Meatpacking plans alive, breathing

By Bill Donovan
Staff writer

GALLUP — The Ramah Chapter officials’ dream of having their own meatpacking plant is still alive.

Representatives of the chapter are scheduled to appear before the McKinley County Commission Wednesday night to continue negotiations with the county to be the fiscal agent for state grants.

County Attorney Doug Decker said the chapter has received just more than $400,000 from the state Economic Development Division which has asked the county to be fiscal agents for the grants. The county also has application papers that have to be approved at the commission meeting, which is being held eight days later than usual because of scheduling conflicts.

The Ramah Chapter has been working with a meat processing plant out of Moriarty, Western Ways Custom Meats, which wants to open a second plant in this area.

“They have the money and the site, so it looks good,” Decker said. The chapter wants to build the plant just north of Gallup, and Decker said the combination of a state grant and funds the chapter has managed to accrue should be enough to get the plant up and running. Company officials have estimated the plant will cost about $1.2 million to build. Once in operation, the plant will process abut 2,000 head of sheep a week, at which time the plant is expected to be employing a staff of about 30 people.

“This won’t be an actual slaughterhouse,” he said. The slaughtering will be done elsewhere, and the plant in Gallup will be used for preparation and processing of the meat.

This is a proposal that is now in the second year of preparations. The chapter had hoped to have the packing plant up and operating by last summer, but there were delays in getting the financing and various approvals.

Also expected to be discussed Wednesday is a request for final approval of the first phase of the Tampico Springs subdivision.

This subdivision, which is being proposed to be developed south of Gallup and northeast of Zuni, has been the subject of an ongoing legal battle between the county and the pueblo over the question of whether the county has been following its procedures. The commission is being asked to give final approval for the first phase, which will allow the developers, a Phoenix company, to start selling lots.

The commission is also expected to go into executive session to discuss extending the contract for County Manager Tom Trujillo.