Residents press Pecos council on water rights, roll-off access and pollution concerns

Jimmy Dutch, executive director of the Economic Development Corporation, told the Pecos City Council during public comments that the town and Reeves County have a long history with groundwater governance and that recent local efforts have secured new well rights for the community. "These 4 wells can produce up to 20,000,000 gallons of water per day," Dutch said, later noting the town's residents and businesses use "less than 4,000,000 gallons of water" per day. He referenced the creation of a conservation/groundwater district after 2017 and urged ongoing communication between the city, county and the district to protect local interests.

Sebastian Martinez, a resident of East Second Street, urged the council to establish an independent water district "not tied to any political items or businesses," called for additional roll-off trash sites on the East Side (he said current roll-offs are on the West Side, North Side and near the interstate) and corrected staff about the location of a lift station (Alma Street, not Artist Street). Martinez also distributed material about what he called the Kelty plant and said the project could create pollution while the council considers a tax rebate for the applicant.

Other public commenters raised neighborhood quality-of-life concerns. Maria Orta Flores said bar music's deep bass still carries into her upstairs bedroom despite a reduction in recorded decibel levels, and urged consideration of a quiet-time ordinance. Rodney Carrasco urged stronger code enforcement on litter and asked residents to restrain loose dogs after he reported being chased.

Why it matters: Water-rights arrangements — including how a groundwater district manages wells and allocations — can affect long-term municipal supply and local control over development. Local siting of roll-off dumpsters affects neighborhood cleanliness and access to bulk-waste disposal, and industrial projects that request tax incentives often prompt questions about public health and environmental impacts.

What the council did: Council took no formal action on the comments; public comment closed before the council moved into routine and non-routine agenda business. Staff acknowledged the roll-off, lift-station and pollution materials and will follow up with council and affected departments.

Next steps: Several commenters asked the council to bring specific items back for follow-up (East Side roll-off siting, lift-station status, Kelty plant environmental review and the proposed tax rebate). The council did not take action on those requests at this meeting and instructed staff to provide updates at future meetings.