Colfax County awards Miami fire‑fill bid, approves ARPA transfer and tables lodgers‑tax advertising requests
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Summary
The commission approved liquidation of the ARPA fund balance, several budget adjustments including a $58,000 RISE grant for VMDC, awarded RFB 2025‑03 to Max Drilling Inc. for $287,107.79, approved a task order for Event Center septic and waterline design, and tabled or declined certain lodgers‑tax promotional requests.
At its Feb. 10 meeting, the Colfax County Board of Commissioners approved a set of fiscal and project actions and provided staff direction on promotional funding requests.
The commission approved Resolution 20 26‑13 to liquidate the remaining ARPA fund balance and transfer it to the general fund, citing grant allowances and the stabilization of outstanding purchase orders that had previously delayed the transfer.
County staff then presented Resolution 20 26‑14, a set of four budget adjustments including a $58,000 revenue and $58,000 expenditure line for a RISE grant for the VMDC; the resolution also eliminated the ARPA fund budget lines being transferred and included $20,000 in reclassifications from capital outlay to supplies/inventory and a reclassification to training for the MDC. Commissioners approved the adjustments on a unanimous roll call.
On procurement, the county opened four bids for RFB 2025‑03 for the Miami fire‑fill station. One low bidder was excluded for failing to provide a Department of Workforce Solutions registration number as required by state law; staff recommended and the commission approved awarding the project to Max Drilling Inc., the low compliant bidder, at $287,107.79 excluding gross receipts tax.
The board approved Task Order No. 7 for the Colfax County Event Center to design a new septic tank, leach field and the waterline extension required by the City of Raton after the existing septic tank was uncovered and found in poor condition and lacking a permitting record with the New Mexico Environment Department. Project staff said design work and permitting are underway and estimated the construction schedule could be a couple of months once permitting is complete.
On lodgers tax promotions, the commission reviewed an Enchanted Outpost magazine ad request tied to the Cimarron Chamber and concluded the county ordinance appears to limit funding to unincorporated areas; no motion was made and the request failed for lack of motion. Separately, a lodgers‑tax application for the Charcoal Burner Race prompted discussion about whether paying for participant T‑shirts constitutes promotion or an impermissible giveaway under current rules; commissioners voted to table that request and asked staff for follow‑up on partner contributions and logo placement before returning the item.
Other actions approved on the consent agenda included an assignment and assumption agreement related to the Village of Angel Fire and FAA paperwork, and a non‑substantive amendment removing a trademarked term from the county’s engine‑brake ordinance at the request of the trademark owner.
Manager’s announcements included a Behavioral Health Reform (SB3) listening session scheduled for Feb. 11 in the commissioners’ chambers and progress on the Angel Fire Airport hangar preconstruction work; staff also noted a roughly $20,000 boiler replacement estimate for the Clerk’s Building that would be covered by maintenance funds.
The meeting concluded after commissioner reports that included concerns about roads, a possible county fire ban due to dry conditions, and updates on federal appropriations directed to county projects.
