By REBECCA HAUSCHILD
For the Daily Press
The Eddy County Commission approved the Joy Subdivision 2 Final Plat at its Tuesday meeting.
The subdivision is located northeast of the intersection of Fairgrounds Road (County Road 52) and 26th Street (CR53) south of Artesia and will encompass 11 tracts on a 78.5-acre area. The new tracts will range from two acres to 14.14 acres in size and will not include City water or sewer service.
In other business Tuesday, Eddy County Planner Steve McCroskey shared a draft of the Eddy County Comprehensive Plan, which is an update to the 2017 Eddy County Comprehensive Plan. The resolution will be presented at a future meeting.
The commission also approved the top 10 items on its project list of the Draft Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan (ICIP) for Fiscal Years 2025-29. The resolution passed. The top 10 items include:
• Southeast Loop Road
• Eddy County Complex – site preparation
• Eddy County Facilities Fire/Safety
• Carrasco Road realignment
• Eddy County Complex – Detention Center
• Fire Station Training Group Enhancements
• Carrasco Road extension
• Eddy County Complex – Judicial complex
• Eddy County Complex – Administration
• Radio Boulevard and Boyd Drive bridge
The commission approved the adoption of the name of the newly constructed road in the west loop project in Carlsbad as the West Bypass Road.
The commission additionally approved the structured process for selecting the candidate to be submitted by Eddy County for the governor’s consideration in appointing a successor for Sen. Gay Keman. Keman resigned Aug. 1 as state senator of District 42.
Eddy County will accept names of registered voters in District 42 who are interested in filling Keman’s position. Interested persons should submit a letter of intent, resume and proof of residency to the County Manager’s Office by email at ajones@co.eddy.nm.us by 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 7.
The New Mexico Counties (NMC) organization will be holding a board meeting on Aug. 3-4 in Carlsbad with a representative from all 33 New Mexico counties in attendance. The NMC plans to seek passage of an agreement from two-thirds of New Mexico counties to ask the governor to send National Guard troops to the New Mexico/Mexico border, according to NMC President and Eddy County Sherriff Mark Cage.
Cage reported Eddy County will be a pilot project for the National Sherriff’s Association’s I.G.N.I.T.E. program. The national initiative helps jails replicate a program of the Genesee County (Mich.) Sheriff’s Office that offers comprehensive education, job certification, and post-incarceration work opportunities and assistance to incarcerated individuals.
I.G.N.I.T.E. is an acronym for Inmate Growth Naturally and Intentionally Through Education. Cage says the program has a great track record of reducing recidivism and will have minimal cost to the county.
Cage also reported his staff will continue with Operation Hard Target – a community-based outreach training program designed to empower the citizens of Eddy County with emergency preparedness information with a focus on keeping communities safe in the event of an active shooter/active attack situation.
Eddy County Manager Roberta Gonzales reported that a corrections officer from Eddy County will be appearing in the Heroes statewide campaign launching Sept. 1. The campaign goal is to increase applicants for correction officer positions and will include billboards, TV, radio, social media and other digital ads. Gonzales reported the ads will be running in counties that had corrections officers participating.
The commissioners passed the following resolutions and agreements via the consent agenda:
• Eddy County FY 2025-29 Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan (ICIP)
• Resolution for membership in the Southeast New Mexico Economic Development District/Council of Governments (SNMEDD/COG) for FY23-24
• Donation of a light tower to the Village of Loving
• Supporting the right of citizens of the State of New Mexico and Eddy County to seek redress through the use of the referendum process as approved and authorized by the Constitution of the State of New Mexico
• Resolution for the sale of Eddy County property at 513 Center Ave. in Carlsbad, subject to approval of NM DFA, Board of Finance Division
• Agreement with Holloway Construction Company for the provision of Eddy County-wide “On Call/On Demand”
• Agreement with 42 Construction, LLC, for the provision of Eddy County-wide “On-Call/On-Demand”
• Agreement with Waide Construction Co. Inc. for the provision of Eddy County-wide “On-Call/On-Demand”
• Cooperative Law Enforcement Agreement between the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office and the USDA, Forest Service, Lincoln National Forest