[Music]
you're on
good afternoon everyone uh welcome to
city council today is Tuesday February
20th at 2024 uh it's approximately 1
p.m. I'm mayor Eric Enriquez so thank
you for joining us today if you could
all join me and stand as we take a
moment of silence for the brave men and
women of the United States armed forces
and as we also take a moment of silence
for our officer Jonah Hernandez who li
who died in the line of duty and never
to forget the
bravery and the sacrifice that our
police department and First Responders
do every day day in and day
out
now if you could join us in the Pledge
of Allegiance counselor
Grant I pledge Al to the flag the United
States of America the stands
na
indivisible andice
for
we'd like to start off now with the
presentation of a proclamation by
councelor Becky Graham uh proc
Proclamation for National Engineers
week thank you mayor and do we have any
Representatives here for National
Engineers week to receive please come
down
all the
way thank you so much whereas February
18th to 24th 2024 is recognized as
National Engineers week to honor the
nation's engineers in all Fields who use
their Knowledge and Skills in innovative
ways to fulfill our societ 's need and
ensure a diverse and well-educated
future engineering Workforce by
increasing understanding of an interest
in engine engineering and Technology
careers and whereas El Paso Electric is
celebrating all the engineers in our
region that are each working to make a
difference for our communities and are
collaborating to grow a future Workforce
of successful engineers and whereas El
Paso Electric has a family of more than
1100 employees including approximately
123 engineers
dedicated to serving the communities
where they live and work as a regional
energy provider with a responsibility of
providing safe and reliable energy to
more than 460,000 customers El Paso
Electric understands the crucial role
our Engineers play every day in
transforming the engineering
landscape in partnership with other team
members El Paso Electric Engineers are
designing the future that will enable
electrification more renewable energy
and a brighter Energy Future for every
everyone whereas Engineers serve as role
models and sources of inspiration to our
students and Community to realize the
power of their knowledge and National
Engineers week Works to further promote
a diverse and well-educated future
engineering Workforce now therefore we
the mayor and city of Las crus City
Council of Las cruus New Mexico do
hereby Proclaim February 18th to
February 24th 2024 as National Engineers
week signed by our mayor Eric Enriquez
and attested by our city clerk Christine
[Music]
[Applause]
Rivera
I just want to say on behalf of albaso
electric and all the engineers in the
office uh we accept this uh humbly and
very gratefully thank
[Applause]
you thank you next I'd like to introduce
staff sergeant Harold L Morris he will
do a brief presentation a
song in honor of Black History
Month staff
sergeant to the mayor to the members of
the day officials to the audience good
afternoon and thank you the song that
I'm going to sing is called Wade In The
Water many people thought it had
something to do with the time of of
slavery this song was written around
1934 a lady named Willer Townsen from
was a teacher from Nashville Tennessee
she went to Europe on a pilgrimage for
religion and she allowed herself to be
baptized in the Jordan
River thank
you wait in the
water wait in the water
children wait in the water
God's going to trouble the water see
that host all dressed in white God's
going to trouble the
water leader looks like an
Israelite God trying to trouble the
water see that band all dressed in red
God's going to trouble the water looks
like the band that Moses left Le wait in
the
water if you don't don't believe that
I've been redeemed just follow me to the
Jordan stream wait in the
water wait in the water
children wait in the
water thank
[Applause]
you
thank you very much staff
sergeant thank
you is Jesse Walden
here it's pleasure to see you thank you
very much
reading this you free to say a few words
thank
okay so at this time I'd like to
recognize uh Jesse
Walden Jesse Walden's a dedicated
photojournalist with Spectrum News 13
which draws
inspiration from daily encounters and
Community
stories fueled by a profound passion for
visual
storytelling Jo in Spectrum News 13 in
August of
2022 he brought expertise from roles as
kst in Salt Lake City and k o in
Albuquerque following his graduation
from New Mexico State University with a
bachelors in digital film making
tragically on February 22nd 2023 Jesse
and his coworker dial lions were shot
while reporting on a story it was only
later in the hospital that Jesse learned
of the devastating toll with a total of
five people shot and dient amongst the
three who passed away from the lethal
attack this event sparked new found
resilience in Jesse shaping his approach
to storytelling overcoming physical
emotional and mental challenges his
journey to Healing became an integral
part of his narrative enabling him
enabling him to connect with people on a
profound level and share stories of
survival and resilience and for that the
city of Los cruus and I the mayor of Los
Cruses want to recognize him for his
bravery and his inspirational
storytelling Jesse Walden
well I just wanted to say thank you all
very much and how happy I am to be with
you all here today glad to still be
alive and get to come back home and get
some more green chili but I'm proud to
uh be from here proud to have graduated
from what was onate and as well as uh
New Mexico state University and I'm very
proud to be able to continue on and uh
continue uh you know being a journalist
uh down in Orlando Florida I I
appreciate you guys very much thank
[Applause]
you
next on the agenda we have jobs of the
week so
justel palomares
good afternoon mayor and Council my name
is Jazelle palomares and I'm with New
Mexico workforce connection uh for the
jobs of this week we have city of Las
Cruses is hiring a water maintenance
worker it pays $16 an hour. 76 the job
posting closes on March 11th
2024 city of Los crus is also hiring an
IND Industrial Waste programs inspector
this job posting closed February 26th
and it pays $24 an hour.
