HOUSE MEMORIAL 90

54th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2019

INTRODUCED BY

Patricia A. Lundstrom and Eliseo Lee Alcon and Harry Garcia

and D. Wonda Johnson

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AND THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, IN COOPERATION WITH BNSF RAILWAY AND OTHER TRANSPORTATION LEADERS, TO UNDERTAKE A COMPREHENSIVE FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INLAND PORT AT TWO PROPOSED LOCATIONS.

     WHEREAS, the port of Long Beach, California, is the fifth-busiest port in the United States; and

     WHEREAS, much of the shipping cargo unloaded in Long Beach is shipped east along major rail and highway corridors; and

     WHEREAS, inland ports are physical sites located away from traditional coastal borders with the vision to facilitate and process international trade through strategic investment in multi-modal transportation assets and by promoting value-added services as goods move through the supply chain; and

     WHEREAS, a rail-based inland port has three basic requirements enabling it to fulfill a relevant commercial role: the ability to serve as an intermodal terminal, host logistics activities and be a corridor to a gateway; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico has two major interstate highways, crossing the state east to west and north to south, and three major rail corridors; and

     WHEREAS, JBA & associates completed an inland port analysis in June 2015 for the economic development department and the inland port advisory committee, which analysis ranked the suitability of five potential inland port site locations

within McKinley county and identified a preferred site for an inland port location; and

     WHEREAS, pursuant to House Memorial 72 in the 2017 legislative session and House Memorial 41 in the 2018 legislative session, McKinley county and Cibola county commissioned the northwest New Mexico council of governments to oversee a feasibility study regarding the development of the Prewitt industrial cluster; and

     WHEREAS, in 2018, Foote consulting group, llc, completed a series of reports regarding the development of the Prewitt industrial cluster, including a master site plan; and

     WHEREAS, there is a renewed desire to pursue the development of an inland port at either the preferred site identified in the 2015 feasibility study or the Prewitt industrial cluster; and

     WHEREAS, a detailed site analysis and feasibility study must be completed before either site can be chosen to be developed as a regional inland port;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the economic development department and the department of transportation, in cooperation with McKinley county, Cibola county, BNSF railway and other transportation leaders, be requested to undertake a detailed site analysis and feasibility study for the development of an inland port at the preferred site identified in the 2015 feasibility study or the Prewitt industrial cluster, including:

          A. updating the 2015 and 2018 analyses, including actions to date, market changes, site review and determination of the preferred site;

          B. completing a comprehensive market and economic feasibility study;

          C. completing preliminary site analysis, including an engineering report and environmental reviews;

          D. completing a detailed design and cost plan for a preferred site; and

          E. completing an overall estimated project schedule; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the economic development department and the department of transportation and McKinley and Cibola counties present their recommendations for the development of an inland port, at either the preferred site identified in the 2015 feasibility study or the Prewitt industrial cluster, to the appropriate interim legislative committees by November 1, 2019; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of economic development, the secretary of transportation, the McKinley county manager, the members of the McKinley county board of county commissioners, the Cibola county manager and the members of the Cibola county board of county commissioners.

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