News
Hundreds Pay Respects to King

Three Trails in 30 Years

Around the Area

Briefs

Range of Projects Displayed at Expo

Estancia Teen Gets Worldwide Education

CNM To Offer Courses in Edgewood

DWI Memorial Needs Help To Stay Open

Bidding Process To Start on Arts Center

Mother of 5 Arrested in Fatal Stabbing

More
News

HOME	CLASSIFIEDS	OBITUARIES	SPORTS	OPINION

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Moriarty Seeking Sewer Funding

By Rory Mcclannahan
Mountain View Telegraph
      The city of Moriarty is in line to get about $1.1 million in grant money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Utilities Program to start work on improving its sewer system.
    The trouble is that the city would have to take out a $2.2 million loan with the USDA to get the money. And with money tight at the city, that could be a problem.
    The Moriarty City Council voted, however, to ask for the loan and the grant at its regular meeting Tuesday.
    "I would say that we go ahead and obligate the money to go after the grant and find ways to get money to pay off the loan," said Councilor Steve Anaya.
    The city needs to make more than $7 million in improvements to its sewer system. That work could be done over five phases and the USDA money would be used to complete the first two phases, Anaya said.
    Anaya added that the council should only move forward to ask for the loan and grant, but that the final approval on whether to accept it should come back to the council. Councilor Larry Irvin and Mayor Adan Encinias were not at Tuesday's meeting and Anaya said that they should be included in any decision.
    To repay the loan, the city would have to pay about $97,000 a year for about 25 years, money that would have to be passed on to the city's sewer customers unless other grants could be found.
    Anaya said the city's best hope would be to get a state appropriation during the upcoming special session slated to start Aug. 15, or during the next regular session in January. He estimated that residential customers bills would nearly double if the burden of paying the loan was passed on to them.
    "We can't do that to our customers. It would be too much to ask," Anaya said. "But this is a project that needs to be done."
    Councilors Ted Hart, who was serving as mayor pro tem for the meeting, and Bobby Ortiz both agreed that getting the money for the sewer project is a priority for the city.
    "We all wish it was free, but you have to pay to do business," Hart said.
    Also at the meeting:
    n The council voted 2-1 to accept an $11.6 million budget for the 2008-2009 fiscal year. The budget included an addition $12,500 added at Anaya's request for the Estancia Valley Economic Development Association. Hart said he opposed the appropriation because the goal of the association has always been to be self-sufficient. Hart voted against approval of the budget for that reason.
    n The council gave the go ahead to move forward on the design of gateway at the east and west end of the city.
   

---