78 White Sand Missle range is hiring a
registered nurse Occupational Health
Spectrum Healthcare resources um the pay
is depending on experience and it's open
until
fills we have donana county is hiring a
utility worker and it pays anywhere
between $15 to $18 $845 an hour and it
closes March 3rd we have gaha Farms is
hiring Farm Workers and laborers crop
Nursery and
Greenhouse um that pays anywhere that
pay $16 an hour. 32 and this position
closes December 10th we have families
and youth incorporation that's hiring an
accounts payable specialist this pays
anywhere between 17 and $3 an hour and
closes March
6th and we have upcoming events here in
Los crues on March 26th um New Mexico
workforce connection is partnering with
Las Cruz's public schools and we are
having mock to your rocket where
students are able to interview with any
any individual that's interested in
volunteering their time to interview
them and kind of spice up their
interview skills we have hiring for
Heroes on April 1st at American Legion
on Madrid from 10:00 a.m. to 2: p.m. um
this event is for veterans looking to
get back into the workforce and we have
an event on March 13th with Community of
Hope um we are partnering with them to
have a job Readiness event to help
individuals specifically struggling with
homelessness to get back into the
workforce and then we have the l crues
Spring career fair on March 27th at the
convention center from 2:00 p.m. to
5:30 and as always if you want to
connect with our office please contact
us at 575 524 6250 or you can always
visit us in person at 226 South Alita
Boulevard thank
you thank you
jel next we have pets of the week Amy
Del
Felix
hello everyone my name is Amy to Felix I
am with the Animal Services Center of
the msia valley and of course I'm here
to present the pets of the week um we
always start off with our cat of the
week and this week her name is Louisa
her number is
7268 and she says I'm a sweet girl who
really does like attention when I'm with
you I'll make biscuits and roll around
purring as loud as I can all I want is a
family to take me in and love me for the
rest of my life spend some time with me
at the asmv and you're sure to find out
just how sweet I am and then we also
have our dog of the week her name is
jeie and her number is 61 918 and she
says I'm a young playful and friendly
girl just wishing for my forever home I
have done so well with people and dogs
of all kinds so I'm surprised I haven't
found my match yet I love belly rubs and
I hope my future family can take me out
on nice walks during the day and then we
can come home and have a cuddle
session and regarding events we do have
an adoption event at Tractor Supply this
Saturday the 24th we'll be there from
10:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. and if you need the
address it is 1440 West Picacho um and
as and as well um we have our
drive-through vaccination clinic at the
field dreams parking lot we will be
there this Sunday it's coming up really
fast February 25th and we'll be there
from 9:00 a.m. to 2: p.m. of the first
200 microchips are sponsored by the
mikun charitable found foundation so
they are free to the uh pet owners and
then we also re received an additional
50 microchips that are sponsored by pet
link um and all remaining microchips all
um kenel COV vaccines and rabus vaccines
will be only $10 and the D Paro for the
dogs and the feling dumer for the cat
vaccines are all all of those are going
to be sponsored by Petco love so every
single one of those vaccines will be
free to the pet owners and then we have
our Links of course our website a C
mv.org we have social media we are on
Facebook Instagram Tik Tok and then we
have our podcast available on YouTube
and Spotify and apple podcasts our next
episode for the end of February is
coming up soon so we be sure to check in
on that we hope that you uh get to learn
a lot more about like animal welfare in
general that's kind of our aim for the
podcast that's all way up thank
you thank you
Amy uh next on the agenda we have 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 by Flores none Graham
none M none thank you see
none
next okay I'll make sure
next on the agenda we have uh public
participation um again we ask that you
come up you state your name uh speak
directly into the
microphone um and be respectful is is
what we ask um mayor counsel at this
point we cannot get into any discussion
we're here to hear your input and uh
normally we give three minutes uh if I
could at this time uh see a show of
hands of who wants to speak
yeah I think we
good um seeing seeing the large increase
uh we can go to uh two minutes if you
can if you can get what you need to say
in two minutes if it's if it's on the
same topic you can share uh your minutes
with somebody else uh but but that's how
we'd like to start we'd like to start
with the first row anybody want to speak
you have two
minutes first rle on my left you're
right yes ma'am yes you're right you're
correct good afternoon I'm Pat Pew uh we
own Amco transmissions for 55 years on
West Picacho and uh our our uh our
situation is grave and terrifying
because of the lawlessness that Reigns
uh the police are really good to come
when we call them however uh Catch and
Release Remains the biggest problem uh
even when we have video footage showing
what the crime was and where they went
across the street to the where they sell
the the stolen property right in that
Motel the police say they can't go in
even get a warrant uh to to see what how
that we can stop this um uh unlawful uh
activity and the terror is is the people
who come into the business that are um
scary my granddaughter and I work up
front and sometimes we just lock the
front door it's very difficult and we we
need some help we it's unsustainable I
yield my
time thank
you
oh good afternoon I'm going to take her
time Shell's time I just need Tad three
minutes thank you good afternoon mayor
City Count Council staff in public my
name is Yoli Diaz as a mother of a first
responder I am here today to pay tribute
and respect to officer Jonah Hernandez
and to provide sincere condolences to
yenia his wife Sons parents family and
friends officer hernandes is sth this is
a loss to everyone
his family LCPD Silva's family all our
First Responders our complete Community
this tragedy is personal to
everyone as my daily advocacy is
specific many of us advocate for needed
change we come before you and take or
three minutes in the attempt of burning
through what seems a steel wall for this
needed change of action regardless of
repeatedly asking for a call to action
I've experienced fear pain trauma and
loss and I've witnessed it in others I
think of the present and I think of our
history and how some things don't change
not even since the 60s when I was born I
would like to share the lyrics of a song
that was written in the 60s in honor of
a very poent time in history a time of
turmoil political upheaval social
inequities segregation poverty
inequality disparity and cultural health
and mental health issues it's a song
that remains forever sacred and an
impactful message that still Rings true
today it is a testament to the power of
music to inspire action and embolden the
Hope for Change Unity peace equality
faith and just a better world the lyrics
and the singer are very meaningful to me
and hold a very special place in my
heart I'd like to share them with
everyone today if I Can Dream there must
be lights burning brighter somewhere got
to be Birds flying higher in a sky more
blue If I Can Dream of a better land
where all my brothers walk hand in hand
tell me why oh why can't my dream come
true there must be peace and
understanding sometime Strong Winds of
promise that will blow away the doubt
and fear If I Can Dream of a warmer Sun
where hope keeps shining on everyone
tell me why oh why won't that sun appear
we're lost in a cloud with too much rain
we're trapped in a world that's troubled
with pain but as long as a man has the
strength to dream he can redeem his soul
and fly deep in my heart there's a
trembling question still I am sure that
the answers answer is going to come
