MEETING MINUTES

Northeast Regional Planning Organization (NERPO)

Quay County

August 31, 2006

10 a.m.

 

NERPO Member Attendees

Doug Powers, City of Tucumcari

Fred Sparks, City of Raton

Gary McQueary, Colfax County

Steven Steinberger, Colfax County

Les Montoya, San Miguel County

Harold Garcia, San Miguel County

Lynda Perry, Village of Angel Fire

Richard Gutierrez, City of Santa Rosa

Robert Casados, Harding County

Larry Moore, Quay County

Richard Arguello, Union County

Leo Pacheco, Village of San Jon

Mike Muniz, Guadalupe County

Rose Kelly, Village of Logan

Julian Davis, Town of Clayton

 

NERPO Members Absent

Carlos Ortiz, City of Las Vegas

Johnny Chavez, Town of Springer

Linda Pavletich, Village of Cimarron

Neva Hascall, Village of Eagle Nest

Anthony Mitchell, Village of Maxwell

Benito Armijo, Village of Wagon Mound

Jess Yeargain, Village of Des Moines

Nora Like, Village of Folsom

Mignon Saddoris, Village of Grenville

Sherman Martin, Village of House

Shawn Jeffery, Village of Mosquero

Renee Hayoz, Village of Roy

Village of Pecos

Mora County

 

NERPO Planners

Chris Pacheco, EPCOG

Mariana Padilla, NCNMEDD

 

NMDOT

Paul Gray, District 4

Dennis Peralta, District 4

Janet Spivey, Transportation Planning Division

Roy Cornelius, Transportation Planning Division

 

Meeting Guests

George Mazur, Cambridge Systematics

 

I.                    Call to Order

 

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Doug Powers at 10:15 AM.

 

II.                 Pledge of Allegiance

 

Pledge was conducted

 

III.               Welcome and Introductions

 

The welcome was conducted by Mayor Mary Mayfield of Tucumcari and Quay County Commission Chairman Franklin McCasland.  A moment of silence was observed in remembrance of Quay County Manager Terry Turner who passed away the evening before the meeting.  Chairman Doug Powers talked about Terry Turner and his background.  Introductions of meeting attendees were conducted. 

 

IV.              Approval of Agenda

 

The agenda was modified to cut time and to pay respects to Quay County as hosts of our meeting.

Motion was made to modify agenda as time permitted by Richard Arguello and seconded by Fred Sparks.  This proposal would take out or shorten items VIII, IX, and VI.  Item X was considered for postponement until the next meeting but it was decided to conduct due to the RPO’s recently approved bylaws.  It was however moved up on the Agenda to item VI.

 

V.                 Approval of NERPO Meeting Minutes –  Amended June 29th and

July 27, 2006

 

Motion was made by Les Montoya (San Miguel County), to approve the Amended Meeting Minutes of July 27th 2006 and seconded by Steven Steinberger (Colfax County). Motion passed.

 

Motion was made by Les Montoya (San Miguel County), to approve the Amended Meeting Minutes of June 29th 2006 and seconded by Steven Steinberger (Colfax County). Motion passed.

 

VI.              NERPO Planner’s Update  (now Item VII)

NERPO planners stated that they would email their updates to NERPO members for their review in order to shorten the meeting as per members’ request.  Mariana made a GRIP 2 update to outline the up coming October 1st deadline to the NMDOT for submittal of the finalized GRIP 2 project list. She reiterated that the Planners had sent out to all members via email and US Post letters outlining the need for entities to review their GRIP 2 projects for any possible changes. All GRIP 2 projects are local lead projects. Each entity must indicate if their project is still a community priority and also identify possible sources for local match and also projected dates for project readiness. NERPO entities must submit the requested information to the NERPO planners no later than September 20, 2006. Changes in amount and scope need to be noted.  Projects may not increase in dollar amount but may be reduced.  Communities need to have a resolution of support from the governing body indicating their desired GRIP 2 changes.  Changes are discouraged by NMDOT due to the time constraints as we approach the 2007 Legislative Session.  Communities with projects are asked to see if they can meet the match requirements and what that community plan is. 

 

Leo Pacheco (San Jon) brought up the idea for the RPO to have a contingency plan outlining potential projects available in case current projects fall out or match requirements are not met. 

 

Doug Powers brought up the possibility of a priority to the contingency projects be given to the communities without any projects on the list. 

 

A discussion followed regarding what would happen to GRIP 2 funds if entities could not meet the match or become project ready.  Mariana Padilla stated that if GRIP 2 money is not spent by the end of the five year timeline that the authorization expires and severance tax bonds are not sold. The funds can not be reallocated to another project.  NMDOT District 4 Engineer Paul Gray commented that he thought the above contingency plan was a good idea to keep NERPO dollars in NERPO.   Les Montoya discussed the process by the Legislature to enact the GRIP2 Bill and asked who had authority to make changes.  Paul Gray said projects can be amended but it has to be done by the Legislature during the following session due to the bill becoming law once it is signed.  The driving forces however are project readiness and funding availability for the match.  Mariana Padilla stated that amendments need to be made by the October 1, 2006 deadline.  Fred Sparks asked for a copy of GRIP 2 HB 833 and Mariana indicated that she would email a copy of the bill to members once again.

 

The Planners will collect the information from communities as to the match situation and other related information.  The RPO will look at developing contingency projects at our next meeting on September 28th in Santa Rosa. If entities would like to submit a new project as part of the contingency plan they must also gather the project information for the planners by the September 20th deadline.  

