Improving sewage service and construction of a major Carlsbad thoroughfare are at the top of the City of Carlsbad’s long-term infrastructure wish list.
City of Carlsbad Municipal Services Director Angie Barrios-Testa said the Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan (ICIP) is a five-year guide that helps the City establish planning priorities for future capital projects.
“It is updated annually. The City uses the list when state and federal funding opportunities come available,” she said.
Carlsbad residents were invited to attend two public meetings June 9 and June 10 at 6 p.m. at the City of Carlsbad Municipal Annex at 114 South Halagueño Street.
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“Public input is an integral part of a local governments planning process; therefore, the City is seeking input on the existing list of projects and/or any other infrastructure projects the citizens would like to add for consideration,” Barrios-Testa said.
She said the unofficial list had 58 projects and on average the City of Carlsbad budgets nearly is nearly $20 million in capital projects annually. Barrios-Testa said that amount included any secured grant funds.
According to the Municipal Services website, the No. 1 item on the fiscal year 2023 through fiscal year 2027 ICIP was the planning, design and rebuilding the Bataan Sanitary Sewer Lift Station.
Cost of the project was $1.5 million and so far, $1.4 million was funded for the project, the website stated. The City is still seeking $1.5 million for fiscal year 2023.
The second item on the ICIP was the planning, designing, and constructing a second well for the City’s primary lift station. The Municipal Services website indicated the City was seeking $2.5 million for the project.
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The City sought $500,000 for the project in fiscal year 2023 and $2 million for fiscal year 2024, the website noted.
No. 3 on the list is reconstruction of Radio Boulevard from Standpipe Road to the Carlsbad City Limits, per the website.
The City secured $705,000 in funding, read the website and for fiscal year 2023 $1 million is being sought.
“It is an annual process of reviewing the existing projects, adding or removing projects that have been funded, completed or changed priority level. The City starts the review process after the regular budget cycle and ends when the ICIP is due to the State. This deadline is typically in September or October,” Barrios-Testa said.
She said the State of New Mexico Capital Outlay Bureau reviews, approves and publishes ICIP’s for all municipalities.
Residents who cannot make it to the public meetings may comment online at https://www.cityofcarlsbadnm.com/municipal-services/.
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Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at [email protected] or @ArgusMichae on Twitter.