somehow out there in the dark there's a
beckoning candle and while I can think
while I can talk while I can can stand
while I can walk while I Can Dream
please let my dream come true right now
so I say to you we must unite and while
we can think while we can talk while we
can stand while we can walk we need to
evaluate priorities to benefit our
residents there are consequences when
we're doing nothing thank you again my
sincere condolences to officer
Hernandez's family and friends thank you
thank you y
yes come on up
Sir yeah my name is Richard far and my
uh two predecessors have adequately uh
addressed why I plan to cover in my
first minute anyway but one of my U uh
comments here is the there are laws on
our books already that should be
addressing and more rigorously enforced
to improve the quality of life in our
community so to a chief
story I don't know what resource
political or policy constraints you and
your fine team are having to deal with
but I think it's clear to everyone in
this room that a more effective and
rigorous enforcement of laws that are
already on the books would go a long way
to improving Community Life few council
members particularly those who have been
on there for a number of years you are
very very much a part of the
problem your distorted priorities and
refusal to take responsibility and
effective action is shameful it's a
noble thing to care for those that are
the least among us but not to the
detriment of the quality of life to the
greater part of the community of hard
honest hardworking taxpaying citizens
that are the true body heart and soul of
our
community to Mayor Enriquez you're a new
face up there and we hope that you will
aggressively step up to the challenge to
provide the inspired and dedicated
leadership the determined leadership
necessary to get our community headed in
the right
direction and to all my fellow citizens
in the auditorium and Beyond we are also
part of the problem we're not more
relentlessly and effectively demanding
action transparency and complete
accountability from all these folks up
here
and from all of our elected
representatives thank
you thank you
sir
okay my husband will seed his time so I
will take three minutes good afternoon I
am Dr Kyle Schumacher I head and manage
Schumacher veterinary clinic on Valley
Drive very close to the location where
the tragedy with officer Hernandez
occurred our family-owned Veterinary
Clinic has been a staple in the
community for over 40 years I'm sure
I've seen more than one of you in the
clinic often times on a weekend or on a
holiday during that time we have also
been privileged to work with LCPD their
canine officers along with other
numerous law enforcement agencies all of
the businesses in our area have been
struggling with the progressive influx
of homelessness and subsequent crime our
clinic and neighboring businesses have
suffered from numerous break-ins
vandalism threats to our personal safety
and general aggressive and disruptive
behavior at all hours these deplorable
conditions also present concerns to our
customers and have had negative impacts
on business and
revenue this particular instance has
also been very difficult for me on a
personal and emotional level I passed
the roadblocks myself that Sunday night
minutes after the tragedy occurred on my
way to attend to a sick family
pet a few minutes difference in time and
space might have resulted in a different
outcome perhaps on my front door or in
my parking
lot I could not have dealt with these
circumstances I can only be deeply and
eternally grateful to officer Hernandez
his sacrifice LCPD and all of those
involved it has certainly made me
rethink and reconsider doing business in
this location
and sadly most especially providing
after hour services to the community we
are the only veterinary clinic in Los
grus to do so but I am uncomfortable
with the risk to our safety my many
actions with lcbd including personally
with officer hernandes have never been
anything but positive our police
officers have been tasked with the
impossible burden of protecting the
local citizens and businesses without
any real means to do so the city has
ignored the these issues for far too
long our livelihoods LCPD and most
especially officer Hernandez and his
family have paid the price for this
neglect similarly the homeless and
transient population in question is in
need of real help every day I see
obvious cases of physical and mental
illness severely erratic and dangerous
behavior and obvious struggles with
illegal drugs and other addictions again
the city and our judicial system has
failed to provide the help needed by all
I know that Improvement won't be quick I
know that it won't be easy in fact I
fully expect the situation will get
worse before it gets
better while we expect the city of Las
crusis to pay real and immediate
attention to these matters and to plan
for concrete change I would also like
you to assure you that local business
owners are communicating planning and
trying to provide constructive
Solutions now is the time to affect
change thank you
[Applause]
my name is Vic VI alobos and Jose
Carrera has agreed to concede his time
to me to be able to use it for 3 minutes
thank you so I own a couple of
businesses in town I know some of you
know me I actually want to start this
presentation I know the people behind me
can't see this but I want you to see
this because honestly I don't think
other than the two chiefs to my left
truly understand the gravity of what's
going on since February 10th to this
morning I'm going to show you these are
the people in our community in the last
10 days that have been arrested for all
these crimes and for the people behind
me what I'm showing them is 16 pages of
over 220 people that have committed
crimes and have been arrested in our
community and those aren't the people
that we account for that the police have
had interactions with they weren't
arrested but that is true arrest with
our within our community and I want to
finish with a
picture what I call Steve this is Steve
if you haven't seen him he's all around
town Steve has been polluting our City's
streets since May of 23 on June 3rd in
the morning at 7:00 a.m. Steve was
arrested
on Valley Drive for breaking into
businesses he was taken by police into
custody and he was released about 2
hours later 2 hours later decided to go
back on the street and he made the
mistake of robbing the businesses around
me he he robbed he broke into and and
vandalized three businesses around me
when he came to my business we had the
proper security set up and he was
detained while the police got there
Steve since then has gone on to commit
many more crimes all the way through
January which include uh
being naked on the streets to battery to
more burglaries you name it Steve does
it so so this is a problem that we have
the same people coming out over and over
now I want to fast forward to the date
of February 11th so the morning of of of
Jonah's death the afternoon of Jonah's
death he was killed on on the corner of
our property
um and I have no words for story um
I've worked with with the police and and
with the
fir I know but we didn't actually call
because of that vagrant we called police
because of the two vagrants that broke
into the back of the property and so we
had three people we had an incident of
three things going on on our property at
one time and it was because that Jonah
had contact First with that person that
what happened and it's it's just a sad
situation and you know I I I want to say
I know I only have a few seconds left
but I believe you have failed us you up
there have failed this city you have
failed in doing what you have done for
the past few years doesn't work it
hasn't worked and and despite the fact
that Jonah died the fact that a citizen
had to shoot and kill someone to try and
render Aid to an officer despite all
those
things I believe I still have faith in
you I do um I believe that that you
still know what you're supposed to do
right even those of you that I blame for
the past I think you know what you need
to do and I ask that you do it that
that's all I ask uh you know there's new
