City of Portales Minutes

Approved Meeting Minutes

City of Portales Council Meeting

Held at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, February 18, 2025

 

Notes created on February 20, 2025, at 9:10 AM by Minutes AI

 

 

Call to Order:

Mayor Pro Tem Cordova called the council meeting to order at 5:30 pm.

 

Attendance:

Roll called by City Clerk:

• Mayor Miller – absent
• Mayor Pro Tem, Ms. Cordova – present—Will exercise her right to vote during the meeting.
• Mr. Rackler – present
• Mr. Lopez – present
• Mr. Merrick – present
• Mr. Elkins – absent
• Mr. Robinson – absent
• Ms. Parker-present
• Mr. Self – present
• Quorum was met

 

Invocation and Pledges:

Invocation led by Mr. Self followed by Ms. Parker leading pledges.

 

Public Comments:

Patrick Lucero, Xcel Energy. Explained city power outage on February 11-12.

• Blamed the outage on “freezing fog.”
• The fog caused dust to accumulate on insulators at the substation outside of Portales, leading to an electrical operation issue.
• “Freezing fog is kind of what hurt us that night.”
• Crews worked to clean the substation, but found a burnt PT wire that needed replacement.
• Work is planned for the substation next month to address the problem.

 

 Meeting Minutes:

• Previous meeting on January 3^rd
• Mr. Elkins and Mr. Self noted two corrections that needed to be made in the record.

MOTION PROCESS

• Motion to approve minutes, with corrections, made by Mr. Lopez.
• Seconded by Ms. Parker.
• No roll call vote was made. Council verbally confirmed approval. No opposition. No abstentions.
• Motion carried. Minutes approved with corrections.

 

 PRESENTATIONS:

ITEM 1:  Employee Service Awards

• Mayor Pro Tem Cordova presented 5 year employee service award to Chelsea James.
• Additional service awards were presented in absentia to the following city employees: Becky Ward—5 years, Steve Brumfield—10 years and Irene Olivas—20 years.

ITEM 2:  TNR Program Recognition

Presented by: Kelly McClellan

• Kelly McClellan, Department Head of Animal Control explained the Trap, Neuter, Release Program, funded by a grant, that works to capture stray cats, neuter them and release them.
• Helps to control the local cat population in a humane manner. This program was successfully introduced to our local community largely through the efforts of the two following individuals:
• Nancy Zagar, Volunteer
• Kathryn Bartlett/Caprock Veterinary Clinic, donating time and veterinary care to the TNR program at a hugely discounted rate allowing the City of Portales to successfully initialize this program.

ITEM 3: Fire Department 2024 Annual Report

Speaker:  Chief Cathey

• The fire department received grant funding for:
• Two new Z cardiac monitors (under $120,000).
• Two chest compression devices (over $47,000).
• A new type 1 ambulance (just over $405,000).
• $600,000 towards a new class A pumper.
• $225,000 for the firefighter recruitment fund.
• Another new type 1 ambulance will be delivered at the end  of the month  or beginning of

March, funded through  ARPA  funds.

Fire Department – Personnel and Certifications

• Currently have two open positions.
• EMS Certifications:
• 3 personnel with no certifications.
• 5 EMT Basics.
• 8 EMT Intermediates.
• 11 Paramedics.
• 4 personnel testing for licensure.
• 3 in paramedic class.
• Fire Certifications:
• 11 personnel with no certifications.
• 15 with Firefighter 1 and 2.
• 7 with Driver Operator.
• 8 with Fire Instructor.
• 6 with Fire Officer.

Fire Department – Training

• New hires undergo almost 1,000 hours of training in their first year, including orientation, EMS  and ISO training, EMT basic, Firefighter 1 and 2, and practical exercises.
• Second year includes intermediate and driver operator training, totaling over 800 hours.
• Paramedic training is a 1600-hour course, typically split over years three and four.

Fire Department – Personnel Statistics

• Average age is 31.
• Average experience is 3.6 years.
• 11 personnel with one year or less experience.
• Turnover saw a spike  in 2022, with nine positions lost  last year.
• Employees are scheduled for 2,756 hours per year.
• Employees worked an average of 793 hours  of overtime  and 107 hours  of holiday  time last year.
• Personnel spent an average of 3,656 hours dedicated to the community.

Fire Department – Run Volume and Response Times

• Saw a slight dip (over 10% decrease) in total run volume.
• Increase in frequency of calls.
• 2,971 total calls:
• 87% EMS.
• 13% Fire.
• 180 cardiac calls (7 cardiac arrests).
• 341 traumatic injuries.
• 194 breathing problems.
• 180 psychiatric problems.
• 100 seizure calls.
• 31 structure fires.
• 31 grass fires.
• 25.7% of run volume had staff overrun with frequency of calls, causing delays in response and care.
• EMS response time average was just under 9.5 minutes.
• Fire average was 11.3 minutes.

