[Music]
Thank you. Thank you, Mr.
You're live.
Good afternoon. Welcome to the city
council meeting. Today is Monday, August
4th, 2025. It's approximately 100 p.m.
I'm Mayor Eric Enriquez. Before we
start, I want to mention that we have
the American Sign Language interpreter
up front. Thank you for being here. Uh
they're available at every regular city
council meeting. Uh we will start with a
moment of silence for the brave men and
women of the United States Armed Forces
as they protect our interests around the
globe as well as the courageous men and
women of the Los Cruus Police and Los
Cusus's Fire Department as they keep our
city safe 247 365.
Mayor Pro Tim, will you lead us in the
pledge? I
aliance to the flag of the United States
of America and to the republic for it
stands. One nation under God,
indivisible with
all.
Okay, we have no presentations or
certificates or proclamations today. So,
we'll start out with jobs of the week.
Sarah Rainey.
Thank you, Mayor and Council. My name is
Sarah Rainey. I'm the onetop coordinator
for the Southwest Region of America's
Job Center. For jobs of the week, we
have a convention sales manager for the
city of Los Cruus starting at 58,000 a
year. That posting closes on August
18th. We also have an animal care
specialist for the city that starts at
1676 an hour and at this time it's a
continuous posting for the Amador Health
Clinic Health Center. We have a
part-time certified medical assistant
and that one is open until filled. We
also have for Llinica de Familia up to
$20 an hour a population health patient
navigator
for lifepoint health a front office
representative and that one's open till
filled as well. Actually all three of
these are the cheese packing operator.
It's the shift from 6:00 p.m. to 6 a.m.
at Saputoo as well. And then just a
quick reminder we have this week
Mountain Shadows will be at our office
on 226 Alama. They do on the spot
interviews. Bring your resume, be ready
for your interview, and come talk to
them about caregivers. We also have our
career essentials. Um that's one-on-one
with employment assistance and job um
program referral job and program
referrals. And then on the 20th, we have
our monthly job readiness of the
community of hope.
And that is all. Thank you.
Thank you, Sarah.
Next is pet of the weeks, Carol.
Good afternoon. I'm Carol Nelson,
digital content specialist with the
Animal Services Center of the Misssia
Valley. Uh we wanted to remind everyone
that this month is our Clear the
Shelters initiative, so all adoptions
through the month of August are free. So
definitely come out and adopt. Our dog
of the week is Pickle 88516. I'm a
fun-loving pup who perfectly balances
playfulness and affection. I often find
myself in a charming dilemma trying to
decide if I want to run around or
snuggle up for some quality human time.
Recently, I had an 11 out of 10 kind of
day on my field trip. I hiked up Solidad
with excitement, enjoyed the stunning
views, and jammed out to music in the
car with a pup cup a pup cup and paw.
I'm friendly with everyone I meet,
including kids, and I radiate love and
wiggles. I'm ready to leave the kennel
life behind and find my forever home
where I can thrive with love and
adventure.
Our cat of the week is actually Maple.
Um, forgot to change out the name. Uh,
I've grown up at the center and while
the world can be a scary place for a
young gal like me, I've always been
curious and playful. As I get more
comfortable, my cur curiosity really
starts to shine through. I've been
blossoming into a more willing cat. And
while I'll get close, I'm not quite
ready for human affection just yet. I
just need someone who is patient and
understanding to help me continue my
journey. If you're looking for a sweet
companion who's on the verge of
blossoming into a loving friend, I might
just be the perfect match for you. And
as always, we also want to highlight our
long-term residents. As everyone knows,
the longer they stay in shelter, the
harder it is for them to thrive. But we
wanted to highlight some good news.
Peppa got adopted after 363 days with
us. So
um but we have others to adopt out.
Fresa has been with us 272 days, Roelly
262 and Eley 257. So all really great
options for our clear the shelters
initiative. Uh this weekend on Saturday
we're going to be at the your pet space
openhouse from 9 to 12. So definitely
come on out to that to meet uh the pets
that we'll have there. And as always for
more information go to asmv.org and feel
free to follow us on social media. What
we also have information regarding our
clear the shelters initiative up on our
website right now. Thank you.
All right. Thank you, Carol.
Next, we have an FY25
audit entrance conference presentation.
Uh Josh, you'll be introducing.
Uh yes. Good afternoon, Mayor, City
Council. My name is Josh Safel and on
behalf of the finance department of the
city of Los Cusus, I'd like to introduce
Chris Garner with Patio Brown and Hill
and he will be presenting our fiscal
2025 um audit entrance conference. So,
Mr. Garner, please.
Thank you, Mayor and Council. Auditing
standards really haven't changed over
the last several years in regards to
what we have to talk about. So, I'm
probably going to go fairly quickly
because you have seen this the last few
years.
So, first of all, I just want to
introduce myself. My name is Chris
Garner. I am the partner in charge of
your audit. So, I am the one who's
ultimately overall responsible. We also
have Heather Lucero, who's a supervisor
with me. She's my right-hand person. Um,
she's will be involved and in charge of
the day-to-day operations of the audit.
We've all been on both of us have been
on the audit since we've started. I
think it's been five years ago. Audit
timing is a required communication.
We're already in the middle of planning.
We've started looking at internal
controls, testing state auditor
compliance, and then going through and
doing the planning for the single audit.
Then what we do is what we call risk
assessment. Once we've tested internal
controls and we've seen how your
internal controls are working, we've
done some inquiries and talked with
folks. We'll develop our audit plan and
the specific steps that we will be plan
or we will be doing at the fieldwork
which is in October and November. So,
we'll be testing the year-end balances
at that point. We'll complete the single
audit testing and then we'll test all
your account balances. Financial
statements being submitted to the state
auditor. We expect middle of November to
have our exit like we have the last
couple of years, submitting it to the um
state auditor by the end of the month.
Your audit is due because you go after
the um award for excellence and
financial reporting, the GFOA. Um, it's
due to the state auditor December 1st, a
little bit earlier than most
municipalities in the state. And then
it's due to GFOA to get that award by
December 31st.
Responsibilities. I know you probably
get hire tired of hearing this. You hear
it exit, you hear it at the entrance,
and then you hear it at council
presentation. Um, standards really want
us to make clear what we do because
there's a lot of confusion when people
talk about what an audit means. So, as
you can see in that left box, what we
were hired to do is express an opinion
on your financial statements. And so,
what that means is in the right box, we
give what's called reasonable assurance.
We definitely do not have time to test
every transaction. We pick statistical
samples. We look at your internal
controls, but we're not testing
everything. So, there could be errors in
the final audit report, but those errors
will not be significant enough to affect
the readers of the financial statement.
And the example I always give you is a
banker. If you were to give your audit
to a banker, those errors would not
change the banker's opinion on the
financial status of the city. In New
Mexico, every audit has to follow
government auditing standards. Um, the
state audit rule requires that. The
reason is is because just on the
previous slide under just regular
auditing standards, when it comes to
internal controls, technically all we
have to test is one from each
significant cycle. significant cycles
like cash dispersements, cash receipts,
payroll, those things. Those auditing
standards only requires we test one
transaction. So the state auditor wants
us to do the yellowbook audit or the
government auditing standards audit so
that we do pick samples and test
internal controls. As you can see on the
left though, we're not picking samples
big enough to give an opinion. But what
we do in that report is just spell out
how we're testing internal controls
above what auditing standards require.
And then to the right, we have to
communicate significant matters. And so
the state audit rule kind of changes up
the yellowbook audit a little a couple
of different ways. Number one, they have
us test 21 potential items, things like
travel and predium procurement. So the
state audit rule specifies even if it's
not a significant cycle, auditors, we
want you to look at these things. Also,
when it comes to that significant
matters on the right, we don't have to
report significant matters. We actually
have to take it down to the ground
level. The state auditor wants
transparency. They want us to report any
finding, any exception that we have
during the audit process, we have to
report in our state. So, there's a
couple of changes um in New Mexico
compared to what the standards are.
your responsibilities. The the standards
probably about 8 10 years ago came out
and really clarified that you are
responsible as a city and your finance
department with preparing numbers that
are what we call GAP or generally accept
that follow generally accepted
accounting principles. So it's your
responsibility to ensure that you give
us those numbers that we can audit in
coming up with those numbers. It
includes that making sure that you're
performing all management functions. We
as auditors cannot perform management
functions. We can't make decisions.
You're responsible for making all
financial decisions including any
adjustments. I think the last couple of
years your team has posted every
adjustment. We might have had a a small
one two years ago, really small. Um but
for the most part, finance gives us the
numbers that end up in the audit report.
And so we don't have any adjustments.
And then you're responsible for
implementing internal controls, making
sure that you're safeguarding assets and
that your internal controls are
functioning properly.
The scope of the audit, we do have a few
different components. We have the city,
we have South Central Solid Waste, we
have the downtown TID, we have the
animal service center, um Messia Valley
Regional Dispatch, and Metro Narcotics.
So all of those are going to be under
the umbrella of our audit. We will issue
um separate reports for all of those
except for the downtown TID. So we will
have separate audit reports for each
individual one of those entities.
State audit rule the clarifications in
2025 there was a lot of them in the
audit rule. It's just wording changes.
There was really nothing that affects
how we have to test balances or those 21
items that I mentioned a moment ago with
the internal controls. There were no
changes to any of that. So, it's pretty
much the audit rule has stayed
consistent since last year. The one
thing that we've got to talk about and
make sure is that you might get some
updates as we go throughout the audit
process. Those updates have to remain
confidential until the audit report is
released by the New Mexico State
Auditor. And they do take this serious.
I give this example every year, but it's
true. I had a a village actually that
had a lot of findings, over 200. They
finally got it down to zero. The mayor
was absolutely ecstatic. Went to
council, talked about it. They ended up
with one finding that year because the
state auditor found out. So, they do
take it serious. So, again, as you get
updates throughout the audit process
through the um till the time it's a
public document. We've got to keep that
confidential.
Council and management insights. This
last part that I'm going to put up here,
um we talk about every year. I just want
to emphasize that if somebody contacts
us and has some issues that they want to
bring up, that information will remain
confidential and it will only be used
for audit purposes. So, if you have any
concerns about the last slide, please
contact us. Josie out of finance has our
contact information, so she can get that
to you if you need it. Um, please give
us a call if you have any concerns.
The feedback that you can provide are
material related party transactions. And
those aren't necessarily a bad thing. If
we had uh for example a counselor that
had a business that did a lot of
activity with the city, that's not a bad
thing. But if it's big enough, we might
have to put it in the audit report. And
then we also have to look at how were
the decisions made to enter into those
type of activities. was the person that
has that conflict in essence abstaining
and not involved in the decision-making
and we look at that. So, um you know, we
have related party transactions all
throughout the state, but we just have
to make sure that those are being
handled appropriately. If anybody knows
of any fraud or any concerns of fraud,
please let us know. We will incorporate
that into our audit process. If there
were any special audits that you're
aware of, we need to be made aware of
those. And then again, the last part is
is if you have any concerns about any
certain transactions um that you want
that you think merit some additional
testing or looking at a little bit
differently, please contact us and let
us know.
That's it, Mayor.
Well, thank you, Chris. We appreciate it
all the information and we know that
we'll continue to work together and hear
more as we go throughout. And I would
just mention with with council, we
always have the opportunity to get with
our city manager's office and our
director of finance if we have any
questions or concerns so we can get back
to you. So, thank you.
All right. Thank you.
Next is a conflict of interest. Does any
member of the city council, city
manager, or any member of the city staff
have any known conflict of interest with
any item on the agenda?
None.
Next is public participation. We'll
allow up to three minutes. No pending
litigations or items that are on the
non-consent. And Katrina here will be to
uh available to usher you to the podium.
Mayor, council, those here today, and
those watching online, I'm Lynn Moer. It
appears that Los Cusus's utility staff
and many of you on the dis may be in
denial about the lead and copper rule
improvements mandate. Its centerpiece is
that all service lines that distribute
drinking water throughout the city must
be accurately investigated to determine
whether they are lead or galvanized
requiring replacement. Both types of
piping must be replaced. This
investigation is mandated to be thorough
and provide proof that it is accurate.
The technique the city uses for
determining the nature of piping
violates EPA's requirements and does not
lead to accurate results. The city's
technique of merely looking in the meter
box is deficient because it's not
capable of identifying lead lined piping
or a lead segment farther up the line or
dealing with a setter meter. It's not an
evidence-based technique that proves the
piping is not lead or galvanized
requiring replacement. And lines must be
visually inspect inspected in at least
two locations. Handout one spells out
this EPA requirement. Because of its
deficient technique, none of the city's
investigations has credibility. Again,
because of the city's deficient
investigation technique, none of the
investigations across the city has
credibility. It's troubling that the
city displays no concern about doing it
right and making sure all hazardous and
lead pipes and galvanized pipes
requiring placement that feed into
taxpayers properties are actually
identified and removed. It seems that
Las Cruus Utilities is in denial that
there's a problem. The city is also in
denial about how many galvanized
requiring replacement pipes must be
replaced, falsely claiming there are
only two when there are at least 56. It
appears that Los Cruus's utilities point
person, Deputy Director of Regulatory
Compliance Steve Perez, is also in
denial about the challenges that the
city faces to meet the legal mandate. He
assured me that the city doesn't have a
lead pipe problem and the city would get
through the process in 5 years rather
than 10. He implied that because the
city doesn't have any or many lead
pipes, Las Cusus Utilities is just going
through some of the required motions.
It's a concern that Mr. Pettis is not
qualified for his compliance job. He's
not an engineer and has little
experience with water, nor does he have
any legal education. Instead, his
experience in education are
predominantly in soil science and
physical education. Plus, he has
demonstrated little respect for the
facts. He falsely denied to a caller
that financial assistance was available
for lead pipe replacement when the
notification letter clearly stated that
it was. The city's misguided decision to
cook the books and disappear inventory
records represents another form of
denial. denial of its responsibility to
follow the law and make drinking water
safe for all taxpayers. Please bring in
an independent engineer with management
experience to evaluate the city's
implementation of the new rule and make
all findings public. Thank you for this
opportunity to speak.
