Las Cruces City Councilors received an update on current GO bond projects during a public work session Monday.
City Public Works Director David Sedillo presented on GO bond projects expected to be completed in the next two years.
“These bonds were approved by the voters on August 21, 2018 for $35.6 million,” Sedillo said. “Now one thing that I wanted to make sure to pass on to council was that all of these projects will be completed by the end of 2022.”
Projects slated for completion include park improvements as well as a new recreation complex, animal service center and fire station. $2.7 million will be allocated for trail improvements around the city, including the Southwest City Loop trail. The project will ensure that many existing trails will be connected, something Councilor Tessa Abeyta-Stuve says will promote increased activity.
“One of the intentions I know with this type of item is to have a loop system that would be able to accommodate triathlons, those types of races, and sports like specific biking sports and stuff too,” Abeyta-Stuve said.
A rehabilitation of Unidad Park is one of the biggest park improvement projects and will include a new splash pad as well as other play equipment. Sedillo says the project is currently still in the design phase.
“Now, those construction drawings are at 90%, and we should be getting close to completing those,” Sedillo said. “I did want to highlight that staff has been able to work through…and we identified that by buying the equipment, and just providing it for installation, we were able to save $140,000.”
Councilor Yvonne Flores expressed concern about meeting the deadlines for the proposed GO bond projects on time.
“It just seems like, especially the trails for example, it seems like such a big project, and 2022 isn't that far away,” Flores said. “I mean, you know, the years go by like water flowing in a river. So, I'm just concerned about not being able as a municipality to deliver on the GO bond and vote to the residents.”
Councilor Abeyta-Stuve noted most of the projects have extra time built in to ensure they remain on schedule, saying that timely completion is vital for future project success.
“Some of the items that seem to have the most technical construction, like this build out of the fire station, there seems to be a bit of buffer room as well,” Abeyta-Stuve said. “Everybody wants this to go well because I think that we know we have a lot of big projects. And one of the ways we can hopefully accommodate the needs of the city is to continue to reissue these types of bonds, and so I do very much think it's important that we make sure all these go well."
