Portales council tables negotiations for police aid to Elida
Jun. 25—A decision on whether to authorize negotiations that could result in the Portales Police Department providing law enforcement support to the town of Elida was delayed Tuesday by the Portales City Council.
The council decided to delay the decision to negotiate after raising questions about whether the $45,000 a year for 12 hours a week of law enforcement aid that Elida offered would be sufficient, insurance for Portales police officers working in Elida, and how the move would affect police manpower in Portales.
In addition, discussion revealed, Elida is also in conversations with the Roosevelt County Sheriff's Department for a similar arrangement.
The commission on Tuesday also approved the use of Bixby Electric Co. to repair or replace a traffic signal at Kilgore and U.S. 70 that was damaged in a motor vehicle accident. The contract would be covered under a Cooperative Education Services (CES)-arranged contract for which the city would pay $83,810.29. The contract must be approved by CES before it is executed, however, a summary of the action item stated.
The summary also stated the city is seeking recovery of damages through an insurance claim.
In public comments to the council on Tuesday, Phobie Privett, a real estate agent for Berkshire Hathaway, appealed to the council to eliminate requirements for brick facades and cinder-block fencing for houses that may be built in the Raven Wood subdivision.
The council tabled a proposal to deny a request to drop the façade and fence restrictions at its June 7 meeting after turning down a motion to favor of the denial.
"We have only three or four houses we can show people," she said, and the city should loosen restrictions to encourage more housing construction, especially in the face of rising material costs that could be a barrier to affordable housing.
The commission on Tuesday also approved nearly $1.4 million in expenses for the month of May.
Privett said Portales is in the middle of a severe housing shortage.
Angie Smith chair of Curry-Roosevelt Right to Life, reported to the commission that the Right to Life organization has received about $5,000 in donations out of $15,000 needed to establish a Safe Haven "baby box" at a Portales police or fire station.
The council declared the city a safe haven on March 8. The safe haven designation allows a mother who is not able to care for a baby up to 90 days old to surrender the child to law enforcement or fire department personnel, no questions asked.
The baby box would be installed at police or fire station. An infant could be placed in the box and authorities would be notified immediately of the child's presence.
The commission also recognized Head Custodian Rosa Phillips as the city's employee of the month.