people up there there's old people up
there uh despite everything I have faith
I do that you guys can do the right
thing and that's all we're asking today
as businesses is do the right thing
[Applause]
thanks hell hello um Kelsey Boswell is
going to defer her time to me thank you
Kelsey my name is Shannon Murray I am
managing partner of Los cruus doc diving
and K9 Event Center the business is
located at 335 South Valley Drive we are
on the same property where officer
Hernandez was brutally murdered since
opening the indoor the only indoor can9
pool in the state and region in May of
2019 we have worried for the safety of
the customers not to mention mention the
other dog trainers that are all
female we love our customers human and
can9 have become friends with many sadly
we have shared lockdown while police
searched for suspect and located them
inside of solitire homes held up one of
our North America diving dog events with
customers inside while bomb squad came
for something tossed over the fence with
a death to all
Manifesto cancelled pool sessions due to
police activity on the property search
ing for a crackhead that stabbed someone
at Craig and tiger I just finished a
class with a customer before heading
here today and this is her direct quote
to me we can't support this area if you
can't support this area please help us
help you make this community a better
place for everyone thank
you
my name is Heather Murphy I am a 30-year
resident and a 16-year employee of Craig
and tager located directly across from
Community of Hope our hearts go out to
officer Hernandez's family in our
community I find it obscene that it has
taken his death to finally get people's
attention we are asking you to untie
LCPD hands increase Patrols in high
incident areas increase the number of
officers in the property crimes unit
actively push for prosecution of repeat
offenders property and trespassing
crimes and reinstate effective measures
to eliminate panhandling and homeless
issues plaguing our city in addition I
challenge you to collectively and
actively push for and solicit funds for
a permanent sustainable crisis
center while I agree not all homeless
are violent and criminals I applaud
those who are actively working to make
better for themselves in their
communities I refuse to sit here and
allow you to continue to lie to the
public and turn a blind eye to the
issues just within the bounds of our
building and the lateral next to us we
have dealt with a murder recent
unattended death drug addicts and
dealers dirty needles and pipes thrown
into our workyard our mailbox was
torched employees are threatened and
assaulted destruction of property
shoplifting break-ins armed suicidal
individuals fights trespassers illegal
camping and mounds of garbage and feces
to name a few things we are forced to
deal with incidents every week and often
multiple times in a single day a huge
number of these involving homeless
individuals we have filed police reports
sent letters made phone calls emailed
had Zoom meetings posted signs and
offered up reasonable Solutions over the
years unfortunately it appears that our
city and its representatives are only
interested in doing the minimum required
to help local business and are perfectly
happy handing out lip service in warm
fuzzies instead of putting their boots
on the ground and doing the hard work I
have personally worked with eBid and
cleaning up the armo lateral around us
and I would like to thank them for the
assistance we have spent well over
$35,000 in repairs security measures and
cleanup that money could have paid an
employee salary who in turn would have
contributed to the tax base of this
city aside from the financial burdens no
one appears concerned about the
emotional costs which are extremely high
our employees feel victimized over and
over every time they have to witness
these incidents please do not let
officer Hernandez's death be in vain
[Applause]
my name is Donna Striker my husband and
I own commercial property on Valley
Drive two blocks from where officer
Hernandez was murdered we've had
multiple issues with violent vagrant and
violence violent homeless at our
building according to the director of
Hope Nicole Martinez and her slide
presentation at a town hall meeting on
January 23rd it is a myth that the
homeless are violent or drug addicts
tell that to the family of Officer
hernandis we have owned the property for
over 13 years and in the last four years
the incidents have escalated
substantially we have spent thousands of
dollars on repairs additional cameras
barriers fencing and more and as a
taxpayer that is very offensive to my
husband and I and it adds insult to
injury we contribute financially to the
City and the county of Las cuses what
exactly do violent vagrants and homeless
contribute to our once fine City I would
like to request the following of the
city council an increase in Patrols in
the high incident areas just like Howa
they said an increase in charges for
stolen property where homeless are
allowed to steal shopping carts and walk
the street showing off their Treasures
an increase in the number of officers
assigned to property crimes this private
citizen would like to request that a
work session is scheduled in the very
near future to address my concerns and
the concerns of everybody here today
councilwoman bomo I'd like to address
this to you you told me prior to the
election that a federal judge ruled that
the city or a municipality that owns
property cannot move homeless off the
property unless they have somewhere to
go that was a ruling of the ninth
Circuit Court we live in the 10th
Circuit Court it does not apply here and
that's why the city property to the west
of Casa del perago cleared off all the
homeless the day before the election
that was very convenient and why does
msia move their home Hess to Las cuses
the homeless on the ditchbank behind our
property on Main is Ebid Land There is a
no trespassing request made multiple
times they were moved to the city's
property which is in violation of codes
18-2 I would highly suggest you read it
the city is breaking the law and
allowing violation of its own city codes
what's good for me is good for
thee the city property owners and small
business owners are outraged at the
deteriation of our city and our voices
are going to be heard our city must be
safer for all of us never doubt that a
small group of thoughtful committed
citizens can change the world indeed it
is the only thing that ever has Margaret
me I would like to thank the council for
looking at us today it really really
makes a difference that I feel like
you're paying attention thank
you
good afternoon my name is Shauna Fifer
my husband and I own Striker shooting
world at 415 b or 415 South Valley Drive
but more than that I was born in Los
crusis and uh I don't recognize it
anymore at all um what was once full of
Vibrance and prosperity hominess and
culture has been bastardized by filth
Decay violence and crime the politics of
this once great City have resorted to
pushing a progressive agenda at all
costs even at the cost of Public Safety
do you wish to live in Portland where
public drug use is Rife and fees litter
City spaces do you wish to live in San
Francisco where constant theft is
pushing businesses out that have been
established for decades do you wish to
live in Chicago where lawlessness Reigns
and cops are actively
hunted then move go and stop bringing it
here in the last six
months in the last six months my husband
and I have witnessed the following
firsthand a man was arrested I hope
across the street from our children's
daycare while openly pleasuring himself
alcohol and drug paraphernalia litter
the streets and are actively consumed in
broad daylight human feces is nearly a
daily occurrence on private property
rocks have been thrown at us and our
business vagrants openly carry machetes
broken bottles and even a spear gun into
a restaurant my children and I were
eating at screaming vagrants um hit
cause us to have to hide in the bathroom
while we try to patronize other
businesses um flood control
infrastructure is constantly blocked
