County begins Elkridge gas-line work; Jemez Mountain fire-protection phases proceed while FEMA decision is pending

Department of Public Utilities staff reported that construction has begun to install a new public gas distribution system through the Elkridge mobile home park and provided an update on the Jemez Mountain Fire Protection Project.

DPU staff said the Elkridge project started this week, with saw-cutting and trenching already under way. The DPU presentation described a plan to install a continuous 2-inch gas main around and through the park, with meter sets sized to serve paired homes and new automatic meter infrastructure. "Because it's all new pipeline, we want to have the latest metering technology there in place," the DPU representative said.

Key Elkridge details

- Construction timeline and contractors: Staff said the contractor began work the week of the meeting and described a roughly 90-day timeline for primary construction. The contractor performing the gas-line installation is under contract (reported as Double E), with a local plumbing firm (Cartwright Plumbing) performing interior plumbing tie-ins.

- Costs and funding: DPU staff reported the construction contract bid was approximately $1,100,000 and that the county has budgeted about $400,000 in CIP funds for meter sets and related equipment.

Jemez Mountain Fire Protection Project update

DPU staff described multi-phase work that includes replacing waterlines, constructing a half‑million‑gallon storage tank, installing pump stations and relocating overhead power lines. The county has awarded phases 1 and 4 and has used rock-trenching and HDPE fusion-welded pipe for the waterline installation. Staff said the tank foundation is being prepared and the steel tank erection is expected at month end.

- Grants and funding status: Staff said the state awarded grant funding for a portion of the project (presentations referenced a state grant figure described as $7,900,000 in one slide and $7,000,000 elsewhere in the meeting). The county and Pajarito Mountain Recreation committed to cost-share provisions and the total project budget cited in the presentation was about $18,000,000. Staff said they have expended roughly $7.5 million to date on awarded work.

- FEMA grant pending: Staff said a FEMA grant application for additional project funding has cleared technical review and is pending final approval; the award requires signoff at the federal level and staff said that approval has been delayed. "We're waiting notification," the presenter said of the FEMA decision, and added that if FEMA funding is not awarded the county and partners face a larger cost share.

Work methods and operations

Staff described using a rock trencher to cut through hard basalt and installing HDPE pipe via fusion welding; conduit for electric and fiber is being placed in the same trenches. For the tank site, crews are modifying power-line locations to create adequate construction clearance.

Ending

Staff said the Elkridge gas work should move quickly in parallel segments and that the Jemez project will continue in phases while the county awaits FEMA action; councilors asked for continued updates on schedule and grant decisions.