Council authorizes city manager to negotiate sale of 15.36 acres for proposed veterans museum

The city council voted to authorize the city manager to negotiate the sale of city-owned land described as 1 through 18 Block 20 (Pecos Airport exempt), a roughly 15.36-acre parcel, to Reeves County for use as a proposed veterans museum. Councilman Arona moved to approve the negotiation authority; the motion carried after a second.

Council members and other speakers said the museum design presented by county architects is large (a figure of about $56 million was mentioned for the museum design presented to the council) and that the county is seeking a larger land package than the single soccer field the parties had previously discussed. Council members discussed possible sale proceeds in the tens of millions and the possibility of exchanges, leases or “services in kind” to cover infrastructure such as roads.

Why it matters: the parcel includes significant green space and community facilities currently used for athletics and recreation, and the sale would change how those amenities are managed. Council members repeatedly urged a coordinated workshop with Reeves County commissioners so the city and county can align expectations on pools, walking trails, practice fields and other community amenities before any final contract is approved.

Council discussion and clarifications during the meeting noted that: the 15.36-acre figure refers to a specific area the county is seeking; the parcel includes two trailers that would need to be bought out if the sale proceeds; some existing park features (for example, a fitness court and an approved walking trail grant previously obtained by staff) would not necessarily be removed; and the city retains other athletic facilities such as Rocket Park and Cyclone-area fields that would remain available for community use. Speakers suggested options including swapping or leasing Martinez Field and other practice fields, developing remaining green space into trails or splash-pad expansions, and seeking partnerships or sponsorships to offset construction and maintenance costs.

Council members and other speakers raised a range of funding and delivery questions during the discussion: whether pools built by the county would be transferred to city operation, the potential use of interlocal agreements for management (for example, having the recreation department manage pools), whether sponsorships or tax-incentive agreements with incoming businesses could be used to fund improvements, and whether a future bond election might be appropriate for broader streets and infrastructure needs. One speaker suggested estimating sale proceeds in a range of $15 million to $20 million with a portion of services in kind (an example figure of about $6 million in road work was mentioned as an illustrative number), though the council did not set a negotiated price at the meeting.

Council direction: the council authorized the city manager to negotiate terms with Reeves County and instructed staff to bring any resulting contract back to council for approval. Council members also recommended scheduling a joint workshop with county commissioners to clarify community priorities—pools, walking trails, pickleball and practice fields were repeatedly cited as items the public expects the city to prioritize.

Next steps: staff will continue negotiations with Reeves County and present any proposed purchase-and-sale agreement or interlocal arrangement to the council for formal approval. A council member asked for a workshop to include county commissioners and staff so that the parties are “on the same page” before a final deal is executed.