with items stolen from Goodwill they're
making apartments under our bridges
tented trespassing persons attempted to
call our dog away from us ATMs are
constantly monitored and I've seen
homeless people basically descend on
those in front of me in line my husband
has been threaten threatened numerous
times when he attempts to open the
business and Rouse trespassers from
their stuper when we get an alarm call
at 2: a.m. for the store and my husband
has to go down to make a report I only
hope it's just another instance of
Destruction just to be destructive and
not something more Sinister I believe Mr
Striker will yield his time to me thank
you I can't move my whole life is here I
have a career a business a farm everyone
that my children loves lives here they
get to see their grandparents almost
daily in this city I was raised to be
empathetic kind generous and it breaks
my heart and I cannot teach my kids
those same values because it is
dangerous you can no longer take the
time to get to know someone on the
street because violence mental illness
and drug use causes people to strike
without warning my daughter wants to be
a police officer like her uncle her hero
how am I supposed to tell her that it is
a job where the community demonizes you
the courts throw your efforts in the
trash and the city politics make your
job impossible to complete our business
apparently duw the Short Straw to be
collocated with the ever expanding
attempts by the city to appear
Progressive even though those policies
don't work here or anywhere else the
work you're doing to help people at Camp
hope is noble and warranted but look at
the numbers of those willing to play by
the rules and be helped they are
minuscule compared to their counterparts
who cannot be helped who are violent and
destructive and dangerous but these
problems are not Valley Drive problems
or Picacho Avenue problems they are Los
crusis problems they are doniana County
problems and if allowed to Fester any
further they will become catastrophic
for every resident in the area who lives
works or buys groceries here every
law-abiding hardworking citizen who pays
taxes and is just trying to raise their
family in a city that used to be safe
and tranquil will pay the price either
with their lives their livelihood or
their basic human right to feel safe in
The Once beautiful city they chose to
settle down in I implore the city to
consider the policies that led Chicago
San Francisco and Portland to where they
are now Los crues is headed down the
same path this is a moment for change be
brave and
change you have laws on the books
enforce them prosecute them stop making
my hometown a sanctuary for lawlessness
drugs and
violence good afternoon mayor I'm James
Chavis Floyd six generation Los cruus
Johanna my friend I you know all the
stuff I I wrote down in my speech last
night it was all covered behind me I
live in District 4 my business is in
District 4 it is nothing like it was
four years ago to have to pick a fenil
across my parking lot every morning and
chase people away that are just
vandalizing uh the worst things I've
seen my daughter goes to school downtown
as well it is dangerous I've done my
best to serve the community and to be
fair and to have open thoughts on all
the things that you guys campaigned for
and so I ask now for you all to serve us
as Citizens and make this town safe so
our children can play out
front we won't be robbed the children in
the elderly won't be targeted the fental
problem the motels all this stuff our
police need backing no more defunding
the police pleas we need
100% help it is
dangerous it is dangerous that's all I
do I plead for help we need you guys now
more than ever we are in the National
Spotlight we have fent no point over our
border right here in a mass amount that
is killing all of North
America we need
help
hi I'm Patricia henz and Gabriel uh
Villa is via VIA is actually G to wave
his two minutes to me so is that four
minutes thank you
yes so I'm Patricia heis from the owner
I'm the owner of the little shop on
Maine and I've been an ongoing um crime
victim of violence since February of
23 I have voiced my concerns since uh
2023 I have uh a 5-year order of
protection and I have several trespass
warning cards and
unfortunately um my condolences to
officer Hernandez he did respond to one
of my situations and it's unfortunate
that he was unable to provide um my
store with the report number so that's a
little
concerning um I have reached out or I
pass had their parties reach out to
Chief Jeremy's story and I have yet to
hear from you um I've been harassed by
your officers um for calling the police
on several occasions I've confronted the
police I've been told that I was a cop
hater um that I think police are bad um
possibly some are bad like Brad Lansford
who actually came to my store and told
me that I had to be raped in order to
get a temporary order of protection
that's been reported to the attorney
general and the Department of Justice
and
FBI um I just want you to know that I'm
not a big person I probably weigh like
105 PBS and I'm by myself okay I am by
myself and the security has to protect
me the security that is hired by the
same Council here to patrol the streets
and there's only one security guard that
is ridiculous okay we had a guy with a
hatchet that I have a trespass warning
card he's he's terrorized me okay he's
he on fit and all he came with the
hatchet okay and I have footage and that
footage is being shared with the media
of a police officer telling me that the
trespass warning card has nothing to do
at with the hatchet even though it was
right right by my store it was at my
store okay so I'm just trying to figure
out what's going on here um but I've
been harassed I've had people covered in
blood cut in my store theft vandalism
stalking have a 5-year order of
protection I got about nine trespass
warning cards and I have a lot of police
cards with no report numbers on them I'm
being told with my trespass warning
cards that we don't do report numbers
anymore since when so how do I document
that guy with the hatchet that comes to
my store if there's no report number and
that leads to the statistics I reported
the police department and the city to
the FTC for falsifying police statistics
and I'm going to tell you why yeah some
people may not report those cases
correct what about people like me who
get trespass warning cards but no report
number what about the people that are
calling 911 20 times and the police
don't come and that guy's gone the
police come they leave they don't even
talk to us they don't even call us and
they don't give us a report number
that's very misleading to the public
okay um sometimes the police make it
about me saying I have PTSD I'm acting
crazy and I can hear on the footage when
I request IA footage
that the police their computer systems
and their cars are not working so maybe
that might be a reason why they're
taking a while to
come um body cam footage is being
manipulated that's being reported to the
Department of Justice uh ier violation
with the attorney
general uh the city council continues to
enable known corrupted nonprofit
organizations such as desert hope and
Community of Hope you recently budgeted
6 to7 million to these two nonprofits
that Ena drug use as fit all where drug
dealers sell drugs needles are
distributed throughout the facilities
prostitution is evident leading many to
believe um that the needles and all that
they're shooting up and they're coming
to our stores and actually Terror
terrorizing us um this has been reported
to the FBI the DEA the CDC uh The
Community of Hope is being reported to
the IRS because apparently they're
corrupt and they're using their
nonprofit status to get $6 to7 million a
year so that they can Harbor these
criminals and drug dealers and they're
terrorizing us and that's wrong you guys
are all need to be
accountable thank
[Applause]
you my name is Natalie chadborne and I
am the owner of Flowerland and
Flowerland 2 at the lman location in the
a Royal Plaza we have experienced
vandalism in the middle of the day
homeless men sleeping in front of our