 

Les Montoya requested that a plaque be presented to Chairman Doug Powers for his 11 years of service to NERPO at our next meeting.

 

VII.            District 4 Update – Paul Gray (now Item VIII)

 

Paul Gray reported about a failure in Santa Rosa business loop project that will impact the District Maintenance funds.  He gave a project status report for the district.  Tourist Information Center Projects were discussed as they were competitively bidded last week.   Incoming Chairman Richard Gutierrez asked about the status of the 2 Tourist Information Centers and Paul Gray gave an update on the 2 that went to bid last week.  The bid amounts were higher than the funding allowed.  Only 1 Information Center may be built at this time.  San Jon or Manuelito will be awarded a Tourist Information Center.  Generally, NMDOT Plans to upgrade Rest Stops and Tourist Information Centers and will begin with the Major Highways such as I-40 then I-25 then I-10.  The District 4 Heavy maintenance crew is on NM 39 widening and upgrading.  Paul Gray reported on the current use of millings and recycled pavement.  All recycled pavements and millings will be used primarily for use on projects by contractors.  Excess millings will be sold to local entities at $3/ CY.  These may be donated to communities with documented hardship.  Only the excess millings will be used.  Richard Arguello (Union County) inquired about the Safety Corridors in the construction zones and highways.  Paul Gray said this was due to a cooperative safety effort with the NM State Police.   Richard Arguello complimented District 4 on their weed maintenance program.

 

VIII.         Rural Multimodal Needs Study/Strategic Multimodal Plan – Cambridge Systematics

 

A presentation on Rural Multimodal Transportation Plan was given by George, with Cambridge Systematics.  The emphasis was on the rural transit and funding for many other programs.   3 components of the needs assessment included 1) inventory of all existing transit airports   2) assessment of future demands for these systems   3) conversion of data to project level 

 

Needs analysis was done on a county level.  NM will continue with slow steady growth that will probably not increase dramatically in the near future.  Rural transit area statistics and growth projections were discussed.  Intercity buses were also discussed such as between Clovis and Portales.  Intercity passenger rail was also discussed.  National funding and freight traffic was also discussed.  Rail freight traffic was reported to be growing but not at the rate of the increasing truck traffic.  Fred Sparks reported that the runway at the Raton Airport was being currently lengthened to allow for jets to land.  Les Montoya asked about the reduction in Greyhound service and indicated that there are currently fewer bus stops.  The tentative answer was ridership threshold in general but the problem had not been specifically studied in the RPO area.  Fred Sparks asked about AMTRAK predictions.  The answer was that for now funding will still be obtained on a yearly basis.  Fred Sparks stated that gas price increases would probably increase demand for train ridership.

 

IX.              NMDOT Long Range Transportation Plan - Roy Cornelius, NMDOT Planning

Roy Cornelius agreed to postpone his presentation until the next NERPO meeting on September 28th as per NERPO members’ request

 

 

Roy Cornelius briefly reported on the progress of the NMDOT Long Range Transportation Plan that is being updated.  The interaction with RPO’s and individual communities and the statewide telephone surveys, transportation corridors, regional needs and project implementation issues were also discussed. The deadline for RPO LRTP is July 2007.  Mariana Padilla had extra copies of the current plan available for members.  She and Chris Pacheco discussed their timeline for working on the NERPO LRTP over the next year.  Mariana stated that she has been working with District 4 on compiling transportation data to be used for our planning efforts. Her presentation on NERPO’s LRTP scheduled for this meeting was postponed until September and that NERPO will be working on the plan monthly over the next year. At the September meeting members will also be approving NERPO’s public input program.  

 

Lunch (Hosted by Quay County and catered by K Bobs Restaurant)

 

X.                 Overview of the NERPO Long Range Transportation Plan

Mariana Padilla postponed her presentation until the September NERPO meeting as per NERPO members’ request.

 

XI.              Election of NERPO Officers (now item VI)

 

Discussion opened by Mariana Padilla stating that some municipalities have approached the planners regarding proxy voting.  She also suggested postponing the election due to the loss of Terry Turner and also to accommodate municipal entities.  Fred Sparks (Raton) suggested that we conduct the election as planned and outlined in NERPO’s recently approved bylaws.  He wishes to see the RPO continue on schedule with all its events.  Chris Pacheco stated that many municipalities had sent representatives to vote.  Richard Gutierrez asked if we had a quorum and Mariana said we did.  The RPO decided to conduct the elections.  The preprinted ballots were used. 

 

Running for Chairman were Fred Sparks (Raton) and Richard Gutierrez (Santa Rosa) 

 

Running for Vice Chair was Bobby Casados (Harding County)

 

Fred Sparks, Richard Gutierrez, and Bobby Casados were asked to comment on their backgrounds.  They gave brief discussions on backgrounds and general qualifications for the position. 

 

Ballots were passed out to RPO members on a 1 vote per entity basis.  Votes were tabulated by Chris Pacheco. The election results were Richard Gutierrez of Santa Rosa for Chairman and Bobby Casados for Vice-Chairman. 

 

XII.            New Business

 

XIII.         Adjournment

 

Information of Terry Turner’s Funeral was announced.

 

Motion to adjourn made by Fred Sparks and seconded by Steve Steinberger. 

Motion passed.