install master-planned drainage systems, water retention ponds, roads and landscaping around the 56-acre Sandoval County Judicial Complex site. The county also plans to build a new administrative complex on the site to be opened in 2009.

•Northwest Loop Road, $2 million: The county also would match this $2 million request to design and construct the Loop. The state authorized $950,000 last year for this project.

•El Zocolo, $500,000: Money would complete renovations and improvements of the historic multi-purpose building, which welcomed its first tenant last week – the county’s tourism bureau.

•Waste Conversion/Composting Facility, $1 million: Additional funds would allow the county to accept sewer sludge from municipalities and pueblos and process the waste in an economical and environmentally-friendly manner. The plant, the first of its kind in New Mexico, currently uses a closed-vessel system to process green waste, construction waste and manure into fertilizer and soil-enhancement products.

•Landfill Convenience Station, $200,000: Funds would be used to construct a 16,425 square foot building as part of a $3 million expansion of the county landfill. The facility would allow more convenient disposal of trash regardless of weather and would offer access to the handicapped.
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•Fairground Improvements, $500,000: Money would match county funds to provide drainage and pave roads that would allow year-round use of the facility in Cuba.
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•Four road projects: Las Huertas Creek Crossing in Placitas ($185,000); County Road 11 in Cuba ($300,000), Horseshoe Springs Bridge in La Cueva ($243,000) and NM 165 in Placitas ($243,800).

Capital project funds, the “bricks and mortar” money from the legislature, come from separate sources than money for other services.

Legislative initiatives the county will seek, in order, include:

•Supporting legislation clearing the way for transportation systems such as the Northwest Loop.
 
•Backing a joint effort to build a $2.116 million regional fire station at Santa Ana Pueblo to serve the Santa Ana, San Felipe and Zia pueblos; the town of Bernalillo; Tamaya Hyatt Resort and the Santa Ana Star Casino.

•Seeking  approval of a $216,000 appropriation for senior programs.

•Supporting requests by Haven House, the county’s only domestic violence shelter, for $1.2 million to expand and renovate facilities.

•Pushing  for legislation requiring reimbursement of medical costs for inmates at the county detention center be under Medicaid standards. Currently, county residents pay about $265,000 to offset the difference.

•Backing a request to complete $2 million in improvements at the New Mexico Soccer Tournament Complex.

•Getting $50,000 for the county’s Native American Election Information Program that provides translation of ballots and prepares audio interpretations of ballots in four Native American languages. Due to past efforts, turnout at San Felipe Pueblo increase from zero percent to 42 percent in the November 2006 election.

•Seeking forgiveness of a $144,800 debt for voting machines incurred when the state changed the law in 2006 and began to require paper ballots. The state had previously required counties to purchase new machines in a lease-purchase arrangement. Statewide, the total is approximately $3.45 million.