Fire Department – Run Volume by Zone

• 44.2% of EMS run volume in the southwest zone.
• 15.4% in the southeast.
• Just under 15% in the northwest.
• Just over 5% in the northeast.
• 17.4% of EMS run volume came from outside the incorporated city limits.
• 3.3% originated out of the GIS.
• 19% of total run volume happened outside the incorporated city limits (450 EMS  calls and 115 fire calls), averaging 47 calls  per month.

Personnel and Training Goals

• Increase personnel per shift to minimize the impact of call frequency on the community.
• Employee development training goals:
• Get everyone firefighter one and two as  well as  EMT intermediate certified.
• Certify three additional personnel as  paramedics.

Fleet and Funding

• Maintain aging, high-mileage fleet.
• Find a way to fund the apparatus replacement plan.
• Buying a new engine dependent on funding for extrication equipment.

Goals and Requests

• Midterm goals: improve retention  and recruitment, decrease burnout, and fund  the health  and wellness program.
• Long-term goals: build a training facility and an administrative office to improve ISO

scores and fire funding.

• Requests:
• Increase shift staffing for personnel and community safety.
• Improve Public Safety hourly wage to retain and recruit personnel.
• Find a way to fund the vehicle replacement plan.

Questions and Answers

• Southwest corner call percentage (44%) is largely due  to nursing  homes and aging facilities like Coronado and Good Life, as  well as  the populated zone  and ENMU.
• Turnover:
• Over the past five years, there  has  been  a 54-employee turnover.
• Reasons include people leaving for wind farms, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque for higher pay and less overtime.
• “The majority of people have left have  just left for Less hours  worked  and more pay.”
• Turnover is thought to be a nationwide problem.
• Ways to help with recruitment and retention:
• Funding a full-blown Fire Department Training Academy is expensive.
• Starting wage is a struggle, along with the workload  (800  hours  of overtime  a year).
• Wage needs to be competitive to retain and recruit.
• Training agreements and contracts:
• Tracking the amount owed for an EMS  class is more work than it’s worth.
• “Yes, we are a training ground for those that want to stay in the business.”
• Pay scale:
• Potential of a 3% step raise  after  a year.
• EMT basic license: 5% raise.
• EMT intermediate: 7.5% raise.
• Paramedic: 12.5% raise.
• Pay scale doesn’t compete with other  departments.
• Lateral offers for firefighter intermediate range  from $22  to $29  an hour, while the current pay scale               doesn’t reach $22.
• Starting wage is $14.29.
• Recommendation to the Public Safety Committee to have a starting wage  of $19.
• Response time:
• 9 minutes 45 seconds, 11 minutes, 11.3 minutes.
• Response time affects the ISO score, which affects funding.
• ISO score also affects insurance rates.
• Current ISO score is a 4/4Y and has been  for the last 10 years.
• The goal is to be in the neighborhood of a two or a three.
• Biggest factors affecting the score are training and personnel.
• ISO looks  at the NFPA  standard of responding with 15 people to a residential structure fire.
• Speaker is still “sucking up” and wants to know the starting pay for police officers. Believes uncertified is $19.72.
• Thinks fire and EMS should  be comparably compensated. Asks  if the increase recommendation to planning  and public safety will include step-up programs.
• Speaker will provide a copy of the pay plan and explain it later.

Budget

• Speaker will provide a close approximate of the overall budget impact.
• Speaker does not want to add to the finance director’s workload.

 

Action Items:

Finance/CPO

Presented by Lisa Gamble, CPO

Job Order Contracting Approval Request

• Request for approval of contract award for job order contracting for on-call services between the city of Poteet and Alpha  Southwest and impel company for SKA Control Electric full services and Well Services.
• RFP number  was 2024-09-2019 as needed.
• The city wants  more than one  company for these jobs  as  a backup.

Vendor Questions

• This is a new vendor  with a statewide pricing  agreement. Their proposal was specific to the city’s needs. They  are based out of Albuquerque.
• Negotiated the lodging and MNS portion of the contract.
• Question about  the 25% markup for rental equipment.
• Question if equipment is already  included in rates  for work preparation, cleanup, disinfection, and materials. The equipment is additional.
• Current  vendors: LJ Wells  (well), Quantum Solutions (SCADA and electrical).

