Cibola weathers vetoes

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — On Wednesday Gov. Bill Richardson used his line item veto powers to eliminate hundreds of legislatively-approved capital outlay projects statewide, but Cibola County was relatively untouched.

Richardson canceled five of the 103 projects slated for the county and its communities, one each for Bluewater Acres, Grants, Milan, Pine Hill and Ramah, totaling only $265,000 out of $7.9 million.

Katie Aragon, special projects coordinator with Cibola County said, "We are happy for all the grants we are getting. We really need to get these projects done."

"When the legislature approves the grants, we get the list, but we never really know how much or what we are getting until the governor uses his veto power," she said.

Without the determined efforts of the county's three state legislators, Sen. Joe Fidel (D-District 30), and Reps. George Hanosh (D-District 6) and Ken Martinez (D-District 69), Aragon said the number and dollar amount of projects would be much less.

When grants are approved for the county, they are sent directly to the county to use for county projects or to the community that requested it for use by the community, Aragon said.

One of the projects that is high on the county's list is renovating the county complex that includes the court and district attorney's offices. It also houses the new consolidated dispatch center.

The items Richardson vetoed are: Bluewater Acres $75,000 for a backhoe; Grants former senior center improvements $40,000; Milan Municipal Court complex renovation $80,000; Pine Hill Senior Center Cafeteria $50,000; Ramah School greenhouse renovation $20,000.

The legislative grants for the county, except for Grants and Milan, that will now be available is listed below.

Capital outlays for the Pueblos of Acoma and Laguna go directly to those governments for administration and use.

Cibola County

• 13th Judicial District courthouse renovation, $100,000
  
• 13th Judicial District information technology, $50,000
  
• Cibola County ballfields improvement, $250,000
  
• Cibola County complex renovation, $150,000
  
• Cibola County courthouse renovation, $150,000
  
• Cibola County road equipment purchase, $155,000
  
• Cibola County Sheriff's Department new vehicles, $190,000
  
• Rio San Jose Flood Control pond repair, $50,000
  
• San Mateo Acequia Dam rehabilitation, $250,000

Acoma Pueblo

• Animal control vehicle, $20,000
  
• Education technology, $10,000
  
• Engineering study, $150,000
  
• Forestry tower, $25,000
  
• Headstart vehicles, $35,000
  
• Language Center building, $50,000
  
• Law enforcement department vehicles, $35,000
  
• Modular home, $175,000
  
• Senior center equipment, $35,000

Bluewater Acres

• Water systems improvements, $50,000
• Water line repair equipment, $75,000
  

Bluewater

• Toltec irrigation district improvement, $60,000
  
• Wellwater system improvement, $68,000

Cubero

• Fire department construction, $200,000
• Land grant wastewater system construction, $75,000

Laguna Pueblo

• Community buildings improvements, $75,000
  
• Community center renovation, $50,000
  
• Construction of Paguate well three, $70,000
  
• Interstate 40, Rio Puerco exit improvements, $400,000
  
• Kawaika Center renovation, $75,000

Ramah Chapter

• Pine Hill Headstart buses, $50,000
  
• Pine Hill Health Center ambulances, $80,000
  
• Pine Hill School handicapped accessible buses, $65,000
  
• Ramah Chapter backhoe purchase, $85,000
  
• Ramah Chapter detention facility, $50,000
  
• Ramah Chapter dump truck, 85,000
  
• Ramah Chapter power lines extended, $200,000
  
• Ramah Chapter water/wastewater system improvement and equipment, $50,000
  
• Ramah Chapter wellness center parking lot/landscaping, $100,000

San Rafael

• Water/sewer district water rights purchase, $114,000
• Water/sewer district water system, $35,000

Seboyeta

• Irrigation system improvements, $175,000
• Reservoir improvements, $200,000
  
• Land grant community center improvements, $100,000
  
• Land grant wastewater system improvements, $50,000

— To contact reporter Jim Tiffin, call (505) 287-2197 or e-mail: tiffin.independent@yahoo.com