doors urinating and defecating in front
of our doors burning a shared trash
dumpster in the back with our other
business owners and many other similar
acts my employees are afraid and I have
no way to protect them we take all the
precautions but we still feel unsafe and
we are on guard all day long I am res
requesting from you the elected
officials the three following items an
increase in officers patrolling in the
high incident areas increase your budget
whatever you need to do make it happen
increase of officers for property crimes
hire more move money whatever you need
to do to make it happen and finally I am
requesting a work session within the
next 30 days so that we can work on a
plan of action that will enforce
existing laws for the purpose of
protecting all of us who live and work
here thank
[Applause]
you
hello my name is Michael frames with
Arisa development I have several people
willing to give up uh some time if uh I
need a little bit more to get my point
across I'm here today originally I came
to speak about officer Hernandez it's a
very emotional and traumatic event for
our whole entire Community it's very sad
what happened and I was going to give
everybody my two cents of how I feel
however I don't feel that would be
productive I want all the councilmen
council
women take a look at of your audience
here listen to them you're here because
you were elected and we require you to
put processes in place that we voted you
in
for I could honestly
say every single one of us are here
because of a broken Judicial
System criminals are not getting the the
proper they're not being sent to prison
they're not being prosecuted and it's
entirely
sad I was here about two year and a half
two years ago with my businesses which
is Construction in regards to all the
theft and burglaries that we were going
through I spoke to everybody and I
quote which is very sad that this is
victimless
crime and I need to have compassion for
people as one of the council members
told
me victimless crimes ultimately end
ended up with the death of Officer
Hernandez think about it look at his WAP
sheet of the criminal think about how
many times that gentleman was arrested
released arrested released arrested
released never prosecuted and that's a
dang
shame
a man had to lose his life for
protecting our community and being a
good public servant we all here have the
responsibility to
uphold the judicial system and
proper criminal criminals need to go to
jail no ifans or
but last
night like I said I was coming here to
voice my my opinion and everything last
night a community of us business owners
all got together and we spoke about the
problems we're having and the constant
cost fear anxiety that we all receive as
business
owners and that's one of the reasons why
we all met and I want every single one
of you up here to know we are forming a
group Los crues businesses for public
saf safety and you're going to be
hearing a lot from
us the Democratic process is extremely
important Republicans Democrats that was
created to create a check and balance of
both parties and it is extremely
one-sided and we are not here to create
conflict we're here to create change and
solutions and both of us no matter
matter whatever our Viewpoint is we need
to work with each other and come
together as a
community it's so sad to see officer
Hernandez lose his life but I hope that
there could at least be one good thing
that comes out of this and makes us all
look at one another and come together as
a community not as an adversary we're
all Los crusin we all live in New Mexico
I think if you ask any one of us no
matter what side of the aisle you're on
we're all here for the same thing and we
need a safer lost
Cruis a year and a half ago when I came
and originally spoke about my
issues Crystal frames gives her time to
me
good so we all came here as a community
to work with you not against you yes
emotions are high people people are
upset people are fearful that's going to
cause everybody to conflict with each
other and we need to come together to
work this
out the sad thing is is at this meeting
last night we identified the vast
majority of these crimes are happening
in District 4 in fact we classified
District 4 as ground
zero Ground Zero for all the criminal
activity that's going on here in Los
cruus these transients homeless unhoused
people are becoming aggressive unstable
unpredictable officer Hernandez had no
idea he was about to be charged with a
kitchen knife and had no time to
react a trained officer did not have
time to react think about a normal
citizen like myself or anybody up there
what would they do in that situation a
trained officer was not able to react in
enough time because we're dealing with
extremely unstable people on our
streets I am very hopeful Mr Mayor Chief
story I'm very excited to see some new
blood up here I think both of you can
enact the change that we
[Applause]
need this issue is a cancer
and what happens when people get cancer
it needs to be cut out now I'm not
saying that we need to lose our Humanity
in doing
that but actions need to be put in place
and people that are repeat offenders
need to be
punished if they're not
punished things like what happened to to
officer Hernandez will happen again or
to one of your
constituents gentleman next to Crystal
frames gives me her time his
time I'm just about wrapped
up but like I said I want us all to work
together as businesses and business
owners we're all here to work with
staff some of the impacts that's
happened with us as business owners
costly damage from vandalism time loss
broken windows scared employees fear of
safety
citizens even having to protect
themselves
example I was at a different vet for
many years I transferred over to Shoe
marcker Veterinarian clear across
town because they're the only
veterinarian that provides
emergency animal care and with two
working dogs that desperately needed
that if she were to go out of business
and I had an emergency with working line
dogs I would have to drive all the way
at El Paso to get care for
them this one business employs over 30
employees 30 families Amco brick and
mortar is extremely tough
nowadays try getting Walkin traffic in
general much less in ground
zero dang near
impossible Walmart theft aggravated pan
handling dock
diving could you imagine running a
business where an officer was murdered
what would that do to your patrons Vic
has people coming from out of state
bringing money into Los Cruses from
Texas Colorado many other states which
we desperately need here in our
community and that's being
jeopardized Solutions
needed I desperately need a work session
put in
place for a coalition Los cruus
businesses for Public Safety within the
next 30 days we need to start enfor
enforcing the panhandling laws that are
already on the
books we need to get our district
attorney to start Prosecuting repeat
offenders don't let officer Hernandez
life go to
waste as it very well could be if we
don't come together he gave his life to
protect our community let's protect his
memory thank
you
than
good afternoon I'm Kim Stewart I'm the
sheriff of Dona Anna County I wanted to
publicly uh and officially express our
extreme condolences up for the passing
of Officer Jonah hernandz we have not
been able to do that before and that is
the reason I'm here today uh I also
wanted to uh Express to Chief story and
LCPD uh we're honored to be asked to
assist you uh during this difficult time
we continue to be here for whatever your
needs may be in the coming weeks thank
you very much thank you
all
yeah ma'am we're we're doing my left
side and then we'll get to the right
side so we're at what row are we on the
fourth fifth row fourth row
okay yes yeah your turn will come when
we get to the other
side good afternoon mayor council uh my
name is Ernest Carlson I am a financial
adviser with Edward Jones I've had a
business here for a little over seven
years I am also a captain in the US Army
of
reserves um in the last two years I've
never seen so much crime in this city
it's impacted families businesses and
visit uh visitors
Gravely I
do I do not see this as a lack of Duty
