Fiscal impact reports (FIRs) are prepared by the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) for standing finance

committees of the NM Legislature. The LFC does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of these reports

if they are used for other purposes.

Current FIRs (in HTML & Adobe PDF formats) are a vailable on the NM Legislative Website (legis.state.nm.us).

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attachments may be obtained from the LFC in Suite 101 of the State Capitol Building North.

F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Rawson

DATE TYPED 02/10/2005 HB

SHORT TITLE

Rest Area Waste Disposal Facility Operation

SB 682

ANALYST Moser

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

$600

Recurring General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Transportation (DOT)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 682 appropriates $600,000 from the general fund to the NMDOT for expenditure in

fiscal year 2006 to operate and maintain recreational vehicle waste disposal facilities at NMDOT

rest stops where waste disposal facilities exist but have been closed.

Significant Issues

The appropriation is provides funds only for FY06 yet the program will be a recurring one. The

DOT points out in its FIR that most rest areas were designed thirty or more years ago and do not

have capacity to handle the additions to the waste stream without large-scale expansion and

costs.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

The rest areas in this state are for the most part over capacity and run on septic tank systems.

Senate Bill 682 -- Page 2

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $600 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any

unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY06 shall revert to the general

fund. This bill however creates a recurring expenditure with no future appropriations.

The DOT

feels that additional FTE’s will have to be created or work contracted out to operate and maintain

waste disposal facilities.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

The DOT indicates that some problems may be encountered with water wells at rest areas due to

increased effluent. These facilities have been a source of non-biodegradable introductions to the

waste streams at rest areas in the past.

ALTERNATIVES

Set up sites with local municipalities that can handle these sorts of facilities in a more efficient

environmentally friendly way. Most cities already have these available. The NMDOT could put

up signs to the nearest municipal facility.

GM/yr