Percentages

• Question about  the 25% markup for subcontract work, and a statement in the contract that everything should  go  through  them.•   Concern about  the 42%  markup on materials, parts, and equipment they  already  have.
• Subcontracting: “the  vendor  shall not subcontract any portion of the services to be performed under this agreement without prior written approval of the city”.

Contract Details

• This is basically a backup. The city doesn’t pay them  if they  are not needed.
• RFP has  already  been  closed, and the city has  contracted with these people.
• For a specific job, the city can put out an ITB depending on the price. Anything out of the $60,000, the city can use  somebody else.
• Approval  here  does not keep  the city from looking  for other  vendors.

Scope of Work

• Question if the bulk of the work is electrical and well servicing, or if they  are mainly contracted to handle  SCADA.
• This company does all of it.
• This company is a complete backup for two different companies. They  also  do deep well drilling.
• Quantum Solutions was unavailable for a couple of weeks.
• The company is one  backup for two people for two different companies.
• There  is a limited amount  of companies that are even  qualified to go  through  this process for an RFP state approval.
• They  have  a state pricing agreement. The RFP is different than that. The city could go to them  just on the state pricing agreement.

Discussion on RFP Process and State Contractor

• If the RFP wasn’t approved, they could use  the State Contractor as  a backup, but it would likely be more expensive.
• The labor rates of the State Contractor were “somewhat higher” compared to the other two from the RFP.

MOTION PROCESS

• Motion to Return contract to Negotiations made by Mr. Rackler.
• Seconded by Mr. Elkins.
• No roll call vote was made. Council members verbally affirmed their approval. No opposition. No abstentions.
• Motion carried.

 

Community Services

Presented by: Kelly McClellan

Signage. Ordinance Amendment 494

• Enter public hearing.

MOTION PROCESS

• Motion to enter public hearing made by Ms. Parker.
• Seconded by Mr. Self.
• No roll call vote was made. Council members verbally affirmed their approval. No opposition. No abstentions.
• Motion carried. The meeting was opened for amending ordinance 494, concerning the clarification of permitted signage.
• The recommendation from Planning and Zoning is to remove the ability to have variances.
• The goal is to update the ordinance to be either billboard  positive or billboard  negative.
• Currently, the process for billboard approval takes about two months due  to appeals.
• Chris Gay, member of public, expressed concerns that billboard  restrictions infringe  on free  speech rights.

Council Discussion on Amending Ordinance 494

• The version presented was approved by Planning  and Zoning, removing variances and adding stricter  maintenance rules.
• The proposed changes include removing the ability for someone to request a variance from the council.
• The current ordinance is “99% negative,” making it a lengthy process to get a billboard approved.
• One council member expressed being “not  anti-billboard” and suggested not limiting businesses to advertising within 300  feet  of their location.
• They believe businesses need the ability to advertise before customers reach their location, especially those not on main streets.

Signage and Business Friendliness

• The speaker advocates for being more business-friendly regarding signage.
• They suggest allowing businesses to advertise each other’s services on their respective buildings.
• The speaker disagrees with taking away the council’s control to override  decisions.
• They believe private businesses should  have  the right to put up signs on their property without interference, as  long  as  it’s not on public  land.

Size Limitations and Planning & Zoning

• The ordinance should address size limitations  for signs.
• The speaker hasn’t noticed the billboard in front of the new venue and doesn’t consider billboards an eyesore.
• They believe Planning and Zoning should  review billboard  sizes to ensure they  don’t interfere  with electrical lines or traffic views.
• The speaker suggests that billboards should automatically go through  Planning  and Zoning for a public hearing  before going to the city council, rather than requiring  a variance.

Billboard Approval Process

• The speaker suggests Planning and Zoning should determine appropriate sizes for billboards in specific areas.
• The appeal process will remain in place.
• The speaker mentions an increase in requests for billboards and questions whether to expedite, deny, or keep the two-month approval process.
• A billboard was erected in town that didn’t  comply with the existing ordinance, leading to consequences for the individual who approved it.

Proposed Changes to Ordinance

• The speaker suggests changing the dimensions to classify a sign as a billboard  (15 feet high by 20 feet  long).
• They propose that any sign exceeding 6 feet  in height  and 8 feet  in length  must  be approved by Planning  and Zoning.
• Clearances from electrical lines should be approved by Planning and Zoning.
• Signs smaller than 6 feet by 8 feet  would be approved through  the building  department.

Sign Repair and Grandfathering

• If someone repairs or maintains their existing sign, they  shouldn’t have  to go  through  the approval process.
• Signs are grandfathered in unless the dimensions are changed.
• The direction is to form a committee to discuss dimensions of size to classify it.