on behalf of our fine police officers
and law
enforcement um but rather a dereliction
to duty on behalf of our duly elected
leadership in reducing the patrol budget
by 3% on this last budget from 41% I
don't know if y'all knew
that
um
rather than increasing that budget
that's a big problem
um I guess my final point is the
majority of the city Revenue comes from
gross receipts from businesses and
people going into businesses to conduct
business so what happens if we can't
keep them safe and we can't keep the
businesses safe and those businesses
close their doors and they move out of
town and then the people that live in
this fine City don't feel safe enough
and they move out of town that reduces
your salaries and that reduces your
budget to do all the things that you
want to do and that Pie in the Sky idea
that you guys keep bringing to this
table that's
[Applause]
it anyone on the fifth row next row
yeah the I'm sorry ma'am we're we're
still on this side on my left
side
okay
okay okay I'm Jamie bod I am with the um
Regional chair you need to speak
directly into the microphone okay sorry
I'm Jamie bod I am Regional chair for
the United States tennis Association and
I am here to speak on behalf of our kids
and our all of our recreational players
uh about the need for us to feel
safe okay as a community we are
fortunate I this myself yeah I'm sorry
Judy well I'm I'm Judy haris I'm the
Mayfield High School tennis coach and I
run a lot of junior tennis tournaments
here in town at Lions Park right and as
a community we are very very fortunate
to have a public fac facility with uh 12
lit tennis courts a swimming pool
handball courts a children's pling
ground courts are in use in the morning
and in the evening it's used for middle
and high school used for summer camps uh
these activities are all open to the
public at little or no cost if they're
being put on by a different or or
organization uh we recently had a tennis
tournament that Judy ran we had over 80
kids and we ended had a survey that was
um that was the results came to us from
the from the United States tennis
Association and the comments were uh at
the park there were a lot of homeless
the restrooms are not clean I will not
take my daughter there next time the
Lions Park venue was unsuitable for a
junior tennis tournament this park with
with this this was a park with homeless
men everywhere on Saturday eight police
cars responded down the street to what I
understand was a homicide I will not
subject my family to this venue again
now these are guests coming in to Los
Cruses while I was running the junior
tennis tournament I had to call 911 once
on Friday and it had to call them twice
on Saturday in our referee we called
them once cuz we had a lady come down
Picacho Street yelling her yelling and
screaming her head off she had no shoes
on she was improperly dressed she came
across the street and ran walked behind
so we had to have somebody do a wellness
check on her I had to um I thought some
guys were smoking in the men's bathroom
I said hey no smoking in the bathrooms
and I peaked the door open they were
doing fit and all in the bathrooms here
we had a Junior tournament with 84 kids
and they're doing fit Andel in the men's
bathroom as players we've been subjected
to peeping Toms in the women's restroom
Amanda's robing on the courts in front
of the middle school players uh players
have been threatened police were called
but there was no action taken uh sitting
on a bench was a man stomped over turns
out how are you doing he's dead but not
overdose okay uh registered sex offender
walked through our Junior tournament
well you know that because there
happened to be a policeman that said oh
you know him he was a registered sex
offender right through the middle of our
Junior tournament open drug
use so I understand as a city that we
are compassionate and caring about the
homeless and we've done wonderful things
to help the homeless and the minely ill
among them but it's time to put the
compassion to us as Citizens and our
kids and provide us a safe Community
thank
you
I think we're on row six anybody on row
six Council mayor my name is Juan Garcia
condolences to the family of Officer
Hernandez and the officers of LCPD and
to the family of Oscar Ramirez he too
was murdered recently on the corner of
armo and Van Patton in front of a
residence you heard this last time is
now another Las cusis statistic another
number how many remember his name I'm
very glad to see the large number of
small businesses have forgotten and
ignored victims here
today from Council District 4 and the
community to share their pain suffering
and financial losses at the hands of the
Las crus criminal element except for the
new council members all of you have
heard or witnessed this frustration from
hundreds before them and we are still
here listening to them again we have not
heard from state state senator hin or
state representative Rubio who represent
this area or their plan to help solve
the problem did Adana County State
delegation proposed or sponsor crime
prevention bills in 2023 or 202
poor we hear there's a tremendous
problem with mental health in Las crues
yet the governor wants to invest $10
million in another abortion clinic I
guess everybody has different priorities
the following comments are from Chief
story during the recent press conference
he spoke about the murder of Officer
Hernandez at a result of and I quote
Brokenness of the New Mexico criminal
system that our elected officials
allowed and I am looking at our elected
officials
a
system A system that should have
protected the community from Silvera but
instead allowed it to endanger us all
there is evil in this beautiful city
thank you chief for those words that
perfectly explain how our elected
leaders have failed US citizens don't
want excuses anymore they don't want
finger pointing the question remains how
many more businesses will be
ransacked citizens or officers murder
for positive and decisive action is
taken to protect our community the same
question we've been asking for over a
year Quantas thank
[Applause]
you greetings mayor Enriquez and city
council my name is Julia R and I have
been a resident of Las Cruses for over
30 years on January 2nd I spoke here and
asked the following questions how long
before something is done and someone is
accosted and seriously hurt by one of
these individuals they may be mentally
ill and are on drugs how long will
businesses continue to be vandalized and
pinons made to feel unsafe while parking
to enter their storefront now the
unthinkable has happened my sincere
condolences to LCPD and especially
officer Hernandez's family more
questions develop why was doniana County
triage crisis center shut down when that
we clearly are in desperate need of
their services why is the focus not on
the community community and locals the
constituents residents and businesses
instead the focus is on nonproductive
citizens that are mostly non not lust
cruin they they're given housing money
and everything is free with no questions
asked or strings attached I've been
visiting with small small businesses own
owners and employees they've told me
they are tired of coming into an unsafe
work environment they have Trauma from
the terror of witnessing crime and
hostility walking through their parking
lots to get work to get to work and
while at at work have any of you cleaned
up human feces while at
work where do business where do business
owners and their employees go for Relief
when will the public be safe many of the
business owners have stopped calling the
police and this is highly this highly
indicates the crime statistics of 2023
are inaccurate inaccurate crime has not
decreased it's been ignored
ignored and it's no longer being
reported when will the city city
councilors and Par Law Enforcement
Officers to enforce the laws thank you
for your time and
attention
anyone else on row
six uh row
seven row
eight
nine yes come on
up
hi my name is Jenny Hornsby I lived in
340 East Los puses Avenue I'm a fashion
designer that sewed in that studio for 3
years cross the street for me is where
the refugees bus has come daily for 3
