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ALAMOGORDO — Plans for an Otero County pellet plant are on hold as county commissioners consider a feasibility study.
The Otero County Commission last week discussed at length the probability of authorizing and approving a New Mexico Finance Authority grant application to fund the pellet-plant project.
Commissioner Tommie Herrell talked about procuring a NMFA grant application to fund the project and he requested the approval of consulting services from Michael Scott, a private consultant, for the county.
“What I’m trying to do is come up with some funds so we can actually do a feasibility study and actually look at this project on an economic basis,” Herrell said. “To see whether it is actually feasible or if it’s a no-go situation.”
Herrell said that he and Scott have been working together regarding the NMFA grant application for a while. Scott said he has worked on two grants for the project.
Herrell said he was for hiring Scott as a county employee in order to provide the county with professional consulting services for the pellet project.
Commissioner Susan Flores said some of her constituents have concerns about the county owning a pellet plant.
“My question to the citizens is: Do you want to own a pellet plant?” Flores said. “And the answers I’m getting is no. They don’t want to own a pellet plant. They don’t want to go into private industry.”
According to Herrell, people he has spoken with about the project claim the county would qualify for a grant and a feasibility study would determine if the pellet mill was a viable option.
The commission unanimously approved a resolution for a feasibility grant.