[Applause]
Mayor, council, I'm Liz Rodriguez
Johnson. The disclaimer that Las Cruus
Utilities posted on its lead and copper
rule website proves a point we made some
time ago. This popup, which is the first
thing you see when opening the website,
is clear evidence that the website can
be modified to have the first popup be
statement directing how the website can
be trans translated into Spanish and
other language. It should be done. The
city can't hide behind a disclaimer to
avoid compliance with the rule. So the
disclaimer is doing nothing. Is not
doing the city any good. It should be
replaced with a statement in English and
Spanish about how the web how to
translate the website.
A Lasclus utilities memo used to request
state funding stated that the city would
mobilize staff to areas with
disadvantaged populations first. Yet all
the information about disadvantaged
populations was disappeared from the
inventory in mid June. That indicates to
me that disadvantaged populations in the
city will not be prioritized for service
line investigations as they should be
and as promised. The city has at least
56 properties with galvanized piping
requiring replacement as documented at
the last meeting. However, the city has
not provided the required notification
to these property owners. EPA requires
that owners with galvanized
requiring replacement be notified within
30 days of the completion of the
inventory, which was mid-occtober 24.
Handouts A and B are EPA documents that
spell out this requirement.
Owners of galvanize requiring
replacement piping are to be treated
just like owners of lead or unknown
service lines. Those folks received
letters last October, but the city says
it does not plan to send any
notification to galvanized piping
requirement replacement property owners
until the fourth quarter of this year.
This is even though it knows that there
are at least 56 property owners who need
to be informed right away and this is
unacceptable. and also it violates the
rule.
At your Jul July 7th meeting, I provided
you with a handout showing 11
neighborhoods left out of the city's
inventory. The map indicates water
hookups with either a green dot, a
yellow triangle, or a purple square.
Now, almost a month later, nothing has
been done to include any of these
properties. Handout C shows 22 more
neighborhoods that have been left out.
These two handouts reflect hundreds of
folks who have been ignored or forgotten
by the city. And this is just
deplorable. Leaving large numbers of
properties off the inventory looks like
a trick among many the city is using to
avoid finding lead or galvanage
requiring replacement piping. The city
needs at long last to bring an
independent engineer with management
experience to evaluate Lasus's utilities
compliance with rule. Thank you.
Okay. Thank you.
Hello, city council. My name is Lucas H.
Hearnen, resident of district 2. Um,
I wanted to take an opportunity um for
um
rare praise, I think maybe is the right
word. Um but I appreciated uh Chief
Story's comments recently around uh gaps
in our system that have allowed for um
people who are suffering in a mental
crisis uh to face the violence um that
currently our system really only allows
for the police to respond to with said
violence. Um in the last few weeks uh
two similar instances have happened in
Albuquerque, both of which resulted in
the person being shot and killed by the
police. Um, I am not thrilled that the
officer here in Los Cusus immediately
drew his weapon and fired. Um, for
better or for worse, he missed and the
person has been um, taken into custody
and and now we have this situation where
we have to figure out what to do. And I
realize that that is not just a city
issue. It is something that the state
needs to address. Um, and as they say,
credit where credit is due. And so to
that very specific end, I just wanted to
commend the chief on his comments. Um,
and I do agree we need to do more as a
state and as a people and as a community
to address mental illness and people
suffering from a mental crisis um that
does not involve the police being the
people to show up when that happens.
Thanks.
[Applause]
Mayor Council Juan Garcia Carlos isn't
some outlier. He's what local business
looks like. Remember when he first
turned up asking for help? A small
business on Missouri and Solano and
every week got hit. Break in, smash
windows, spray paint everywhere. It got
so routine it barely registered until a
night someone decided to write a slur on
his wall with of all things human feces.
That's where the city left him.
scribed with feces.
This was a targeted hateful act and the
thugs have returned. Carlos isn't alone.
He's part of a group of small business
owners who have faced the same threats,
the same fear, and sense that nobody in
power is willing to do anything about
it. All of the while, those who are
supposed to represent people like Carlos
at the city and state level don't
believe in accountability and
consequences and instead quote cuddled
criminals. Property is not all being
destroyed. It's trust. It's the feeling
of safety. When leaders refused to act,
people like Carlos get the message,
you're on your own. The only person that
has advocated for Carlos was Peter
Goodman. Because Carlos representatives
don't care. This is where you see just
how fake her leaders are. Senator Hamlin
felt some in the LGBT community were not
given credit for accomplishments and
took to the media. Good. Councelor Ben
Cuomo, who supports illegal immigrants,
wrote against deportation. It's all
good. who rallies for Carlos. He's a
native Las Cusus and with deep faith he
started stacking fruit in a grocery
store, went to Donana Community College.
His crime, if you may, is he worked hard
to build a business, something to be
celebrated, but the people in charge
don't care about that. Carlos never
played the victim card or beg for
handouts from politicians who love to
posture about equity. No headlines for
him. No crowds in the street chanting
his name. No upside down flags flying
for how bad the broken criminal system
grinds up guys like him and thousands of
others in this community.
He's just a regular guy scraping by to
give his family a shot at the American
dream. The same politicians who ignore
Carlos turn actual criminals into
martyrs. kids they call them. Even when
they're 16, 17, caught with guns, vest,
fentinel, deep in gang life, we're
living in an upside world, upside down
world. Yet when it's time to pick up the
pieces, it's Carlos alone who sweeping
up the wreckage and shouldering the
cost. The ones who should speak for him
don't care and never really care for
folks like him. He was never part of
their story. And now standing amid the
ruins of his business, he left he's left
to wonder if he ever was. Thank you.
[Applause]
Good afternoon, mayor, city council. My
name is Eddie Thomas. I'd like to start
first of all by um
thanking uh Mayor Prom Beno for her
quick response to the situation in front
of my house on uh my street where the
recent rains caused a uh a buildup of uh
very despicable uh algae formations on
the curb due to the fact that there's
drainage in the Casalindas area just not
too far here from the center of town.
So, I appreciate that. Thank you very
much. The next thing I want to call your
attention to is an apology that I'd like
to make. Uh the last time I was up here
speaking, I made reference to a rally of
benefit for uh uh ex officer Brad
Lunsford at the Farm and Ranch Museum.
I made a mistake and and uh called
people out to go to the farm and ranch
that night. Uh what happens is I was
looking at an old message. It was a week
old. So I apologize to anybody that went
out to farm and ranch and found nothing
going on.
That's how you do it, city council. You
own up your mistake and you apologize
for it.
Next thing I want to bring up is the
fact uh of my failure, utter failure as
a stand-up comedian. The last time I was
here, I made reference to being arrested
and uh the procedures that uh might
ensue if uh you ever have a
a reason to be arrested. And I was just
making a joke uh which nobody got. Um,
and the only thing I was trying to shed
light to is that uh, Chief's story is
tasked with fighting crime here and we
can't leave that entirely up to him.
Parents are the first offense against
crime. Okay? It's the way that people
that kids are raised here in this
there's a culture of crime that he has
to fight as well. Okay? And it begins
with the parents. Okay? And if we don't
raise our children right, they're going
to get into these gangs. They're going
to be taught to resist arrest. They
become adults who resist arrest. And we
have the ensuing shootings and problems
like we had at Young Park and most
recently uh with a uh person that got
shot. So this is what my point is. The
parents need to get involved. Thank you.
[Applause]
Hello, council members, mayor. My name
is Jim Wilcox. Um, I just wanted to
bring up something. You know, I I think
of that thing I I you see once like he's
back.
So, um, I keep coming back with kind of
the same stuff. And so, today I was I
was mowing down some of that vegetation,
you know, from all the rain. And I saw
this one plant. I thought, "Oh, is that
a weed? Is the city gonna get me for the
weed thing? Remember me with the weed
thing? And I haven't heard back anything
about the weed ordinance. And I want to
remind you that Albuquerque has a really
nice one. It's got pictures of what you
can't have or what you can have. And and
the other thing is I know some people
are like, "Well, we're we're Los Cruus."
Well, the thing to remember is
federalism. Federalism means we look at
other cities and other states. We say,
"Did it work for them? Let's try it if
it did. And if it didn't, then we know
we didn't make that mistake. So, I don't
know where it is. I called the head of
codes, never heard back. So, I wouldn't
come here if somebody called me back and
let me know what's going on. But, I
think we need something like what
Albuquerque has. And then secondly, I am
the uh bicycle representative on the MO
for the uh bicycle and pedestrian
advisory committee. And so, I am now
representing myself on that committee.
And we still I today I listened to the
jobs report, you know, jobs that we're
looking for. And I didn't hear the
active transportation coordinator. And I
know you guys want to see that happen.
It's been five years that you've had
that position open that I've been here.
And it's only been filled once. The last
I heard was you were revising the job
description. At least the city was. And
I used to work for the feds. I worked in
Head Start in management. I worked for
HUD housing and management. We did job
description revi revisions. Just a
revision would take us a couple of
weeks. I don't know where that is. So
please, if somebody could check on just
those couple of things, maybe you could
hire somebody who is a active
transportation coordinator slashweed
guy. But anyway, uh I appreciate your
efforts on this. If somebody look at
Albuquerque, type in Albuquerque weed
enforcement, you'll see some really cool
pictures of beautiful plants that are
native plants, the ones they want to
keep, the ones that bring the birds
around and the, you know, the insects
that the birds eat. And that improves
our our landscape. And then think of
that with the beautiful plants and a
person riding by quietly on a bicycle
because they think this is such a great
town and it's so quiet and serene, great
vegetation,
not you know uh humanpowered,
good for your health. So I appreciate
your attention to this. Thank you.
[Applause]
Good afternoon, Esteee Mayor, Mayor
Protown, City Council. My name is
Belinda Contas, and I would like to
thank you for the opportunity to speak.
I really appreciate it. The concern I
want to share about this afternoon deals
with children that reside in our state,
in our county, and uh for the city of
Los Cusus. I assist children, our Los
Cruus children find homes in which they
can live in a safe environment. As a
resource foster care recruitment
specialist for New Mexico, I'm centered
on finding homes for children. Um, a lot
of the children, my former students,
fellow employees, just call me Miss B.
As of July 25th, I'm sorry, July 2025,
there are currently 125 kiddos of
varying age in Donana that need a home
and a place to stay. I'm here to appeal
to the kind and compassionate city of
Los Cusus populace. If you or anyone you
know may be willing to open your home
and your heart to these kids, to these
kiddos, uh please consider signing up
with New Mexico Children Youth and
Family Department as a resource foster
family, uh as a resource foster parent,
as a mentor, uh maybe helping out in
respit. Information and sign up info can
be located on our New Mexico CYFD
website. And again, thank you for your
consideration and your time on this
important matter dealing with local
children in need of a safe place to
live. Thank you.
[Applause]
Good afternoon, Mayor, City Council,
members of the public.
My name is Horge and I'm here because
I'm concerned
with the upcoming wave of poverty that
will likely sweep through our nation
thanks to the successes of the federal
administration.
Americans from all backgrounds
are about to have the rug pulled from
under their feet and there is no safety
net to catch them.
The jobs report that came out last
Friday indicates that our economy is in
decline. This means that we're going to
see more people lose their jobs in the
near future and we're going to see the
prices of everyday items go up in price,
sometimes up to double. And one of the
most important of these primary items is
of course access to housing. This
council has already done important work
to allow more housing to be built and
now we need additional steps to
diversify the type of housing we allow.
Of course, it would be amazing and
necessary to be able to build complete
apartments for everyone, all the 5,000
houses that we need and probably even
build them before the end of the year.
But that's impossible. And with
additional poverty, the housing crisis
is about to grow out of proportion.
We're running out of time. And we want
to avoid having needy people on housed
on our streets,
hordes of them, exposed to being taken
by masked men armed to the teeth and
jailed in a camp somewhere without a
trial.
We'll be able to avoid a lot of that by
building an emergency shelter and
allowing more sorts of housing like tiny
homes and modular homes because the ones
that we have right now are priced out of
reach and like we already know they're
about to double in cost. In addition to
increased poverty, natural disasters are
on the rise and FEMA is being
dismantled. We may not be the region
that gets a disaster, but we surely will
receive refugees who lost everything
everywhere else in the United States. We
are on our own as a city, and it's up to
us to help ourselves before the housing
crisis grows so much all of our other
problems. Thank you.
[Applause]
Good afternoon, Mayor, City Council,
Chief of Police. Tim Jenkins here. I
would like to make you all aware of some
staggering statistics.
As of June 30th,
166 law enforcement officers have been
shot in the line of duty in this
country. That is an equivalent to one
officer per day.
I have gotten the opportunity this last
month to spend a significant amount of
time with our officers along with
countless other concerned citizens. And
I have come to a clear understanding
that our officers in this city are not
supported or taken care of or backed as
they so desperately deserve to be.
Our officers
are I have gotten to hear countless
stories behind the scenes of what our
officers here in this community do to
protect and to strengthen and to
encourage this community.
They are never asking for or looking for
any kind of recognition from no one, but
it is who they are from their hearts
with a sincere commitment to the safety
and well-being of this city. And I would
challenge this city council that we all
as a whole begin to back and support our
officers and fight to encourage and
strengthen them as they fight daily for
the safety and well-being of this city.
And I'm going to challenge every single
member on city council that each member
on city council for the entire month of
September nominate one officer in this
community and reach out to that officer
and email that officer and watch out for
that officer and his family for the
entire month to encourage and to
strengthen the officer and his family
for their own good and their own
well-being. so that our officers
understand that we are in the trenches
fighting right alongside them for the
same goal and the same purpose of making
this safer city for all. And I am also
going to ask that from this day forward
in council chambers that we no longer
allow the progressives to publicly
slander and ridicule our officers and to
call them murderers for simply doing
their job. And I ask you, Mr. prayer
that if this does begin to happen that
you please immediately put it to a stop
and do not allow it. And I hope and pray
to God that we can turn this city into a
city that is known for proudly backing
our police department and fighting with
them for fighting with our officers for
their safety and for their good as they
so desperately deserve and need. Thank
you.
