By Andrea Vasquez
The town of Estancia is planning another trip to Washington, D.C., for funding purposes.
Mayor Nathan Dial confirmed that Estancia is considering a trip to the nation’s capitol to secure funding for one of the town’s new “big ticket item” project.
The project will include a park, pond and pool, with a “ballpark” estimated cost of $3 to $5 million. Dial said the pool needs updates that could delay or prevent this year’s opening.
Estancia has secured funding for several projects, such as floodplain research, by requesting the funds directly from the capital. This year’s trip, tentatively set for March, would be the third straight year Estancia is doing so.
Dial explained that the town engineer suggested the initial idea after not seeing successful funding results through the state.
The initial trip resulted in funding for the floodplain, while the second trip helped build a town hall building.
“Sometimes they fund park ponds and pools, sometimes they don’t, and that’s what we’ll go to ask for this year,” Dial said.
Dial explained that it started as an idea that “worked out well” and that other cities have followed suit, including Moriarty, Mountainair and Roswell, with beneficial results for their projects and communities.
“I gotta say it’s been very beneficial for the town of Estancia for the last two years. And so, we’ll go again this year and see what we come back with,” Dial said.
Dial thanked U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, Sen. Ben Ray Lujan and U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury for assisting during Estancia’s visit to the capitol.
“All three officers were welcoming and helpful on the D.C. trips,” Dial said. “They were the three officers we met with on both trips.”