Golf course study a good idea?

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Gaye Brown de Alvarez
Staff writer

GALLUP — The Gallup City Council work session started out Tuesday with new Councilor Mike Enfield sitting at the place to where he was elected: A city council seat representing the constituents of District 1.

With a room full of people, the first item of discussion was the Fox Run Golf Course Plan Presentation by Director of Golf Operations Bob Weekes. The first step in Weekes’ plan is to commission a full feasibility study by the National Golf Foundation, including agronomical potentials, and a business plan. This will lay the foundation for what the city may do. The company has great credentials throughout the country, Weekes said.

Councilor Pat Butler asked how much the study would cost and Weekes said it was initially $20,000 but he was able to renegotiate it down to $17,000. Butler said he was particularly interested in the topography and soil breakdown at the golf course.

Councilor Allen Landavazo said he remembered seeing a study about six years ago addressing the same issues the course has today. He asked why nothing was done six years ago?

There was a long discussion on the golf course and whether paying for another study would be smart.

“We either do the study and move forward or we stay stuck where we are,” Mendoza said, and although no action was taken, the mayor said that it looked like the consensus is that the council proceeds with the study.

There was a discussion about the state anti-donation clause and if there was any way the city could get around it, to help the World Changers do work in the area. City Attorney Dave Pederson said he didn’t see any way around it. It was written to the state constitution in 1911 to keep the railroad from taking any more N.M. land than they already had.

The third issue discussed was Americans with Disabilities Act issues concerning city owned or operated buildings and land and the money involved in making everything ADA compliant.

Then the room talked about the Sports Complex at Park Avenue and the irrigation problems. The pond is now considered a contaminated water source since the liner needs to be replaced along with the concrete container, Public Works Director Stan Henderson said. Also the slope from which a mudslide occurred needs to be stabilized. The pumps there have not been rehabilitated or updated since their installation, Henderson said, and estimated the costs at more than a million dollars.

What about a storage tank, instead of a pond, Butler asked.
Henderson said the pond would still need to be remediated, but that would still cost about $250,000 and then that water supply would be gone. Astroturf was another option. As of this year three fields are in grass, and Henderson anticipated having problems getting the water to that grass this year. There was more discussion about getting the Sports Complex fields going to help with scheduling for summer baseball and softball.

Another work session agenda item was the resolution in support of the creation of the Gallup Sustainable Energy Board by Bill Bright.

Bright said he was hoping for a special board, like the city water board. He hoped to give people an incentive to use energy-saving devices.

There was a discussion for the recount of election results for District 1 and City Attorney Pederson said that the only day it could happen was Monday, March 23, because a district judge must participate and it was the only day that one would be in town.

Pederson said he is still trying to work out polling places for District 3 runoff elections and that may be decided soon. He added that he hoped to send out mailers to every voter in the district telling them where the polling places were be and he was also hoping that the election could be planned for April 7.

The award for a formal bid 0904; Cresto Sr. Water Reservoir Rehabilitation was tabled.

After the regular meeting started, Pederson recommended that the request for a beer and wine license be issued to Who Knows, 3400 East Highway 66 be approved, because the license application meets all requirements and is properly zoned.

Mendoza asked if anyone wanted to voice any objections to the issuance of a license and Marilyn Gjeltema said she thought there were too many children in that area and she had nothing else to say.

Owner Chris Arentino explained his plans to the council. They include a motorcycle shop with a tattoo parlor above the shop, a kitchen, and a dining area. There was some discussion and it was approved, everyone voting for the beer and wine license except for Landavazo, the councilor for that district.

After the meeting was over, new Councilor Mike Enfield was asked how he thought it went.

“It went good,” Enfield said. “I’m big into recycling and solar energy. And I’d like to see something get going on that.”

He added he plans to set up meetings in the three different areas in his district. Its a very diverse district, he said and all of the areas have different needs.

“I want to work with everyone in District 1,” he said.

“Northside wants a big cleanup. We have to figure out where to get funds. Hopefully we can find help for funding.”