The Eddy County Commission approved the purchase of several items to benefit the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO) and Eddy County Fire and Rescue (ECFR) at its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday in Carlsbad.
The county’s first order of business was the approval of a bid for the purchase of tasers for the ECSO.
The county received two bids from Proforce Marketing Inc. and Axon Enterprise Inc., with the bid by Proforce deemed non-responsive. The bid from Axon, therefore, was approved at a cost of $278,373.33.
It was announced that the ECSO had received a donation that day in the amount of $25,100, and the remainder of the cost will be funded by the American Rescue Plan.
Steve McCroskey of the Planning and Development Department requested the board’s approval to open Ordinance O-13-76, regarding Eddy County subdivisions, to revisions and updates.
The ordinance was last updated in 2013, and deficiencies are in need of addressing. The request stated that it is the intent of the county to work with both Artesia and Carlsbad to attempt to more closely align all subdivision regulations.
“It should take two to three months of meetings and planning to come up with a more cohesive document to present to the commission after Planning and Development approval and public meetings,” McCroskey said. “It will most likely include such things as a rate adjustment for plats, a more streamlined procedure for zoning, which currently has discrepancies to be worked through, as well as procedural changes.”
ECFR Deputy Chief and Fire Marshal Jarod Zuniga requested the commission’s approval for the purchase of a generator and installation for Station 2 (Cottonwood Mill) and Station 14 (Loving, Fourth Street).
The generators will allow crews and stations to be available when power fails, with Station 2’s generator to be funded by Fire Excise 60% funds and Station 14’s by Loving State Fire Funds. That request and a request for the purchase of three 3,000-gallon tankers to replace a trio of tankers from 1995, 1998 and 2004 were approved.
First Excise Funds will be utilized for the tankers, with the cash balance not to exceed $2,000,000.
Zuniga also reported to applause that the Loving station would begin 24-hour coverage as of Tuesday.
“As soon as the Cottonwood hires are finalized, it will be manned 24 hours as well, but in the meantime, their volunteers do a very good job of responding to calls,” said Zuniga.
Wesley Hooper, Community and Administrative Services director, informed the commission that Phase II of Southeast Loop construction would begin in the next few weeks, and placards will be provided to affected residents and businesses to facilitate “smoother egress and ingress than during Phase I.”