Billboard Ordinance Committee

• A committee will be formed prior to the next ordinance placement.
• Council, Planning and Zoning (P&94Z), and staff will be involved.
• A motion was made  by Mr. Merrick and seconded by Mr. Lopez to form a committee for the billboard  ordinance.
• The motion passed with all in favor.

MOTION PROCESS

• Motion to exit public hearing made by Ms. Parker.
• Seconded by Mr. Merrick.
• No roll call vote was made. Council members verbally affirmed their approval. No opposition. No abstentions.
• Motion carried.

MOTION PROCESS

• Motion to form a committee to create amend Ordinance 494 made by Mr. Merrick.
• Seconded by Mr. Lopez.
• No roll call vote was made. Council members verbally affirmed their approval. No opposition. No abstentions.
• Motion carried.

City Council/Staff Comments:

• Signage streets: The machine is being received in pieces, aiming for 8-10  signs per day. Collecting old signs for recycling to recoup some  money. Repairing  what can  be repaired, scrapping the rest.
• Aquifer study: They have  all the information, working out which GL  account to use  for the survey. Proposal received: $19,900 for phase one.
• Street Lights: Still waiting on the electrician to finish changing ballasts to LEDs. He was out for 2-3 weeks.

 

Dumpsters and Trash

• It takes 3-4 people from streets and sanitation to handle dumpster placement and removal.
• County residents dumping in city dumpsters is a concern.
• Convenience center is open Tuesday and Wednesday for county residents free of charge.
• New program: Handing out 3-4 yard garbage bags for citizens to clean up alleys, with city pickup.
• Working on a monthly curb pickup for larger  items.

 

Trash Trucks

• Currently have three working trash  trucks out of six.
• Looking to purchase a new garbage truck.
• Most trucks have over 100,000 miles.

 

Railroad Crossings

• Still working with BNSF on railroad crossings.
• BNSF wants to close the crossing at Boston.
• Considering fire and police response times and road repairs  needed if the crossing closes.

 

Railroad Crossings

• BNSF wants to improve signage at railroad crossings.
• They are still in talks with the city  about  how it’s going to work out.
• They’ve had emails within the last week  between them.

 

Softball Field Parking Lot and Seeding

• They are getting quotes for the Softball Field parking lot.
• The city was putting in seed at the softball complex.
• In March they’re going to drown it with pre-emergent.

 

Pool  Update

• The pool needs to be completely redone, with $1.5 million in repairs needed.
• The pool has been “Band-Aid fixed” for years  and can’t be fixed  that way anymore.
• They don’t have  the money, so they’re trying to find it.
• If they’re not going to build a new pool before summer of 2025, they are going to come up with an agreement with Eastern again.

 

Staff Appreciation and Legislative Update

• “I just want to thank the staff again for all of the hard work that they’re doing.”
• Some went to Santa Fe last week and are going again  on Thursday and next  week  as well.
• They are trying their best to get every  dollar that they  can back into our community.

 

Animal Shelter and Municipal Registration

• Construction has started on the animal shelter.
• All Dian, Miss Veronica, Mr. Jake, and Mr. Robinson were registered for the municipal.

 

Executive Session

• Motion to convene into a closed session to discuss matters as provided for under the

New Mexico statutes relating  to limited personnel matters.

• Motion made by Miss Parker, second by Mr. Self. Executive session entered at 6:45 pm.
• Motion to convene an open session made at 7:11 pm.
• Motion by Mr. Self, second by Mr. Elkins.
• They did convene in a closed session, no action was taken, and no action is needed.

 

ADJOURNMENT

Having no further business or questions, Mayor Pro Tem Cordova adjourned the meeting at 7:11 pm.

 

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This is to certify that a draft of these Meeting Minutes was created and made available to the public within the OMA required post-meeting time allowance. It is a summary of the above meeting. A full transcription of the meeting can be obtained from the city’s YouTube channel.

 

__________________________________________________________________________________

Danielle Swopes, City Clerk, or Melissa Carrillo, Deputy City Clerk

 

 

If you are an individual with a disability who needs a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter, or any other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in a hearing or meeting, please contact the Portales City Manager or City Clerk at 575-356-6662, Option #0 at least one (1) week prior to the meeting or as soon as practical. Public documents, including the agenda and minutes, can be provided in various accessible formats. Please contact the Portales City Manager or City Clerk at 575-356-6662 if a summary or other type of accessible format is needed. Questions, requests, or comments from citizens should be submitted in writing to the City Clerk or City Manager by 4:00 p.m. a day prior to the meeting. Contact information for both officers is on the City’s website: https://www.portalesnm.gov/departments/.