[Applause]
My name is Jim Hurst. Um, I guess I need
to talk about two things. One is freedom
of speech. Um,
the First Amendment gives me the right
to criticize police.
That's all I'll say. Second issue
uh on my phone which I'm sure you can
see very clearly. I am at the portal to
register to vote by mail
uh on a permanent basis. It's this
website is maintained by the secretary
of state. At this point, uh, I should be
able to go to this web page and get a
ballot sent to me for every election for
the rest of the time that I live in New
Mexico. It is not functional. We are 100
days out of the next election. I plan on
working on campaigns and they all will
hinge on the success of all those
campaigns will hinge on voter bymale
turnout. In the off-year elections,
you're lucky to get 10% of the voters to
turn out. So, voting by mail is
essential and most likely the winner
will hinge on participation in vote by
mail. So you guys have more influence
with the Secretary of State than I do. I
have yet to get a satisfactory answer
from their IT department, their voting
department, or anyone else about why
this is not functional. So please call
Mary Tuloose Oliver. Tell her how urgent
this is. 100 days is no time at all
between now and an election. Anybody
involved in campaigns knows how quickly
those 100 days go. Fortunately, you're
working long hours, but it goes real
fast.
So,
please put pressure on her at this point
to open this portal
and some of your political fortunes
depend upon it. Thank you very much.
Okay. Next, I'll read a closed meeting
statement. Uh, Lo Los Cusa City Council
met in close session at 11:01 a.m. today
on August 4th, 2025. The following were
in attendance. Mayor Prom Beno,
Councelor Mccclure, Councelor Karan,
Councelor Graham, Mayor Enriquez,
Councelor Florida's Chief Story, uh City
Attorney Brad Douglas, Assistant City
Attorney, uh Henry Becker, uh acting
city manager Sonia Delgado and city
clerk Christine Ria. We discussed the
pending litigation regarding Eric Lopez
versus City of Los Cusus, uh which is
closed pursuant to NMSA1 1978. And we
also discussed the threatened litigation
in the matter of the wrongful death
estate of Jason Gomez, which is closed
pursuant to also the New Mexico State
statute of 1978.
The meeting adjourned at 12:03
p.m.
I'll need a acceptance of the agenda.
Mayor, I you first. I'd like to pull
item 7.1, but I don't need a full
presentation. I just have a question on
one of the attachments.
I I'd like to pull item 7.260001.
Um, in particular, what I've heard from
folks is to just hear a little bit more
about how traffic will be managed
throughout this project. Please,
mayor, I too would like to pull 7.2 with
a request of a full presentation. This
is uh something that has been approved
along uh that touches and concerns the
flow of the aoyo.
Thank you.
Move to approve.
Second.
This is on the motion to accept the
agenda as presented with removal of
items 7.1 and 7.2 for discussion.
Councelor McClar,
yes.
Councelor Matise,
yes.
Councelor Graham,
yes.
Councelor Karan,
yes.
I hear you. Councelor Fletus,
yes.
Councelor Benl,
yes.
Mayor,
yes.
We'll begin with item 7.1, resolution
number 26-016,
[Music]
a resolution authorizing the city of Los
Cruz to accept grant awards for various
city departments.
Move to approve.
Second.
If I if you don't mind, I'm just going
to jump in and ask you spec because I
don't need a full presentation. I just
had a question about attachment B, the
homelessness and behavioral health
survey. If you could touch on that and
um really my question is if there's
already who's leading this and if
there's already uh a process set up for
this Gabriella Prattz,
grant manager in the finance department.
Good afternoon, mayor, council,
city staff, community members,
mayor prom.
Uh, in answer to your question, this
will be handled out of the city
manager's office. Serio Ruiz, a polic,
the policy analyst has been assigned to
lead on this particular project
um for CMO.
Okay. For CMO. Um, is it here? I'm
curious if for you or Sedu if there's a
process already in place. I'd like to
better understand how that's going to
uh mayor prom I I think I can answer uh
with this one it's a grant that was
awarded by the governor's office uh to
do a survey on homeless and behavioral
health survey. So what's going to take
place right now the process is to gather
the stakeholders in the community police
fire uh mental health providers um
homeless shelters
did I mentioned the hospitals the court
system um education uh businesses and
bring together uh to have a survey on
the impact the issues and the concern
with homelessness and behavioral health
survey In addition to that, the grant
also provides for a public health
coordinator to be contracted. And so
that it's it's still in the process of
getting a strategic planner on board.
And then uh the position, I think, is
going to be posted here soon for a
public health coordinator that the city
manager's office will run that process
and contract an individual to do that.
Okay. Thank you, mayor. I appreciate
that. Thank you. Sorry to put you on the
spot there. Um,
mayor, will you or whoever said he'll
provide us more information? I just want
to make sure that obviously like our
housing team is also involved. Um, and
great. And then I think um I'm glad you
mentioned all the stakeholders. I just
I'm curious last week I tuned in to the
legislative finance committee meeting
where Secretary N presented because the
office of housing is now under workforce
development. And what was interesting
about that presentation is that she sort
of really just she said, "I'm not even
going to talk to you about the problems.
We all know the problems already. I want
to talk to you about the solutions and
the gaps." And and this survey, I guess
I don't want to go backwards. I want to
go forward in terms of what um we could
talk about the problems all day long.
Frankly, I feel like we have. And so
what's um right like what's the hope the
vision for this particular survey
the the hope and the vision and I will
share that the housing Natalie Green was
very instrumental in applying for this
grant that we successfully obtained
through the governor's office and and
the hope is to to discuss the issues the
concerns and what are the results and
we'll also team up with NMSU and other
members of the community that are
already going out and doing a survey,
but compile that survey through this
group so that we find those gaps that
are that are falling within Los Cruus
and start to look for best practices in
solving some of these issues, concerns,
and problems that we're all facing.
Okay. Thanks, Mayor. I look forward to
updates on that.
Yes, Council Fus.
Thank you, mayor, and thank you for your
presentation. And I have a question
about the um the purpose to develop an
informed strategic plan and implement a
comprehensive best practice process to
meet the needs of persons experiencing
homelessness
and $350,000
has been allocated.
Yes. And
has anybody done a study on whether
that's going to be enough?
I mean, the purpose is heavy duty.
Well, I'm
the amount is not.
Yeah. Um,
uh, councelor Flores, mayor, I'm
Mayor, I don't want to speak for you, so
please jump in when
No, I I can go ahead and answer. You
know, that that's the maximum that the
grant was available. That's what we
received. You know, we asked for it and
we did receive. So, we'll continue to
work with what we have.
Plus, that also provides additional
information for us to look for grants in
the future. When we have a strategic
plan, it's a lot easier to know what
we're looking for and also we're more
competitive
in looking for additional funding to
eventually implement programming.
So, it's it's it's it's not a one quick
answer grant. It's a It's a first step.
Can you hear me now? Okay. Uh so, um
well, I we'll see how far $350,000
takes us. I hope we uh are able to
gather information that we can apply to
remedy the situation because we've been
talking I mean, this is my eighth year
on city council and uh same old same
old. This is not a criticism to anybody
here, including me, but that's just the
way the system works. But I just want
people to know that this is a tiny baby
step. And thank you very much. Thank
you, mayor.
I just want to say I disagree that it's
same old same old. I actually think we
have incredible staff and incredible
stakeholders like the community of hope
leading on this. And so I don't I I
don't I wouldn't say that it's been the
same old same old.
Okay. Thank you, Christine.
This is on the motion to approve
resolution 26-016.
Councelor McClur,
yes.
Councelor Matise,
yes.
Councelor Graham,
yes.
Councelor Craran,
yes.
Councelor Flores,
yes. Councelor Ben.
Yes.
Mayor.
Yes.
Next is item 7.2, 2. Council bill number
26-001,
Ordinance number 3093,
an ordinance approving various zoning
changes to correspond to the Sonoma
Ranch East to master plan amendment
number five.
Move to approve.
Second.
Okay, sir.
Good afternoon. Um, mayor, mayor prom,
and city council. Before you are the
proposed zone changes associated with
the Sonoma Ranch East 2 master plan.
Some minor background is going to take
us into the property being annexed,
master planned and zoned in 2005. At
that time we were underneath the
comprehensive plan of 1999 which
required a developer to come in and use
percentages of land uses for
consideration for development. Of
course, that has been changed and
modified under Elevate Los Cruises.
Between the time from now until then,
there has been a change of ownership
that took place in 2021.
Currently, the property is located on
the north side of Sonora Springs
Boulevard, east of Pagosa Hills Avenue
and Pedaluma and west of Mesa Grande
Drive. That's proposed. Property
encompasses 122.46 acres to be reszoned.
Currently, there is two different types
of zoning. We have um singular zones
mean that there is only one opportunity
to develop on the property. Some of the
parcels only have R1B or C3 which is our
commercial zone. Then you have another
set of zoning designations along Mesa
Grande which are considered slashz
zoning. That means R1B and R3 means you
have the potential of developing either
or on the property. There's some that
are C3, R1B, and R3, which could be a
commercial, multifamily, or single
family opportunities, and then flood
control and open space recreational. It
is noted that this is within our
suburban neighborhood place type as part
of Elevate Lash Cruises as well. Here's
an aerial map of the subject property
highlighted in red. On the east side is
going to be the state land office lands.
That's why it's still remaining as
vacant. The portion that is part of
Sonoma Ranch East 22 to be reszoned is
located in red. You can see this is
single family resident res residential
that's adjoining and adjacent. This is
the city's water tower property is
currently vacant.
Here's a zoning map of the subject area.
As mentioned you can see that R1B which
is just the highlighted yellow areas are
what a single zone may be. These along
Mesa they were proposed at some point to
essentially have pancake zoning where
you had multiple opportunities to
develop in some standard.
So what is changing with the proposed
zone change and master plan amendment is
91.48 acres of single family low density
is being proposed. They are maintaining
15.5 acres as single family high
density. They're also defining the
sensitive areas which have been
identified as the AOYO boundaries and
then they're formalizing and providing
better access to the park that's going
to be located on the north side.
This was the approved master plan that
was already taken to the planning and
zoning commission for approval. PNZ does
have authority for the master plan.
However, they are recommending body for
zone changes moving forward. So in this
area you can see essentially a master
plan will provide you your land uses and
your densities whereas a zone change
will then complement it when it comes
before city council.
This area located right here is going to
be the park. This would be your high
density which is R1B. These portions
down here are going to be the low
density as proposed for R1C. Then you
would see that this is open space and
flood control essentially maintaining
those aoyos.
There were some questions during the PNZ
hearing as far as connectivity and how
the road work and or road network does
maintain and get installed. Um Kayahitas
and Sonora Springs Boulevard are both
minor arterial roadways. So those are
going to be your 100 foot roadways where
a lot of the traffic actually tends to
go and feed to um you take your local
roadways and then they connect to these
to actually get the traffic moving
through. That one is a 100 foot road
crosssection whereas Sedona Hills
Parkway is a collector it's an 85 foot
road cross-section. What happens in
private development is a developer will
come in and then install the rightway at
the time of subdivision. meaning they
provide half of the road cross-section
for any of our collectors or arterial
roadways at the time of development.
They only provide what's adjacent to
their land. Not always do we have a case
in which the developer may own both the
north and south side. So they provide
their half provide the connection to
their subdivision and then the other
half is provided by the next developer
coming in to develop. Um the city does
not participate in the road dedication
for private development. They come in
with a preliminary plat. They show us
the roadways, all local roadways, and
then build out their roadways to the
subdivisions as they're basically going
through the process of development. So,
the next set of homes that would get
built or the next set of commercial
development, the road and access is
provided through the subdivision process
at the same time.
Here's the proposed zoning as
highlighted to get a better glimpse of
what is remaining and staying. So, you
will see this is the open space park
that is to be dedicated. This is the
area that is going to be R1B, which is
considered essentially your 12 dwelling
units per acre. The reason why we call
the area that's highlighted in green is
because that's going to be your R1C's,
which is a lower density and four
dwelling units per acre. So, you'll tend
to see a lot larger of lots. Um, the
area that's going to be highlighted in
blue is going to be your open space and
flood control. Those are designated a
royos at this time. And then you do have
essentially open space also that's going
to be preserved and and stay natural.
As mentioned, the planning and zoning
commission has already approved um the
master plan moving forward, but they did
provide a recommendation on the 27th of
May. Um they indicated it was consistent
with the 2001 zoning code and it met the
intent of Elevate Los Cruises. There's
also some commercial opportunities to
look at along Sonoma Ranch that have
been vacant for multiple years. Without
the development of Mesa Grande yet, it's
very difficult to put those out there
without any of those connectivity
points. Also, it is harmonious with the
existing and surrounding land uses. As
you do see single family residential
within the surrounding neighborhood,
there is an opportunity to provide a
different style of housing or type or
density.
Public notice was sent out to the
surrounding property owners within 500
ft for both public hearings. We did
receive 23 emails in support. We did
receive one not in support um primarily
just for the commercial being relocated
or being removed from the proposed U
master plan. Um however you did also
have um P&Z attendance. We did have
people 10 people at least speak in
support but over 50 people did attend in
support.
So with that I leave you with council
options and stand for any questions.
Thank you Sarah
Councelor Flores.
Thank you mayor. Thank you Sarah Miss
Gonzalez for your presentation. Uh it's
it looks really good but um where is a
map that shows the aos
or do you have one?
or do you know where they would be?
This this area right here is going to
map essentially one of the primary aoyos
and then this is maintaining as well as
the bottom portion for the area that's
going to be left as natural topography.
And how close is that a royo to the
development of the building of homes?
Mayor Mayor Prom Councelor Floas that's
going to be with inside those
developments and so those areas will be
basically mapped out and left out of
those areas to be maintained as separate
tracks.
Okay. The reason I'm asking um Sarah is
because um there's been two incidents
just recent ones. Uh one was um in fact
uh Mr.
and I were out in my district on white
sage, I think the street was, or purple
sage,
and uh there were some problems. There
were some problems. I'm sorry. There
were some problems with the um with the
aoyo. Um Mr. Cidio was able to take care
of it. Uh they were very concerned
because water was coming in through the
that thick wall that is built in those
areas. U but I You know, I'm not I'm not
a an engineer by any stretch, but it
seems to me that why would anybody build
so close to an AOYO? And the smart alec
reply I've gotten like early on when I
started on city council was, "Well, we
haven't had the hundred-year flood yet."
And I think that's cynical. I And I'm
not saying that this plan is cynical,
but I'm just I'm worried about that. And
then I learned um through a a young
woman in in uh who lives in my district
who um whose parents used to live in
that area and they had to move out
because there was a flood and it was uh
they lost their home. The insurance
company would not compensate them
because they saw it as an act of God. So
maybe we can do acts of men or and women
where we don't create those situations
where people are losing their home and
they move back to Deming where they were
originally from and this young lady is
studying in Colorado. Um but anyway,
that's my concern Sarah and it's
something that I've spoken to you about.
Um, and I just hope that we're not
building that close. And that's why I
wanted to see where those aoyos were.
Is he the builder?
Mayor, um, councelor Flores, we would go
ahead and have the engineer discuss
essentially where those aoyos and how
they would actually impact the
development.
Well, I with all due respect Oh, it's
Go. I'm sorry.
Good evening, Mr. Mayor, Council. Paul
Pompio with Solder Miller and
Associates. I'm sorry your name
Paul Pompio Solder Miller and Associates
I just um on the map before you we did
there are two primary royals that run
this property one on the very south and
one that biseects the southern portion
of the property we have mapped those
taken those into account prepared the
flood studies and those the boundary
lines that create those aairs are
significantly away from them so we don't
so as to prevent any kind of flood
damage in the future so we're not
significantly ly um not close to them.
That I mean, isn't that a relative term?
Well, in in the mapping standards, it's
one foot above the 100red-year flood
plane. So, that elevation is is mapped
out and pushed away and then those areas
are now set aside as open space. quite
as significant on this map um is the
area to the south where not only have we
taken the aoyo out but gone all the way
up the escarment to the top and those
areas are cut out and removed from the
development process to be left in
perpetuity as open space.
Yeah, I saw that. But I think there was
also a little note that may be for
further development. Anyway, I'm really
concerned about that and I just have to
put that on the record. Um, I hope that
it's closely um, you know, monitored or
watched or whatever. Um, I'm very
passionate about this. It's It's hard to
hear that someone lost their home. It's
hard to hear that people who live on
white sage or purple sage are worried
about their homes being penetrated or
the water going into their homes. and
and it has I mean up to the wall through
the wall but not fortunately it didn't
go into the property as I recall but
thank you
councelor current
thank you thank you for the presentation
and and the followup I um uh I'm excited
about this as I am about Mesa Grande
Road and all of the things that are
happening there this to me I my uh day
job office is off of Kayahitas and I
know that I have students who would love
to live in walking distance to um the
community college there. So, that's this
is an exciting addition and and change
to the area. One question that I did
just want to quickly follow up on or
raise sort of just to keep a finger on
is I know that the neighborhood knew
about this plan and really see it coming
and support it, but I I think there is
some concern about how much chaos the
construction will will add to. And so
I'm wondering if um anyone could sort of
just sort of flag that the neighborhood
would hopes that the sort of driving
construction driving and and all of the
associated activities are sort of um
managed which I believe they will be.
But I just wanted to elevate that
concern on on behalf of the neighbors
that that that are in the area as the
area develops.
I don't you don't necessarily have to
say anything. I just bringing it up.
Mayor, mayor prom and councelor Krenn.
Um we do have traffic control plans
whenever sites are being basically
redeveloped or under construction. And
so as part of that process, we do ensure
that neighbors are notified when roads
are going to be used or basically the
area is going to be under construction.
Um the next step in the process will be
also to notify the neighbors of the
plans coming forward. So, there's still
going to be another public hearing to
let everybody know when the subdivision
is actually going to be prepared and
then for construction. And so, this is
really just the first phase. So,
there'll be multiple phases happening to
where the public will be notified as
well.
That's great. Thank you. Actually, I I
think that's really I hope that's
reassuring to some of the folks in the
neighborhood to hear that not only will
they hear specifically to things related
to them, but they'll have another chance
to to weigh in. So, thank you again,
Sarah.
Councelor Fus.
Thank you, Mayor. And thank you again,
Sarah. Um so um I was trying to think of
uh how someone uh coming in from not
living in Lasus and didn't therefore did
not attend the meetings. Um I think the
meetings uh were attended uh by people
who live in the surrounding areas to
express their concerns regarding the
building of those homes and not the
objective conditions that are near those
homes. So would there be any way that um
that's property that is sold
um along the Aoyo well pretty much that
whole area uh could get a buyer beware
warning.
Mayor Mayor Prom Councelor Flores during
the process whenever it's subdivided
that area will be designated as a track.
So, if someone were to come in and look
at a property, as well as our realators
who are selling lots, they already have
that as a disclosure that it's located
next to essentially open space. Um, a
lot of times when you look at land, it's
knowing what's around you and doing that
due diligence. The best way we can do
that is by the platting process,
understanding what's there, and then
informing everybody as they're coming
in. Once again, you know, the best
process is still working with staff to
come in and work with us to let us know
what is in your surrounding area and
know what's on the property. Um, it will
be designated on a plat. That's what's
provided to you whenever you close on a
home during your closing paperwork. But
it is up to the owner to understand what
that really means and get clarification
when those come in.
Wow. Well,
I think most people aren't educated in
reading those contracts and they trust
the realtor. With all due respect to
realtors, I I don't mean that as a you
know, whatever. But um but I'm really
concerned because I I think Sarah,
you're aware of um that one family.
There's that u there's that uh
community. It's a gated community. The
homes are right next to the Aoyo and it
was dry.
But then a flood came and it just went
up so high that um the home actually was
uh flooded and the people there uh lost
their home and subsequently
they were older. I mean like really old
like 80 or 90 and um he died of a heart
attack and she had to move out and she
had nowhere to go. I mean she I think
maybe moved with her and with her
children I don't know but that was a
tragic story that I heard when I was
running for city council. Um and um and
that just stayed in my in my mind and I
just I mean I I can't imagine being in
that situation. So that's why I bring it
up and it's not a criticism of anything
or anybody. It's just a concern that I
have and so thank you for listening.
Thank you mayor
and mayor mayor prom also councelor
Flores we do a lot in order to update
our map so it's reflected on our zoning
maps when people are looking at
properties. We designate our open spaces
so people understand that it may be a
park but it may be an aoyo and it may
impact you. Um, with us going to our new
code, we had we definitely identified
things that are drainage structures as
opposed to park structures to try and
inform the public a little bit better, a
little bit easier to know what they are
adjacent to and around.
Thank you so much. Thank you, Mayor.
Thank you, Councelor Matise.
I just have some curiosity questions. I
I noticed this is under the 2001
development code. Could you explain the
reasoning?
Mayor, mayor Potm and Councelor Matise,
the process started through the 2001
zoning code. Um, because there was the
petition submitted at the time of
Realize in order to not lose any
momentum, the applicant chose to
continue to move forward with the 2001
zoning code. If there was ever a case or
a clause in which it was not to move
forward, they wanted to have the zone
change still implemented and in place.
Okay. From here, we can work with the
applicant to move it into our realized
Los Cru's code where the zoning can be
modified and changed.
Excellent. And then on the utilities,
what utilities will be provided in the
new subdivision? Will there be natural
gas hookups?
Mayor, Mayor Prom, I will defer to the
applicant's representative as far as
infrastructure.
Debbie Paul.
Yes, councelor Matise. Good afternoon
again. Uh there'll be water, sewer, and
gas uh provided by the city of Las Cruus
for this development.
Okay. Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you. Um maybe Paul, Mr. Pompio,
another question. I I know councelor
Flores uh brought up the issues the
aoyos flooding running water and things
but just east of that is there not a dam
already that's that's existing
Mr. Mayor, yes, there is a dam
associated to to the east. However, that
dam does not uh modify or control the
flows that go through this particular
property. Um, as I stated previous,
there are two major royals that flow
through the southern side of this
property and those have been mapped uh
not by myself actually, but uh in
conjunction with the city's east eastern
uh east sports complex. That study was
prepared for the city of Los Cusus by
another engineering firm. We've taken
that that flood data, projected it
through this property, and that's what
the basis of the mapping is before you.
Okay. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Also, I was going to see if there's any
uh members of the public that wanted to
speak to this issue.
Yeah, please come on up. We'll give you
two minutes.
So, this is just Tim Jenkins here. So,
this is just a little side note. Um, I
live out there in the Sonoma Ranch area
and just for you guys to know, I sent
pictures to Chris this morning, but up
there at Soma Springs
and Kayak Corte at that intersection, we
got 2 in of rain in less than an hour
last week and all the water from the
sports complex came down into the
neighborhood into the middle of that
intersection and we had 4 and 1/2 ft of
water. Uh, it's a major concern to me
that something's not right about the
engineering out in that sports complex
area and I sent Chris pictures, but I
think that needs to be addressed cuz it
seems like we got a major problem. Thank
you.
Hello, my name is uh Grant Eager. I live
in on Monument Court which is adjacent
to this uh change
um
along the one of the these heavy rains
along
uh Cali uh Hitas Boulevard. We had an
incredible amount of um mud and dirt
going into the neighborhoods from this
from this area. And uh my proposal is to
build a wall uh wall at the south and
create a drainage pond in the corner
there so that um we can capture the
water and uh we won't have the mud going
into the neighborhoods that we would
just uh have uh water and uh
I'm really excited for this pro and this
uh project in my backyard. I I see a big
mound of dirt and then beautiful
mountains. So, I'd like them to have a
maybe nice wall or some something uh a
desert landscaping or something and also
keep the beautiful mountains. But, uh
anyway, I am excited for it and uh I
think they just need to do something
about the water uh situation.
Diane Starbucks. I live on Paluma
Avenue, so this is really going to
affect our neighborhood. I share the
same concerns as councilwoman Flores
about the Aoyos in the northwest corner.
That is the newest development. Um that
big swath of open you see is an AOYO and
I recently learned that uh our HOA is um
responsible for that. It has had erosion
problems since it was built which have
always been fixed but seems like every
time it rains there's a wash out. Um the
water is not running down the middle of
the Y aoyo. It's running down on the
northern side closer to the new homes
which back up to a rock wall. So I am
concerned about uh the Aoyos and the
HOA's responsibility centrally us the
homeowners are having to pay for the
Aoyos.
Um the signs for the zoning changes were
posted along Pagosa Hills. That's the
south side of Cayhitas and there were
none that I could see uh north of
Cayhitas
and that's the first area to be
developed. So I was a little concerned
about that but most of my neighbors that
I spoke to they did receive letters from
the city telling them what was going on.
So that was good. Cayas is not 100 feet
all the way out
after you pass Paluma. Um it's one lane
and it goes nowhere. So I'm hoping
that's the part that's going to be built
out for construction vehicles. And while
I appreciate uh notification of
construction vehicles on my road, I
would prefer that there would be none at
all. Thank you.
Hi,
I'm Kate Waggley. I live on Pagosa Hills
Avenue, so this is probably a good time
for me to talk. We're concerned about
the linking, not only during the
construction period, but where traffic
will go once all of this is built out.
And Pagosi Hills Avenue is a single lane
road and we're concerned that all of the
traffic will go up and down Pagosa Hills
Avenue coming in from three different
arterials. So we would hope and
recommend that those arterials lead
directly into the new developments
rather than directing around and through
the smaller streets. That's a big issue.
Thank you.
Hi, my name's Liz and my house is right
in front of Pagosa Hills, too. So, this
is going to affect me. I have a couple
of questions. I'm I'm new at this, so
I'm wondering what the difference
between open space and natural
conservative space is.
It says on here, what's the difference?
And uh how many acres are you allowing
for each of those things? And my other
concern is we do have bus stops on uh uh
Pagosa Hills. And how is this uh
construction and traffic? The traffic um
the speed limit's 25 there. They don't
go 25. I know they don't can't enforce
it, but um it's it's not going to get
any better with the extra traffic. Thank
you,
Sarah. Could you come open?
Could you define the terms,
mayor and mayor prom counselors? You
have open space that's going to be your
aoyos that are going to be designated as
drainage areas. You also have open space
that's natural, which means that they're
not disturbed at all. Um, a royals are
generally not disturbed, but there may
be embankments that basically protect
homes or protect properties. Um, and so
there may be just the regular dist like
um disturbance and just flow patterns,
but they're still considered open space.
They're non to be touched. They're to be
maintained or you're directing those
areas. When you're dealing with just
open space for drainage, a lot of times
you would tend to see drainage ponds. So
they may have slopes that are protected.
There may be rip wrap that is put into
the end of them so that the water can
actually slow down. So it depends on how
they're actually developed and built.
Each one serves a different purpose as
to maintaining the water that they're
actually encompassing.
Mayor, another question.
Thank you, Councelor Fus.
Thank you. Uh Sarah. Um Miss Bett, I my
um
my concern is that um
I I guess this is a done deal. So um but
I think um there have to be some kind of
buyer beware uh notices going out to
prospective buyers or or the residents
because you can't control where water
goes. You may, you know, say, "We're
gonna put a wall up to keep the water
from going." Well, the water can rise
above the wall or it can seep under the
the wall and um or, you know, the the
aoyo may go in a direction that wasn't
uh you'd think it wouldn't go there
because the aoyo the dry aoyo has been
there, you know, forever. And then the
water comes in and there's a a new
design in that flow. So, I don't know
how uh planners do it. Um I don't know
how engineers look at it. Um no, you're
still you're still up there. No, I'm
just kidding. Thank you. Yeah. So, how
do you Good. How do you plan on u mother
nature or whatever you want to call it?
Water is not you you just can't put it
in a tube like at a playground place,
you know, where you get on a slide and
you go down and twirl whatever. I mean,
this is real water. This is like water
that you can't you can't channel it at
all. So, what happens?
Mr. Mayor, Councelor Flores, your your
point is well taken. One of the bigger
issues that's caused problems from the
past is trying to control or redirect
mother nature. And under current
thinking, we don't mess with mother
nature. So what you see as far as what's
delineated on the map is going through
accurately mapping where the aoyos are
flowing now with a slight setback and
simply staying away from the aoyos. In
other words, there is no realignment.
There's we're not making them narrow.
We're not basically touching them at
all. Just leave mother nature alone and
let the aoyos be where they where they
naturally exist. That's
sir. With all due respect, I understand
what you're saying. I don't think you
understand what I'm saying. I'm saying
that irrespective of how you have
planned it, with all due respect, the
water is going to have a mind of its
own. And and that's the part I'm
concerned about because that's a
situation that happened to that uh
elderly couple over in that uh uh that
uh gated community where uh the water
rose so high that when I went to go look
at it, I couldn't believe that their
home was uh you know uh flooded. So
that's my point and I just want to say
that loud and clear to um you know I
think there have to be buyer beware type
of notifications for prospective buyers
otherwise it's I think it's unethical
and moral. Thank you. It should be
illegal. Thank you
Mr. Mayor if I might and councelor FZ if
I might respond.
Nowadays we take we we run the flows
down the aoyos we put safety factors in
and what you've seen in the past is
where we get into issues that you've
speak of and I know exactly where you're
speaking of is when you we try to
control the aoyo or channelize the aoyo
or convince the roy a royo or water to
go another direction current thinking is
we just stay away from the aoyos give an
ounce a little more for factors of
safety but stay away from the flow paths
because that's where they've been
flowing for a million years just stay
away from it. That's the current
thinking and that keeps us in out of
trouble for the situations what you uh
have described.
Thank you.
Uh seeing no one else. Uh Christine,
this is on the motion to approve
ordinance 3093. Councelor Mccclure,
yes. Councelor Matise,
yes.
Councelor Graham,
yes.
Councelor Karan,
yes.
Councelor Fletus,
no.
Councelor Bencom,
yes.
Mayor,
yes.
Motion passes.
Next is item 8.1. This will be a public
hearing. A resolution number 260017,
a resolution approving the request for a
transfer of ownership and change of
location of dispenser liquor license uh
with on premises consumption only with
patio service to Los Cruz's hotel
management corporation doing business as
hotel in Kanto.
Move to approve.
Second.
Okay. Sorry.
I remove my motion.
I do too.
So, the public hearing is now open. It's
2:28 p.m. Is there anyone here for or
against the issuance of this liquor
license?
Seeing none, the public hearing is now
closed. It's 2:28 p.m.
Move to approve again.
Second,
Adam.
Thank you, Mayor. Adam, community
development. For the record, before you,
we have a proposed liquor license for
the Hotel Leanto de Las Cruises located
at 705 South Tore Boulevard. Uh, this is
an application for the transfer of
ownership and change of location of a
dispenser liquor license, Nomad's
number, DIS01140.
Uh, this is with on premise consumption
only and patio service as well. Uh ABC
with the state of New Mexico did send
preliminary approval to the city of Los
Cruuses in June 11th of this year. Uh
staff did require uh did request an
extension of time since we could not
meet their 45day uh requirement. Uh that
extension was approved. Uh this was sent
sent out to all reviewing uh staff
members including traffic, fire, uh
engineering, uh planning. Uh all staff
saw no issues with the proposed
application. Did recommend approval for
uh the application.
I think we all know where Hotel Encanto
is. Of course, uh right on the corner
what is Foothills Road and Telshore
Boulevard uh just northeast of what is
uh the Messia Valley Mall.
So with that, your options today are one
to vote yes and uh vote to approve the
proposed uh liquor license or two to
vote no and deny. The alcoholic beverage
control division will be notified of the
vote and the application will proceed
through the actual process as needed. Uh
that is the conclusion of my
presentation and I stand for questions.
Thank you Adam. Any questions?
Christine,
this is on a motion to approve
resolution 26-017.
Councelor McClur,
yes.
Councelor Matise,
yes.
Councelor Graham,
yes.
Councelor Karan,
yes.
Councelor Fletus,
yes.
Councelor Bencoml,
yes.
Mayor,
yes.
Next is item 8.2, to resolution number
26-018.
A resolution adopting a four-year strate
strategy for expenditure of funds from
the Tailshore facility fund or other
appropriate funding source for health
related public services.
Move to approve grant. Second,
welcome Sylvia.
Thank you.
Good afternoon, mayor, members of city
council. For the record, my name is
Sylvia Caldera with housing and
neighborhood services.
The resolution that I present before you
is for the allocation of the Telure
facility funds for the health related
public services.
Sorry.
These grants are awarded for various
nonprofit agencies in Los Cruuses by the
by health related public services.
This resolution will allow transfers
from the Telshure facility fund up to
600,000 for each fiscal year beginning
fiscal year 27 to fiscal year 30. The
health related public services
application process is a competitive
selection process and is reviewed by the
health and human services advisory
committee. City council will then
approve the final adoption of the
funding recommendations.
The health related public services
service grants are to help support the
physical, mental, developmental,
emotional, social well-being as well as
safety and housing needs of the city of
Los Cru's residents and to improve the
lives of sick, indigent or lowincome
people of the city of Los Cruuses.
Mr. Adulo Cardinas will be explaining
the Telure Telure funds.
Good afternoon, Mayor and City Council.
My name is Aldorf Cardinas, accounting
supervisor and treasury.
Before you, I present the historical
data of the Telure fund from fiscal year
to fiscal year 2025.
And as of uh June 30th, 2025, uh the
fund has all the invest in investments
in the state investment council or the
SIC.
If you look at the fiscal year 2022, the
investment loss value of more a little
bit more of 7 million.
And in fiscal year 2023, you see there's
a a transfer of almost 2 million is a
transfer back to the telure fund from
the health fund. And that was money that
was not used for the asylum seekers or
and co uh and grant money was used for
those projects for fiscal year 2024 and
2025. Uh you see projects of 6.3 million
those projects such as the manuano the
homeless outreach program the three
sisters apartment and water water
fountain for several parks. Uh the
actual actual ending balance cash
balance for the Telster fund as of June
30th 2025 was 44,526,000.
With this I'm going to pass it back to
Sylvia Caldera.
Here are your standard um council
options and I stand for any questions.
Also, we have some of our nonprofits
here to answer any questions that you
guys might have.
Council Mccclure,
just a quick question. Nelly, can you
remind me is this the where we had they
were giving out sort of flat fees for
every nonprofit that applied at one
point.
U Mr. Mayor, councelor Mccclure, uh the
committee has historically given uh the
same funding for each nonprofit in
through the competitive process.
I think this is what you reminded me,
you know, if I wanted to suggest
something, it would be, you know, going
for greatest need. And I'm not sure if
that has the most impact. So, I just
want the community to be very aware that
maybe funding more to certain things
could be more helpful. Thank you,
Councelor Flores.
Yeah, I have a a question for um Mr.
Gardinas. I have a question for you.
Thank you, Sylvia. Miss
Mr. In uh can you go back to uh Yeah.
So, the Telshore fund, um,
I'm okay with keeping my checkbook on
check,
but I'm not okay with millions of
dollars, you know? It's like, for me,
it's like, you know, wow. But, um, what
exactly are we doing today that is
different from what we've done in the
past?
I mean, don't we allocate monies to
worthwhile
um entities, nonprofits?
Mayor, councelor Flores, uh like I said,
as of June 30, 2025,
we don't everything
every investment that is in that fund is
invested in the statement and the state
investment council. The reason for that
is because it's it's available. It's in
it's available for budget for
commitments.
Uh so let's say if we invested in in
like uh T bills for instance that money
would not be available. So the reason as
of June 30th everything is in the state
investment council because it's
available in case something is needed we
can just pull it for that project.
and how I think Natalie wants to
educate me.
Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor. Natalie Green
for the record. Uh, councelor Flores.
So, today's action um authorizes the
health related public service program
for four years. So, normally we do that
competitive application process in the
fall, but we don't want to do that until
council has um made the commitment to be
able to fund this program u for the next
couple fiscal years. So, that's what
today's action is.
So, the numbers we see here are the 44
million plus that is all of the money in
the tailshore fund right now. And after
these changes,
Mayor Councelor Flores, yes, as of June
30th, 2025, that's the actual cash
balance for the telephone from 44
million.
And then um so is this being like
distributed to different entities or
different ways of doing it or how how
does it change the way we've been doing
it for the last seven, eight years?
So the bulk of the Natalie Green again
for the record. So the bulk of the the
funding for the Telshore fund is in an
investment account and it generates
interest. And so um the cash balance so
to speak it's if we were to it's almost
like it's stock. So if we were to sell
all our stock that would be the value at
that the day that we sold it but it can
vary from time to time. So we take the
investment income or a portion in this
case a portion up to 600,000 and we run
a competitive application process and
then we come every year in May before
budget adoption and allocate that up to
600,000 to our local nonprofits for um
services to the public.
So this is money that is interest money.
Is that what I understand? And so it's
going to be
um
spent accordingly as stated in the
if the resolution is approved today, we
will take up to 600,000 of the interest
earned um for the next four years and uh
award that to local area nonprofits
providing services. Which kind the the
usual services or mental health or
it would have to be um
I mean it'd be health physical mental
development
direct public um direct services to to
public that meets the definition of both
the um health related public service
programs and the anti-donation
um exception.
But um
just to clear my mind, don't we already
do that? I mean that's where the
telshore money goes for those entities.
Is it going to expand to more entities
or more services?
Mr. Mayor, councelor Flores. So council
approved this program for four years and
it has since expired. So we're just
renewing counsel desire to continue to
fund this.
Great.
Um so should it not be approved then we
wouldn't do um a process. We wouldn't go
through the application process.
Got it. Thank you so much, Natalie, and
thank you, Mr. Godliness. And thank you,
Sylvia.
Councelor K.
Thank you. Thank you for presenting, and
I appreciate it. So, just to just to
sort of follow on what both of my fellow
counselors have said, $44 million
produces significantly more than
$600,000 of interest every year.
Correct. up. Is that is that part of
what's in this um graph that we we're
seeing here?
This uh C mayor councelor Kuran. Yes,
it's it is it's 44 million and as you
can see on fiscal year 2025
on the investment income and the capital
appreciation for that year it was um a
little bit more than 4 million. So, so
in theory, the Telshare fund is helping
community needs, but we're throttling it
by keeping it at $600,000. And I guess
I'm asking this not necessarily about
this particular topic, but I I am asking
sort of philosophically why I I I
understand I remember when we moved from
400,000 to 600,000.
Um,
and there was actually less in the Teler
fund at that time, I think, than there
is now. Um, and I guess my my question
really is one of both function and sort
of what are we doing here?
uh with $600,000, which I I I tend to
agree like I don't think that $33,000
um for each of those community
organizations, which I'm really glad we
do, I don't think it's enough in most
cases. I think most of those community
organizations could use more. And so I
guess I'm sort of asking us maybe not as
a function of this question, but as a
function of $4 million a year in
interest um in addition to I know things
like um loans that come from the
Telshare fund are also being paid back.
Um we're backfilling a lot of things. I
just I'm just interrogating, I guess,
why $600,000 and why not more because it
feels a little a little um weak and
hoarding to me to only distribute
$600,000 a year. So, I'm just sort of
expressing that. Not that I'm not I'm
not opposed to authorizing. Does this
commit us to $600,000 for the next four
years?
Yes. Um, mayor um, councelor Kuran
um, we need to keep in mind that that's
the actual as of June 30th. Uh, I'm not
presenting the this fund already has
commitments for fiscal year 26 and the
commitments for fiscal year 26 is up to
24 million. So if we take those into
consideration in reality uh we need to
subtract those 24 millions out of the 44
million.
Okay. But even if we assume then a
regular a similar return that would
still be $2 million of interest that we
would get from the remaining amount. So
um that still seems like a pretty big
difference between 600,000 and 2
million. Um so so I get I get it and and
I understand all of that. Uh, and I'm
not trying to be difficult here. I just
think um holding on to cash when
community agencies could really use it
seems
like not that great of an idea.
Mr. Mayor, councelor uh Karan. So part
of our um feedback loop to council is to
especially during the budget process is
to ensure that there's still sufficient
funds in the Telour. So, um, while this
sets sort of the baseline, in theory,
council could allocate additional
funding should the Telshore see an
increase or a decrease. So, we can, um,
work with our finance and the upcoming
budget year to make those considerations
or at least give you that um, reporting
annually um, so council can make a
informed decision.
Okay. I I would I would ask I would
really appreciate to to know the gap of
what we're making in interest and how
much we're distributing to folks um when
we have these upcoming conversations.
Thank you.
Okay. See no other questions. Uh
Chrissy,
this is on the motion to approve
resolution 26-018.
Councelor McClur,
yes. Councelor Matise,
yes.
Councelor Graham,
yes.
Councelor Karan,
yes.
Councelor Fletus,
yes.
Councelor Ben Como,
yes.
Mayor,
yes.
Next is item 8.3, resolution number
26-019,
a resolution approving a 6 million
housing trust fund loan agreement
between the city and Peach Tree Canyon
Apartments.
Move to approve.
Second.
Okay, Jan, go ahead.
Good afternoon, mayor and city council.
Jan Lauderbach, Housing and Neighborhood
Services. The resolution before you
seeks approval of an affordable housing
loan agreement between the city and
Peach Tree Canyon Apartments, LLP,
for phase two.
You may recognize the name Peach Tree
Canyon Apartments as phase one is
currently being constructed at the
corner of Peach Tree Hills and Hornado
Road.
We are here today for the loan agreement
for phase two. In December 2023, city
council approved a pre-commitment of up
to $6 million. This was through
resolution 24057.
approved a pre-commitment of $6 million
for the project subject to the project
receiving the low-income housing tax
credit funding award.
Phase two is very similar to phase one.
It will contain 144 units, one, two, and
threebedroom,
serving households up to 60% of area
median income. Phase 2 is located
directly south of phase one. Uh
amenities include a pool, picnic areas,
playgrounds, dog park, walking paths,
and the facility will be 100% electric.
Today's resolution appro approves a 20
million 20year $6 million residual
receipts agreement between the city and
Peachree Canyon Apartments, the limited
liability limited partnership. This
funding has already been approved
through the P commitment of funding and
is budgeted for
um for if you're interested. The LLP is
in conjunction with Thomas Development
Group out of South Dakota. They are also
here in the audience. And New Mexico,
let me see if I don't mess this up. New
Mexico Community Housing Development
Corporation out of TRC. They're the
partnerships for this project.
The city will file a mortgage. the note
and a land use restriction again
agreement against the property to ensure
the affordability of the project.
Uh we'd like to share our funding
hamburger with you.
You can see the city's uh $6 million
residual receipt loan is the meat of the
burger
and all the other investment um going
into the project.
Here's a overhead shot of phase two in
red. You can see phase one um with the
dirt movement going on at the time this
picture was taken.
This is a visual layout of the buildings
for phase two on that parcel.
Um this photo shows phase one and phase
two the buildings layout buildings
building layouts.
And this is the artist rendition of the
completed project on the parcel.
And with that, that concludes my
presentation. I have your standard
council options. And again, I do have
the developer in the office to answer
any questions.
All right. Thank you, Jen. Any
questions?
Council protest.
Yeah. How much um is this for middle
inome people or what?
Mayor Councelor Flores, all um tenants
in this complex would be earning up to
60% of area median income,
which is what do you have that number?
Yes, I do.
Right now, we are looking at let's say
for a household size of four, we are
looking at 42,420.
So you'd be earning less
60%.
Yeah, that's what Natalie said. Yeah,
when she presented. Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Sure.
Thank you, mayor.
Thank you. Thank you, Jen. Has any
members of the public or would the
developer like to speak uh say something
or share anything on this uh issue?
Yeah.
only because Jan mentioned you like
three times.
Thank you.
Good afternoon. I'm Tom Andrews with
Thomas Development Group.
Could you speak directly to so we can
hear you? Thank you, sir.
There we go. Tom Andrews with Thomas
Development Group. Uh Mr. Mayor, council
members,
uh I guess I came for the hamburger
today.
uh really appreciate the cooperation and
the support from the city of Los Cruus
to support this type of housing project.
It's a unique combination of federal,
state, and local funds. And these
projects don't happen unless there's
this type of community support and
recognition of housing in their
community. Uh phase one is a little over
50% complete. We expect to break ground
in phase two uh
early September at this point and the
weather seems to be holding and we think
we're going to start making some really
good progress on both projects. So,
thank you.
Thank you, sir.
I have a question.
Yes, council.
Has anybody told you it looked like just
like Jimmy Carter?
I have heard that several times. Please,
I always thought I was better looking,
but you know that's
I I said I had a question. You didn't
say what kind of a question.
Thank you, sir. Appreciate you
Christine.
This is on the motion to approve
resolution 26-019.
Councelor McClur,
yes.
Councelor Matise,
yes.
Councelor Graham,
yes.
Councelor Karan,
yes.
Councelor Flores,
yes. Councelor Ben Como.
Yes.
Mayor,
yes.
Next is item 8.4, resolution number
26-020,
uh, resolution approving an affordable
housing grant agreement between city of
Los Cususa del Sol Housing Corporation
for development.
Move to approve. Grant second.
Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor, members of
council. Natalie Green for the record.
The resolution before you is an uh
approval of a grant agreement between
the city and Theod del Soul for the
Skylark subdivision. Uh del Soul is a
nonprofit uh housing corporation. This
agreement um would allocate up to $1.4
million. The project does need to be uh
completed by June 30th of 2026. Um, and
it would support all the infrastructure
costs needed to build the Skylark
subdivision. It would create 32 lots
that would later be developed for single
family home ownership. And we will file
land use restrictive uh covenants
agreements on all of the lots to ensure
the long-term affordability of um the
homes. This is a vicinity map. It is
located near Messa Drive in Central, not
far from uh Mesa Grande.
Uh this is a site plan based on the plat
of the uh subdivision
and then we'll stand for your standard
council options and then Rose with tier
dele is also available for any
questions.
All right. Thank you Natalie. Mayor
prom.
Thank you Natalie. I think I sneezed and
you said the number of units and I
didn't catch it. It is 32 lots.
32. Thank you. Lots. Yes.
Anyone else? Seeing none, uh, Miss
Garcia Rose, would you like to say
anything?
Yes, Mr. Mayor and city councilors and
staff. Uh Rose Garcia here from Tiara
del Sol Housing Corporation. I very much
appreciate the city's support and uh
this is very important uh affordable
housing uh for low and moderate income
people in this area of the city. Uh we
have u hundreds of families that are
ready for qualified for mortgages and
these are working families that that
have a difficult time to qualify and so
this money will make a difference for
the affordability.
Times are tough with housing right now
with financing and uh so the city has
made this possible. But thank you so
much.
Thank you, Natalie.
If you have any questions, I'd be happy
to answer.
Thank you.
Yeah. No, thank you.
Thank you, Rose.
Thank you for
saying no other questions. Uh Christine,
this is on the motion to approve
resolution 26-020.
Councelor McClur,
yes.
Councelor Matise,
yes.
Councelor Graham,
yes. Councelor Craran.
Yes.
Councelor Fletus,
yes.
Councelor Bencoml,
yes.
Mayor,
yes.
Next is item 8.5, resolution number
26-021,
a resolution approving an affordable
housing grant agreement between the city
of Los Cusus and Northwest
Integrity Housing Company.
Move to approve.
Second.
Uh, good afternoon again, Natalie Green.
For the record, this resolution before
you approves a grant agreement between
the city of Los Cusus and the nonprofit
entity for the Padrina Senior
Apartments.
Uh it awards 300,000 in grant funding.
This will be pass through funding from
the state of New Mexico. Uh just a
refresher on the Padrina Senior
Apartments. It is located at 801 East
Farnney near the intersection of El Paso
and Farnney. It is an 80unit low-income
housing tax credit project uh for
seniors 55 and over. It is made up of 44
onebedrooms and 36 twobedrooms. And the
income limits are that 60% of area
median income. And then the development
uh partners are Thomas Development
Company of Boise, Idaho. Um not to be
confused with the other Thomas
Development and then Northwest Integrity
Housing Company.
This is the vicinity map. um before
construction. Again, located near
Alpacao and Fornney. Um I did include
the cheeseburger for you all today. It's
a more complicated cheeseburger and this
one um also has green chili. So, uh we
told the state of New Mexico if they
gave us grant funding they could be the
green chili on the cheeseburger. So, um
that's where that came in. And then this
is an updated project uh uh picture of
the project. It is uh currently under
construction.
um and is almost almost near ready for
occupancy.
Um oh, I included a video for you guys.
I won't play it all. Um but this is the
updated construction video. So um so as
you can see, it's near near completion
and near ready for occupancy.
And then you have your standard council
options. And we'll stand for questions.
Councelor
Matise
Natalie uh in the housing department
even though I had not been here for to
see all the ingredients that went into
these hamburgers
uh ultimately it looks like it's going
to be a good product and uh I just want
to say thank you for quite an
improvement in district 2 for this uh
senior development. Uh it looks really
good. I think it's going to be quite an
asset. Thank you.
Thank you,
Councelor Flores.
Thank you, mayor. I just want to thank
you, Natalie. I think that you're
distributing funds all over the place
and making homes available for people
that otherwise wouldn't have a home. So,
thank you for your work.
Thank you. It is certainly a team effort
between both council and the staff and
then, of course, our partners at the
state who are funding many of these
projects.
Uh Christine,
this is on the motion to approve
resolution 26-021.
Councelor McClur,
yes.
Councelor Matise,
yes.
Councelor Graham,
yes.
Councelor Karan,
yes.
Councelor Fletes,
yes.
Councelor Ben Como,
yes.
Mayor,
yes.
Next is item 8.6, 6. Resolution number
26-022,
a resolution approving a real estate
purchase agreement between the city of
Los Cusus and Sierra Norththerland
Holdings.
Move to approve.
Second.
Diane Bust.
Good afternoon, Mayor, City Council. My
name is Diane Bustios. I'm with the
city's economic development department
land management section and I bring
before you today a resolution to
purchase a 52 lot subdivision. Um
here
uh the property is approximately 11.797
acres. It is north of Peach Tree Hills
Road and west of Redhawk Golf Road. It
is currently owned by Sierra North
Development and they will develop the
property into a 52 lot subdivision prior
to purchasing it.
Here is a vicinity map shown in red is
um where the proposed subdivision will
be
and here is the proposed lot layout.
The city received two uh appraisals for
this property. One came in at uh
$3,816,800
and the second one came in at
$2,585,000.
The negotiated price is $3,250,000.
Uh the parties will share in the closing
cost. They will split the closing costs
and the closing will take place 30 days
after the subdivision is complete.
some of the benefits in um
uh buying this sub uh subdivision. It
will add 52 residential lots to the uh
affordable housing land bank, all
dedicated to single family homes. It
will uh uh support mixed income
neighborhoods and promote long-term
stability and wealth buildinging
opportunities for our residents.
With that, here are your council
options. Um, and I stand for any
questions.
All right. Thank you, Na. Any questions?
Uh, councelor Flores.
Thank you, mayor, and thank you. Thank
you for your presentation. Um, you know,
when we see Sierra Sierra Norte land
holdings. Um, it takes me back to the
old movies like in the 30s, you know,
you sit there and watch all those old
movies and there's holding companies.
Who owns the holding company? Do you
know?
Um I know we have
Is it Royal Jones?
Uh I Mr. Mscato I believe or Yes, he is
here.
Oh, so it's Royal Jones. I got it right.
Yeah, Mr. Mscato.
You own that. Uh
yes.
Oh, you own it. Okay. I'm sorry. I
overstep my authority here.
No, it's been up there.
Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor, counselors.
Uh, the owners of Sierra Norte Land
Holdings are Royal Jones, Dean Rig, and
myself.
You, who? And who else? I'm sorry. You?
Yes.
Your
three owners.
Oh, you and who else?
Royal Jones and Dean Rig.
Great. Okay. Thank you. I just wanted to
know. Thank you.
Any
other questions?
Councilor Matise.
Yes. If you you could bring the slide
back to where I think it said it. Okay.
Explain to me how it uh brings wealth
building opportunities for the Los Cru's
residents. Maybe you could just kind of
expand on that uh statement. I
have to defer to Natalie Green.
Uh, Mr. Mayor, councelor Matise. Uh, so
we will work with our nonprofit partners
to do home ownership programs with uh
first-time home buyers. Oftentimes your
the home is their largest asset and then
part of the purchase we will either
subsidize a portion of the purchase
through the land costs and it creates
equity and wealth within their home.
Right? Your home becomes your asset. you
have unrealized equity until you sell
it. Um, but oftentimes it's very much a
hand up for our first-time home buyer.
Um, families who otherwise wouldn't
become homeowners. Um, so it will be a
similar program to the Skylark just were
buying a asbuilt subdivision.
Natalie, do you see any uh any risk at
all in in this particular
project?
Mr. Mr. Mayor, councelor Montise, our
single family home ownership program has
been one of the most successful. Um,
the average, I guess if there was a
foreclosure, like market foreclosures
are somewhere between seven and 10%. Our
affordable housing programs are less
than 1% of 1% um for foreclosure rates.
And I don't know if Rose is still here
and um but they I think in all our time
we've only seen maybe one foreclosure
and it's because that person died.
So we've see very little turnover in our
home ownership programs.
No, that's a that's a good track record.
Thank you,
Mayor Pro.
Mayor, thank you, Mayor. I don't have a
question, Natalie. I just wanted to put
a real fine pin on what just happened
here today on the last four items.
That's 452 new units of housing for our
community. 452. Someone correct me if I
did the math wrong, but I'm pretty sure
I did it right. And I know that what we
did today was just part of the process.
We've been talking about these for a
long time, but I just wanted to
highlight and underscore the power of
that, the power of your team and the
power of partnerships um in this
community and the commitment that we
have to addressing our housing crisis.
And so um I just want to elevate that
because it is really powerful, Natalie.
So thank you. Thank you.
452.
Anybody didn't hear me.
Councelor
Grant,
I'm gonna put a pin on that pin. I
believe in your math. Um, and also I
also want to point out we're talking
about all different kinds of housing
unit options. Um, we have single family
homes, we have multif family homes, we
have a community dedicated to seniors.
Um, so also pointing out housing is
never a monolith and I just want to
applaud the work that we're all doing
together as a community to recognize
that. Thank you.
Okay. With that, Chrissy,
this is on the motion to approve
resolution 26-022.
Councelor McClur,
yes.
Councelor Matise,
yes.
Councelor Graham,
yes.
Councelor Cran,
yes.
Councelor Flootus,
yes.
Councelor Bencoml,
yes.
Mayor,
yes.
Next is item 8.7, council bill number
26-002,
ordinance number 3094,
an ordinance formally approving a
community energy efficiency uh
development.
Move to approve.
Second.
Yes. Go ahead, Gabby. Sorry.
No, it's all right.
Mayor C.
We're still working on a math problem. I
was I was saying yes, we looked at all
the units that were going to be
developed, but I said, did you add all
the future homes in the subdivision that
was that was passed for the single
family residential, the commercial, and
all those? So, there's there's addition
additional there.
It'll just keep growing.
Yes.
Mayor, counselors, city, city staff,
community members, I'm Gabriela Pratt,
city's grant manager in the finance
department. Before you, I have an
ordinance authorizing the city to accept
a grant award for the city manager's
office sustainability program.
Typically, uh, the grants administration
program brings before you these kinds of
actions as a resolution. However, this
specific grant program requires the
adoption of an actual ordinance.
Excuse me. The community energy
efficiency development or seed program
was created by the state to enga engage
local community members and stakeholders
to retrofit lowincome households with
more efficient heating and cooling
systems. The city applied for these
funds in early 2024 and was recently
awarded
uh a grant to fund a retrofit program
and it's set to begin in this fiscal
year. To accept the award, the city
needs to pass this ordinance authorizing
the project as well as to accept the
grant award which we will bring forth
for approval of the budget at a later
time.
So, in summary,
the New Mexico Energy, Minerals, and
Natural Resources Department awarded the
City Manager's Office sustainability
program $642,469
to implement this retrofit retrofit
program for lowincome households. There
is no match for this particular grant.
Before you are your council options and
I stand for questions.
Thank you. Yeah, councelor Gray.
Yeah, no questions. And I'm sure uh
mayor we have some folks who want to
weigh in from the audience just pointing
that out because I saw a hand up. But um
no questions. I just want to point out
how amazing this program is. Um if you
read down into the weeds, um first of
all, we're working with a bunch of
community partners. We're targeting the
infill development overlay. I believe
those I think about 13,000ish
or so. Obviously, they're not all going
to get this. Um, but one thing that
really jumped out to me is that uh one
of our partners is DACC. Um, this is
also going to be some workforce
development. Um, I don't know if you
want to talk about that a little bit or
I'm happy to because it was just so
cool. that or I would defer to Jenny uh
Ernandis our uh sustainability officer
who is behind it.
Okay, great. Thank you.
Mayor, city councilors, uh councelor
Graham, uh Jenny Arnandez,
sustainability officer uh for the city
of Los Cusus. And so, yes, you're right.
There are kind of multiple Thank you. I
always forget to do that. Um there are
lots of different layers to this
project. Um you all may know it as
plugged in for good. And so essentially
this is the vehicle to fund our plugged
in for good program. And so there is a
workforce component to it. Um
unfortunately we had an additional grant
that would pay for the workforce
component that we have lost um due to
the administration change and so we have
some funding in our fiscical year 26
budget that you all have approved that
will still support the workforce program
and it is in partnership with um DACC
specifically the audit portion. um we
were able to get them certified to be
able to train auditors, which this
program needs. And so their auditor
program will actually be serving as the
auditing component of this program. And
we hope and are working diligently with
our grants team to find additional
funding so we can continue to expand on
that and offer the additional services
that we had planned and hoped and
anticipated to which would be um to
actually pay for some of the testing. It
can be really expensive sometime for
that testing and um additional
certifications for the installation of
these products. And so like for example,
when you're installing heat pumps, you
can be like um it depends across the
brand, but you can be certified in the
specific brand. And so we had wanted to
help pay for those certifications as
well to the workforce that would be
doing this work and um we are targeting
small businesses. And so our hope is
that we could work with mom and paw
shops and really develop their skill set
so that they could then be poised to
apply for bigger projects that the city
has to offer later. And so this would
really open a kind of entry point for
them to get familiar with our processes,
but also give them the resources to then
be able to hopefully expand their
business and um tap into some city
projects later on.
Great. Thanks. And when you say audit,
you mean the energy audits, correct?
Uh, mayor council. Yes, the energy
audits. Sorry, we use our lingo that
we're familiar with, but yes,
because we had Chris earlier from
Patillo and Yeah. So, we're talking Can
you explain what an energy audit
provides to a household?
Yeah. Mayor, council. Um, an energy
audit. So, we have steps that we'll take
in this process. First, the um resident
has to apply. they do have to be low
income and so we will walk them through
that process to make sure that they um
qualify and then we'll schedule them for
an energy audit. So essentially an
energy audit is we go into their home
run some tests to see how effective
their current unit is working and so
obviously if they don't need a new unit
we won't put one in and then um to see
how leaky their house is. And so when I
mean leaky, like is there any energy
escaping from their house through their
windows, through their doors, and can we
help them better insulate their house?
So when we put on a an AC a new AC unit,
they're not wasting energy and their
utility bills aren't rising. And so that
test will really give us all those
answers to understand exactly what we
need um to do in the house and kind of
shape the scope of work that we would
then ask the small businesses to help us
with. And so that's why it's super
critical to have that energy audit
component first because we don't want to
do worse um in people's homes. We want
to make sure we're improving them
correctly based on kind of the science
behind an energy audit.
Great. Thank you so much. Thank you,
Mayor.
Thank you, Councelor K.
Thank you. I I thank you so much for the
presentation and for doing this project.
Um, I would just add that these arguably
should get added to the total because
this makes folks homes more livable, I
think, and and really is is doing
something really important to keep
people in their homes in in the face of
things. But I I just wanted to add I had
an I had DACC graduates of this program
that did an energy audit at my house.
Um, and I just remember that mine. So,
as Jenny sort of outlined, they come to
your house and point out the things they
attach like a big vacuum blower to your
house and suck out all the air and then
measure how much the air gets exchanged
within your house, I think, is the
uh very basic science of my
understanding of what happened. Um, and
then they go around and measure, she
said, leaky things in my house. almost
every single one of my electrical
outlets was just bleeding um air into
the so like hot air was coming burning
hot air was coming in through my
electrical outlets because they weren't
really very well um insulated and just
after I did had this audit again my
energy my exchange rate was nine I think
the ideal exchange rate is like four and
everyone else that they had ever done
was 11 so if you all have the
opportunity to do this that's where you
should shoot for less than 11 anywhere
less than that I think is what you
should hope for. But it was really
helpful for me because it did give me
places where I could take very make very
small changes in in my house um just
putting some certain types of insulation
on things. Um and it was students from
the DACC audit program who had just
completed it and it was really a very
cool um process. So, I just want to say
thank you for for advocating for this
and please keep us posted on how it goes
because I do think this is a way that
people stay stay in their homes and
afford their homes and continue to to um
remain sort of in place and as long as
they possibly can. So, thank you Jenny
for your leadership on this. I really
appreciate I really appreciate what you
all are doing. So,
yes, Council Matise,
I just had some questions on on going in
and doing the energy audits and making
it less um expensive for homeowners
to operate their home. There's no no
bias in in the call of the homeowner.
Like, let's say they wanted to go
uh all gas or all electric or all solar.
In other words, that that's open to the
homeowner. Correct. In other words, it
this particular funding doesn't
necessarily
uh lean toward the decarbonization act,
does it? Or or not at all.
Uh Mayor, counselor Matise, so we have
specific requirements with this grant
that we have to meet. We one of those is
that we do if they are eligible and the
home is deemed a good fit, we do have to
put in a heat pump. That is a part of
this sort source of funding. However, we
will not go in and take away or
take away is the wrong word. um we will
not go in and electrify any other
appliance unless funding is available
after the remaining of what each house
gets allocated and they are deemed a
good fit. And so the only other
appliance that we are considering is a
heat pump water heater. Um and that
again there are very certain things that
make that an easy um op option. Like for
example, I can give you an example.
There's a we've already started
prevetting some residents for this
program and a lot of them have an
electric water heater already, but it's
not good and it's older and it's on its
way out. And so they would be a good
candidate to get a heat pump water
heater. Um and so if the if we have
funding left over there is an option for
that to be done. Um but that is the only
other electric appliance that we are
considering as an opportunity. Um but
the heat pump is an electric heat pump
because it provides both heating and
cooling using electricity.
No. And that was my concern. Just a
message to all the residents in Los
Cruus is that they'll always have the
choice. In other words, the of whether
they want natural gas or whether they
want electricity, solar, that a choice
will not be taken away from them in
using grants or or using persuasive
methods of installation. You know,
sometimes we tell people that an
all-electric home uh is uh less to
operate
and that is not true. In other words,
you know, gas operated home is less
expensive for people that are on on less
income. And so I didn't want to take
that option away from them because
that's what we're all concerned about is
affordable housing and affordable living
and having people actually be able to
live with less expenses in their home.
So it's good to hear that that it's it's
not a plan to go all electric. So
appreciate appreci you saying that.
Thank you.
Uh Mayor and Councelor Matise, if I can
just add one more thing. Um we
um I forgot we are um I I just also want
to note that we are very sensitive to
that and the the grant also if you want
to get really technical uh the grant
requires an SIR which is a savings to
investment ratio of a certain number
which would make us do an analysis to
make sure that we are not increasing
utility cost and if we are there's a
deep dive that we have to go on on
justification and in some instances
depending on what kind of unit they have
it can create a utility increase but in
those instances we have already signed
up or saved spots for all our 30
residents of this program if they are
interested and want to to sign up for
community solar which will guarantee
them a reductions of energy savings
means per month. Um, and so again, we'll
have to do analysis to make sure that is
not happening, but that is a component
of the grant and so we are very
sensitive to that.
No, that's good. It's it's good that all
the alternatives are available, you
know, that they have a choice and thank
you.
Thank you. Anyone else? You uh
I don't I don't see anyone. No. No. Oh,
is there anyone else here? No. Okay.
Yeah. Members of the public, if you want
to come up.
Thank you, Mr. Mayor, City Council.
Again, my name is Lucas Hearnen and uh
putting on my professional hat. I am the
energy policy director at Progress Now
New Mexico. Title I've had for eight
years. Um, and I'm very excited for the
city to take advantage of the seed
grant. I was, um, actively involved in
passing the bones of the project in
2022, as well as for the funding for it
this year through the community benefits
fund. Um, I am, uh, just really over the
moon to see the city that I live in,
that I call home, take advantage of
something that I've fought for at the
state level. Um and uh and to uh the
counselor's point earlier, um this is uh
providing affordable housing for people
who already own their homes. Um
statistically for people who already own
a home, it is not only their greatest
asset, but also their greatest expense.
Um and usually that expense has to do
with the utilities um and the upkeep of
the home. And so providing this funding
to make it more affordable to live in
your home is wonderful. And um just to
the point that was being spoken about, I
would just remind uh councelor Matise
that according to the um
the LCE, the levelized cost of
electricity in the United States right
now, the most affordable energy, it
comes from onshore wind at $27. Next is
solar PV, solar energy from uh which is
$29. And then the next closest is gas
combined cycle at $45. So, it is
actually far more affordable to draw in
electrical energy from renewable sources
in the United States um across all
points of energy production. And so, if
we're talking about making living in
your home affordable, there's nothing
more affordable than electrifying it.
So, great job. Kudos. Thanks. Keep
going. Appreciate all the work you're
doing.
Is there anyone else from the public?
No. Okay, Christy.
This is on the motion to approve
ordinance 3094.
Councelor McClur,
yes.
Councelor Matise,
yes.
Councelor Graham,
yes.
Councelor Cran,
yes.
Councelor Fletus,
yes.
Councelor Bencoml,
yes.
Mayor,
yes.
Next, we go into board appointments.
I'll need a motion and a second uh for
these positions. Uh Fernando Bas Bas, a
new appointment for historic
preservation committee.
Move to approve. Second by close.
This is on a motion to appoint Fernando
Bayza to the historic preservation
committee.
Councelor McClur,
yes.
Councelor Matise,
yes.
Councelor Graham,
yes.
Councelor Karan,
yes.
Councelor Fletus,
yes.
Councelor Bencoml,
yes.
Mayor,
yes.
The next one is Norma Hartell. New
appointment to historic preservation
committee.
Move to approve.
Second.
This is on the motion to appoint Norma
Hartell to the historic Historic
Preservation Committee. Councelor
Mccclur,
yes.
Councelor Matise,
yes.
Councelor Graham,
yes.
Councelor Karan,
yes.
Councelor Fletus,
yes.
Councelor Bencoml,
yes.
Mayor,
yes.
Next is Rosanna Torres. New appointment
to historic preservation committee.
Move to approve.
Second. Mccclure.
This is in a motion to appoint Rosanna
Torres to the historic preservation
committee. Councelor Mccclure.
Yes.
Councelor Matise.
Yes.
Councelor Graham.
Yes.
Councelor Karan.
Yes.
Councelor Flores.
Yes.
Councelor Beno.
Yes.
Mayor.
Yes.
Next is Jeremy Williams. New appointment
to parks and recck board.
Move to approve.
Second.
This is on the motion to appoint Jeremy
Williams to the parks and recck board.
Councelor McClur,
yes.
Councelor Matise,
yes.
Councelor Graham,
yes.
Councelor Karan,
yes.
Councelor Flores,
yes.
Councelor Bencoml,
yes.
Mayor,
yes.
Next is notice of proposed ordinances.
There are none. So, we'll go to city
council member board reports and
comments. Councelor Mccclure.
Thank you, Mayor. I want to do a shout
out to Project Light, particularly Wes
Smith and Mendy Fowler, who came to
speak at the juvenile justice continuum.
They dug into their call stats and
shared that one out of four calls
involve the ages between zero and 18,
and how call volume changes between the
time kids get out of school and when
parents come home. Spoiler, it's way
higher when parents come home.
Chief Daniels, I'd really love for the
presentation and more, if possible,
could be shared with the full council
when Wes thinks it's ready. So,
I want to share about two other meetings
I've had. The first was with Las Cusus
Recovery Center. They spoke about the
success they've seen with their clients
struggling with addiction, but the
struggle the center has had is finding
sober living options for those
transitioning out of their care. They
asked me, is there anything the city can
do and what would that look like with
their help? Their clients need more
housing options, but Las Cruus as a
whole needs more options for rapidly
housing many different populations.
This bubbled up again when I went to the
Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
meeting. A statistic from its strategic
plan was that in 2024, out of the 849
cases of domestic abuses that actually
made it to trial, only 29 had successful
outcomes. And I'm a little dubious on
what that means. Brad might be able to
clarify that a little bit more, but
that's 03%.
The top reason for not progressing was
the unwillingness for victims or
witnesses to testify, which is
completely understandable. But what if
those victims had more options for
leaving for housing? Would that have
helped? Which victims stay because they
have no place to go quickly? And sort of
a sidebar for my regular po uh program
speech here is that we got an email from
Lacassa yesterday. That said, you know,
we're looking to connect with fellow
community leaders and advocates for
expanded domestic violence services and
shelter in Donana County.
They need options. We need options. We
need to look at more options for
housing. The conversations I've already
had with staff on things like tiny home
villages, emergency shelters, or pallet
homes have alluded to the financial risk
of these temporary investments. They're
right. They're not supposed to be
long-term investments or complete
solutions. They are transitions from one
situation to the next, a welcoming place
until we continue to work on our
traditional housing stock over the next
few years with developers and
legislators much like we've seen today.
And aren't we a welcoming city? We are.
We've seen that through the migrant
crisis in 2019. But we will start to see
more refugees not from other countries,
but other states.
Maybe they come because they're pregnant
and denied prenatal care like in
Tennessee because they're not married.
Maybe they're trans but need to give up
a life in Florida to receive health care
here. They're starting from scratch.
Maybe they're a college student whose
grant-f funded job was cut by a federal
mandate and they can't make up the cost
for their room in their shared
apartment. But hey, they still have
their job. Well, no, they just have
their car. We need options. They need
options.
Along with the financial cost and risk
of considering more options, I ask, what
is the cost in action?
What ripples happen in our community
when a child watches a parent be beaten
because they have nowhere to go? What
happens when a veteran is on a yearslong
housing waiting list? Do they debate if
they wait that long? What if they don't
stay with us? What if someone in early
sobriety has to return to their previous
unstable environment without support?
Will Project Light get that call? I'd
like to make a different call. I'd like
to call for a work session before the
end of the year to see how we develop
options for transitional living that
includes pilot programs for an emergency
shelter, tiny home villages, and pallet
homes that serve multiple populations. I
want to include stakeholders like
Lasus's Recovery Center, Lacassa,
Habitat for Humanity, NMSU, Community
Hope, our churches, our LGBTQ plus
community, our veterans, our business
leaders, along with others who
understand our need for more options.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councilman Clark. Council
Matis. Uh, I just want to uh
share that I attended the meeting with
uh Cassie and and city manager on uh
what we call tiny homes, less expensive
homes and looking at what we've done and
and it's all been good from Amodore
Crossing that averages about 375,000
a unit to um which averages about
300,000 a unit and then this latest one
which averag which is about $284,000
a unit. Um, they're all good and they're
and and they're all worthwhile and and I
commend
Council Ben Como on providing 542 and it
might be more if we use the residential
homes, but we need a lot more. And what
this idea that Cassie brought to the
city manager can maybe address uh more
homes for less investment.
So if we could reach 1,000 2,000 of the
tiny homes and spend less, then we're
putting more working people and those
that are making less income in into a uh
into a home. So, I I really support uh
Councelor Mccclure's idea of of bringing
a a different uh design and idea to the
city of Los Cusus and to the housing
department. And I hope um Natalie and
her staff will will consider it. Thank
you.
Thank you, Councelor Graham.
Thanks so much. Um,
good speech.
Remember, we're excited. We're not
anxious.
Um, yeah, I'm if we're throwing hats in,
I I'll entertain any possibilities on
housing. So, I would also love to see
that work session. Um, if I'm going to
see it, it'll have to be before end of
year, so I'll add my add my voice to
that. Um and then just a kind of blanket
shout out to various city departments
units. Um we've had crazy weather lately
obviously. Um we've been kept up to date
like this has been an extreme group
effort under rapidly evolving conditions
not just in our city but also sending
support to other communities. Um, our
swiftwater rescue team through LCFD has
been out several times. Um, I know
utilities, uh, various departments have
been out responding to dangerous
conditions and things changing rapidly
and I just wanted to shout that out.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councelor. Correct.
Thank you. I don't have any comments
today.
Council Flores,
no comments.
Mayor Pro.
Thanks, Mayor. Um, I did want to note
that I I mentioned um the LFC, the
Legislative Finance Committee meeting
that I tuned into last week um because
they were talking about housing. And I
just have to tell you that um on
multiple occasions uh Secretary Ner
who was entrusted with the housing
department with the from the governor
multiple instances shouted out the good
work that Los Cruus is doing. And so I,
you know, I I think I just want to point
that out because as we zoom out, um, we
have the pieces in place like we are
doing tremendous work and, you know,
certainly hope to see more green chili
come from the the state in order for us
to complete our projects. But um, like
we are being recognized for the
incredible work that we are doing,
right? And I just I think and and you
you're right, mayor, I didn't include in
that 452
um the 50 additional units that Amador
Crossing provides. And that math is that
math is simple math. It's not that much
per unit. The the facility includes so
much more than just units. Um, and so I
do want to just gently push back against
that, but I wanted to lift up that that
LFC is being that the city of Los Cusus
is being recognized at the state level
for the kind of work that we're doing on
addressing our housing issues. So, thank
you for our partners and certainly for
our staff involved in that. Also,
they're here uh later this month, the
entire LFC committee. So, um, you know,
stop by wherever they are and and say
thank you and give us more green chili.
Um, mayor, I also wanted to bring to
your attention that public lands
advocates here locally um reached out to
several of us. Councelor McClur,
Councelor Corin, myself spoke to um the
local groups and um we want to bring a
uh resolution in support of public lands
forward um to to hear. I've passed that
information on to Sedio. Um, but I would
love to get it on an agenda and really
behind that it's just the intent the for
for Los Cruus is to say that we support
public lands that we are against the
selling of public lands like has been uh
proposed at the federal level and that
we that we want to protect our national
monument um for as long as we can and
for every single inch and every single
corner of it. So, we'd love to get that
on an agenda. So, I wanted to uh bring
that up today. And then lastly, um
again, I've mentioned this before,
Katrina and Scott, thank you so much for
the office hours. We have um responded
to most of the concerns folks brought um
and are working on the rest, but I
wanted to just highlight one important
thing in the spirit of um you know,
talking about good things that are
happening. Someone came to talk about
the um hidden gems. Unhidden gems.
Unhidden gems. Katrina.
Um the unhidden gems interact
interactive public art map. And this
person was so ecstatic and she was so
grateful for this and just wanted to
make sure that people at the city knew
how wonderful this program was. Um I
went through it myself after she
mentioned it. Um and it is really
lovely. So, um, who whoever idea
whoseever idea that was. Thank you so
much. Um, and I'll continue to talk
about it as much as I can. Thanks,
Mayor.
That wasn't me, was it?
Done.
Yeah, just a few things to mention.
Thank you all. Thank you, uh, Councelor
Mccclure for bringing that item up and
we'll definitely look at having a work
session. I too was uh, present. And I've
shared with you before uh there's a
Bloomberg um
uh grant uh pending still for the city
of Los Cruises, maybe a million in in
maybe uh being able to to build tiny
homes. So hopefully we get some of that
and we can move forward, but we'll
definitely push forward with the work
session and the grant that we're talking
about, the 350,000 that the governor
gave us will will also help us with some
of those issues and concerns and we can
look at some of the strategic results
that will come from that.
Um,
last week I attended the CBA in El Paso,
the central business association. Uh,
the mayor of the city of El Paso gave a
presentation. So, I just want to give a
thanks to members of the city staff that
were in attendance also from community
development, economic development, parks
and wreck, um quality of life and visit
Los Cruus has all attended. So, thank
you. Thank you all for attending. Uh we
always want to reach out and see what
what our neighbors are doing and learn
from them. Uh Congressman Gabe Vosquez
came in last week. He came into town,
had a meeting with the county, with the
Donana Community College, our parks and
wreck, the city of Los Cusus, talking
about how good the collaboration is and
what we're trying to do for the youth in
our community. So, we'll continue to do
that kind of work and also get the
support from our congressman. He's
willing to support all the things that
we're doing here in Los Cruus from the
Boys and Girls Club on Elpasil to other
things to help our youth in the
community.
I was also in Albuquerque last week for
uh mayor's innovation summit that took
place and one of the things was a tour
at the uh city hall of Albuquerque where
they have what they call it's a
coincidence what we were talking about
um energy savings for our private
citizens. This is what they were
demonstrating at Albuquerque and their
public works department and
sustainability department uh what they
call the brain and I know they're
working with members here in Los Cusus
and our organization on that. But it's a
way to have a meter inside all our city
buildings that detect what our utilities
are that are being spent and then make
sure we're not wasting anything and they
flag things immediately so that we can
repair or we can invest. and they've
already saved about $1.7 million a year
just just in their energy efficiency.
So, that's another thing that I know we
as a city are going to uh look into
doing.
U as councelor Graham had stated, thanks
to our fire department for assisting
those uh in Rio and BO, but also to our
public works also. She mentioned
utilities, but our street department and
our shout out to our southern New Mexico
correctional facilities. They delivered
on the 24th of July like 560 sandbags
and then in on the next day delivered
another 400. So two trucks went out
there filled with sandbags. So thank you
for all your work and helping out
and we'll look at the public land sale
as well. Make sure we do that.
I think there was one other trip. Yes,
on Friday, a trip to Huades with Donana
Community College just to keep the
relations on economic development and
and those type of things with the mayor
of Huades and their economic development
team. Always looking at how we can
partner with our neighbors. And so that
was a trip that was very interesting and
uh fun time there in Wadis. Um, with
that I'll turn it over to our acting
city manager, uh, Sonia Delgado. And I
just want to mention every every meeting
we hear, uh, comments about the lead
pipes and and our utilities and it seems
like we're not uh taking it serious or
we're ignoring, but we're not. And I
know the city uh acting city manager
Sonia Delgado will will uh address that
issue later in her comments, but I'll
turn it over to her now. Thank you.
Thank you, Mayor. Good afternoon, mayor,
members of council. Sonia Delgado,
assistant city manager, sitting in for
Connie Tamapo, our city manager. I do
have a few comments for you, so I'll
make them as quickly as I can. for fire.
We received notice from DFA that we have
received funding to install a baby box
at one of our firehouses. The funding
still has to be accepted by council, but
will provide a resource that is greatly
needed for the safe surrender of a baby.
For parks and wreck, Keep Las Cruises
Beautiful will be offering a
neighborhood cleanup for the community
on Saturday, August 16th from 8:00 a.m.
to noon. There will be commercial trash
rolloffs at the following locations for
the public to dispose of summer clutter.
The Young Park parking lot and East Mesa
Recreation Center will have rolloff
containers to toss away trash and
garbage.
Arcadia Park in Metro Verde is now open
for everyone's enjoyment. This 2acre
park located between Starling Lane and
Belmont Lane, east of Red Hot Golf Road,
has open turf areas for lounging or
playing, a playground, a basketball
court, and a bookw walk. We can't wait
to see you out there
for this weekend. Please join us for two
fantastic free community events. The
first on Saturday, August 9th. Bring the
family to our next Movies in the Park
event at the Amodore Live Space to see
Captain America: Brave New World. The
gates open at 7:00 p.m. and the movie
will begin at dusk. Then on Sunday,
August 10th, enjoy live music at Young
Park for our Music in the Park concert
from 700 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Get ready to
groove to local variety band Encore
Band, a local Las Cruises band, followed
by the amazing R&B cover band profile
band. These events are free and open to
everyone. So come out and have a great
time. For tomorrow, Tuesday, August 5th,
from 5 to 9:00 p.m., the National Night
Out program will happen at downtown. We
hope to see you there as well.
I do like to I would like to provide a
couple of items from public comment. The
first regarding the active
transportation coordinator position.
This position has been reviewed and will
be posted very very soon. So we hope to
see that and we hope that if anyone is
interested that you will please apply
and we hope to have that filled this
time around.
The other item as mayor had mentioned
regarding the copper lead comments. Um,
beginning today at our city council
regular meeting um during city manager
comments if there are any comments that
come before uh during public comment we
will try to address them to provide
additional information for everyone
watching everybody who's here in the
audience and of course for our mayor and
council here on the dis. So I will at
this time turn it over to Adrien
Whitmer. our utilities director to
provide some comments um that came
before us. Thank you.
Thank you, acting city manager. Um
mayor, council, uh thank you very much.
Just kind of want to clarify a few
things. Um, enemy D and EPA are very
well aware of how we are inspecting the
lines. Our initial inventory was based
on our historic information which came
directly from our GIS maps. We're
continuing to update that update that as
we go through as we're looking at when
subdivisions were built, uh, what
materials were used at that time. So, we
continually update that. um the map
eventually uh once we get to it on a
yearly basis, we're required to resubmit
that and any additional unknown lines,
we have to send out notices out to them
as well. So, we're continuing with that
effort. A lot of our um inspections are
with field staff. We have been working
um with our our funding agencies. We
have right now um
we've applied uh through the New Mexico
water trust board and the drinking water
state revolving fund. Uh both of those
programs have been approved. We've
received award letters through the trust
board and a binding commitment from the
drinking water state revolving fund
area. Um appropriate ordinances are
currently under development uh for
consideration for you all.
Um, as far as um disadvantaged
populations,
uh,
we're going off of um, when a lot of
areas were built. So, a lot of that is,
uh, this internal area. So, um, we're
focusing on that. But in addition, um,
as we're going through, part of our plan
is a service line replacement plan. And
that particular plan um does talk about
disadvantaged
um communities and we have to have that
completed by November 1st of 2027.
Uh we're in the process of hiring a
third-party consultant that is going to
help us put together a service line
replacement plan and additional
information. So that kind of gives you a
little bit of of an update. Um, we have
prepared a
a sheet on what our current process is.
We have sent that um to NE and to EPA to
have it reviewed to make sure that we
are doing everything in accordance with
the lead copper rule and uh we're
waiting for them to to respond to us. So
as soon as we get that response, we
believe that we are meeting all
regulatory requirements related to the
lead service line replacement
regulations. So thank you.
Yep. Thank you, Adrian. Thank you for
that information. Thank you, Sonia. also
as well. So, uh there was one other item
that came up uh during public comments
that was about the weeds and I know our
uh city attorney mentioned that we're
going to try to get that uh on the
August 18th uh to update that. It's been
in the it's been in the the works to
update it for a while now. So, that
should come soon. Thank you for that.
With that, I'll look for a motion to
adjurnn.
Move to adjurnn.
Second by Flores.
This is on the motion to adjourn the
meeting. Councelor McClur,
yes.
Councelor Matise,
yes.
Councelor Graham,
yes.
Councelor Karan,
yes.
Councelor Fletus,
yes.
Councelor Beno,
yes.
Mayor,
yes.