Login

Gallup Sun

Thursday, Mar 28th

Last update12:57:39 AM GMT

You are here: News Sun News Voters say yes to street improvements

Voters say yes to street improvements

E-mail Print PDF

Recycling, alcohol sales get thumbs up, too

Voters said yes Aug. 9 to a $5.3-million bond referendum that calls for street and road repairs or replacements at various locations throughout the city. On the same ballot were questions that dealt with curbside recycling and packaged liquor sales.

The Aug. 9 special preliminary municipal election included 47 questions about street and road repair, the bulk of which include mill and overlay to city streets, according to Public Works Executive Director Stan Henderson.

Top-priority streets include Hassler Valley Road ($2 million), Ciniza Drive in Indian Hills ($1.6 million), and West Jefferson Avenue on the north side ($632,500). According to information distributed by City Clerk Al Abeita, the street measure passed with 75 percent of the votes.

The Hassler Valley location is the future site of a state veterans cemetery, hence the higher replacement cost, city officials have said.

“We’ll get all the information together and start the preliminary work on the street projects,” Mayor Jackie McKinney said. “[Henderson] has an exact plan. In a general sense, that’s how things will start.”

Ciniza Drive in Indian Hills has long been a street in need of replacement, City Councilor Allan Landavazo said at City Hall while waiting for returns. The street has drainage problems and is unleveled in certain areas. Indian Hills residents will delight in knowing a new road is just around the corner, the councilor said.

“Definitely. I think everyone will appreciate this,” Landavazo said. “It’s something that’s been needed for a long time.”

When it came to an advisory question about limiting the sale of alcohol to before 11 am, the votes were in favor of the motion 72 to 27 percent. The city cannot enact a law to change the actual hours of sale, but can take the matter to Santa Fe and lobby the proper people, City Attorney George Kozeliski has said.

WHAT ELSE DID FOLKS VOTE FOR?

The recycling matter relates to a curbside-recycling program in which recyclables could be placed in a single trash container for pick up, city officials have said. As a result, residents would see a charge added to their monthly utility bills.

That measure passed by 50 to 49 percent of the votes and was the closest outcome on the ballot.

Those opposed to the measure said there are already charges added to utility bills for unclear reasons.

Darcy Lathan, 45, a south-side resident, said she hopes the city uses the street and road funds properly. She said she has relatives who live in Indian Hills near Ciniza Drive.

“Yes, I know that street. It’s getting worse by the year,” she said.

Abeita said that canvassing, or certification, of the matter would take place Aug. 11 at 10:30 a.m. He said taxpayers should be mindful that the Aug. 9 results are preliminary and not final.

“Nothing is final until everything runs its course,” the city clerk said.

According to the information given out by Abeita, there were 762 people who participated in the general obligation bond question, and 772 people who responded to the packaged liquor advisory question. That same number participated in the curbside-recycling question.

According to Abeita’s information, the total number of eligible voters who could have participated on Aug. 9 was 11,450, meaning the overall turnout was just 6.8 percent of registered voters. Among the 47 questions on the ballot, those numbers are based solely on the alcohol, recycling, and street and road repair questions.

By Bernie Dotson
Sun Correspondent

Share/Save/Bookmark