Saturday, March 22, 2008

Recommended projects will lessen flooding in city

Argen Duncan El Defensor Chieftain Reporter

An engineer working on contract with the City of Socorro said a master drainage report for the Cuba Road area is about half done, and several other projects are under way.

At the March 17 City Council meeting, Stephen Williams, of Dennis Engineering Company, said the master drainage report would recommend projects to lessen flooding, and the city could use it to seek funds. The necessary work will cost millions of dollars, he said.

Williams hopes to finish the report in mid to late April.

Also, Dennis Engineering has identified a single project to help with flooding in the Cuba Road area — cleaning out a blocked acequia. However, the city will need to do other work as well.

The city must finish the project by November to ask for another Community Development Block Grant for the work.

As for the industrial park, Williams said his engineers have surveyed the boundaries and will do a subdivision map of that portion of the city land west of U.S. 60. He also intends to produce a map of all the city land on the west side of the highway and the existing leases.

"We're behind on that one," Williams said.

By the middle of April, he hopes to finish that work.

In addition, Bhasker said the city has money for Bullock Avenue repairs. The intersections are wearing out and he wants to do drainage work on California Street in front of the Yellow Front Building.

As for the New Mexico Fire Fighters Training Academy sewer project, Williams said the facility's sewage treatment system was near the end of its life cycle. Money is available for a new lift station and line to take academy sewage to the city Waste Water Treatment Plant. He expected to advertise the project March 19 and open bids two to three weeks later.

Williams also said the project takes other sewer needs in the area into account. Socorro Springs subdivision residents have requested city sewer service.

On the School of Mines Road reconstruction, Williams said only the street printing and marking for the speed humps remained undone. The sub-contractor working with Star Paving Company, which has the contract for the overall project, said for that work, temperatures needed to be above 50 degrees and rising for eight hours, as well as above freezing for a few days.

Bhasker said some residents along the road want signs taken out of their yard. Williams said only a limited number could be moved.

"Many of the signs out there need to be there," he said.

The city could remove the speed limit signs because an ordinance already sets a 25 mph limit on all city streets. Williams said "share the road" signs could also go.

However, if the city moved certain signs, Williams continued, they would just go in another yard.

In other business: