By Jim Owen

The Bayard City Council on Tuesday moved forward on two major infrastructure projects.

Officials approved a grant agreement to obtain funding for replacement of all city residents' water meters with devices that can be monitored automatically. Currently, Bayard employees must go door to door to manually read meters. The project, which is to begin in January, also will include replacement of a main waterline on Railroad Street.

Funding for the meters, transmitter equipment and waterline has been provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in the form of an $837,600 grant and $109,000 loan; and from the state Legislature, which approved an appropriation of $234,000.

On another matter, councilors awarded a general engineering services contract to the Silver City-based Engineers Inc. The company will plan and design a new street crossing, entailing installation of a culvert, to connect East Street with the intersection of Stewart and Foy streets.

Officials say the project, scheduled to begin in March, is necessary because floodwaters frequently wash out the existing crossing. That prevents residents and emergency-services providers from accessing that part of town.

The city has received funding totaling $463,654 for the new crossing, from the federal Community Development Block Grant program and the New Mexico Transportation Department's Local Government Road Fund.

In other business, the council granted a request by the Raiders football team to use the city's Little League fields (with lighting) on Mondays through Wednesdays for three weeks this fall.

Councilors voted to promote Sonya Dixon from part-time librarian to head librarian, effective next month. She will be paid $15 per hour.

The council agreed to send Police Chief Sam Charbaji to a state law-enforcement conference in Albuquerque, and police officer Cody Dove to a street-crimes seminar in Rio Rancho. Both events are scheduled in December.

During a discussion about Halloween, officials noted that a lot of people are going to be out and about that night. In addition to trick-or-treaters, there will be fans attending the Silver-Cobre football game Friday night. Councilors urged drivers to watch for pedestrians.