years now I live by myself I have no
children and I'm not married all I do
all day is so when I want to know is if
we can help dreamers come to America and
they come off the buses daily with their
families while cell phones on like
coming to America why can't we help the
people here that's what I want to know
there is a library there is a library
book that's in that church property and
it feeds the mosquita community down
there which is the oldest neighborhood
from what I understand I understand that
genderation is happening but it's not
happening properly I fed that bookshelf
for three and a half years from a
restaurant called Tiffany's Pizza which
is my mother's and father's we get tons
of leftovers food so I have fed the
homeless for three years in this city
technically five but in that location
for three years on top of all of that
I'm going to be very vulnerable with you
in October of last year I admitted
myself to msia Valley Hospital not for
drugs and not for abuse or anything else
but I just had a severe breakdown in
life I got in there for depression and I
got to sit down with the community of
the people that we are talking about
right now for 10 days every day on about
what their life was and you trust the
fact that I asked every question there
was a lady in there that was intent City
that I had fed that remembered me it's
not a problem of broken it's a problem
as we're broken but we're okay when you
leave Mia Valley Hospital you're not
allowed to leave until you have a
address to move into a transition
address address there was a man there
that was there for 60 days that had
light back in his life and he was so
grateful to be there he'd been sick for
12 years and he was so grateful for the
sobriety that he had had and messia
Valley was his angel I'm asking for
Grants to be made and make a village of
messia Valley and yes make our dreamers
come and let's give them cell phones in
life too but fix your community first
get grass from Mia Valley make a stadium
the system's already there thank
you thank you
is there anyone else on my left
side okay then we'll move over to the
right my name is Kate price and I'm
happy to be here today and see all of
you in person that I've only read about
it in the
newspaper and my husband and
I uh have been residents of Los cruus
for about 16 years now and we recently
built a
home out off of Fair Acres
Road and we were excited about the
election we watched all of the forums on
krwg and we decided who we were going to
vote for and we got to the precinct and
found out we couldn't vote because we're
not in a voting Precinct even though
we're living in Los cruus we use los
cruus City
Utilities and there's a lot of people
out there and so our question is is
there
some provision to expand or add
districts or I even thought maybe there
could be a category of citizens at large
that are were are aren't fortunate
enough to live in one of the districts
so I that's just the Pres the question
that I'm bringing to the council and I
appreciate being able to do this thank
[Applause]
you my name is Henry Young from the Lost
cruus gospel Rescue Mission and I'd like
to
really inform many of the business
owners that are behind me that we are
not part of Community of Hope many
people think that it is one big
organization on both sides of
Amador but uh Community of Hope didn't
start across the street until after the
turn of the
century the mission has been there since
1992 and and I want to give a little
positive input today we've heard the
negative and I agree with
it but I'm here to tell you that the
programming that we have at the mission
is
working we have seen many of those
people that have come from Mia Valley
Hospital that came to
us you hardly ever see the police at the
mission you see them a
lot at Community of Hope and nearby
streets we have a program that is
working I am going to attribute much of
that to the faith component that we add
with our entire
programming they do have to go to Bible
studies they have to follow rules they
work four hours a day many of them go
out on the street for work and then they
do go and shop and do other things but
when they come
back they have
to stop at the front desk be checked to
make sure that they are not carrying
anything back in we are a drug-free
alcohol free
institution if we can do it
there we can do it across the city it
will take time it will include all of us
but other cities have done it
neighboring cities and California have
done it LA's bad others are good instead
of like U Denver Colorado Springs is
clean thank you thank you Mr
[Applause]
y
I'm step l flowers uh ambassador of
Christ from the kingdom of heaven
otherwise known as Captain flowers
retired Merchant Mariner 15 years and
Civil Air Patrol Cadet Captain I've been
sent to Los crues to establish a
Ministry uh the uh Ministry objective is
to provide a place for those who do not
have one and we're asking the mayor if
he could provide a representative to
talk talk to me and I can debrief him on
the ministry and and also tell you more
about it and so uh if that's acceptable
I'm going to I'm going to sit down and
stand by and hopefully you could uh
provide uh contact information today if
you have a representative and if he
could be an attorney I'm an attorney as
well thank you very much
sir if you just leave your information
with the clerk and I'll get back to you
sure is there anyone else on the second
third row okay
fourth
good Richard Barella uh I approach this
council with uh some evidence of uh well
using my name for fraudulent purposes as
well as
defamation I've heard nothing back I
sent the letter with the evidence and I
do have the evidence uh councelor Ben
Koo I do have that
evidence I want to hear
back I didn't receive that
money but that paperwork says I
did I'm not going to name organization
or names I will do that in court if I'm
forced
to
also I carry that walking stick back
there not as a weapon not intentionally
but because LCPD uh broke my knee I
already had a broken
back and uh part of that defamation is
that it's some kind of uh deadly weapon
that I'm going to start beating people
with well no I have to I have to to beat
off pit bulls that are left running
loose
uh and I'm facing a criminal charge
because I was carrying something else to
protect myself from these dogs running
loose which is a second of the same type
of charge which is
false
uh everybody uh thinks that uh people
sitting up here and people with wearing
a badge are are some somehow
righteous not true not when there's
retaliation on their mind thank
[Applause]
you is there anyone on the same
role next
row
my name is Fred Huff also known as a
burnlight
guy um I had not planned on speaking
today but after listening to everything
I want to make sure I recapped
understood everything and can give a
recap first of all I do want to thank
profusely the three new counselors and
or the two counselors and the mayor for
stepping up to this this time in our
history we need you thank you uh to the
ex previous counselors um let me make
sure that I've understood everything
correctly that that I've heard today and
I can be corrected but it looked to me
what I've heard from Osa businesses that
almost all of the problems that that I I
heard today was focused on District 4
also the problems by the way I'm in
District 4 uh burn lake is in District 4
our problems and most of problems I
heard today uh started about four years
ago with the current counselor also what
I heard today a lot is the community
hope I was appalled yesterday when
somebody showed me the budget and the
amount of money being given to the
Community of Hope if you haven't looked
at it please do 6 million 5 million $7
million to this nonprofit
organization in the last few years and
projected for the
future so I think it's time that we do
do a
congratulations to the councelor of
District 4 for creating such a beautiful
magnet to bring crime and lawlessness
into our district so
congratulations thank you for job well
done thank
[Applause]
you good afternoon counselors I had not
intended to speak on any particular
issue today but I need to speak on this
my name is Joe rpr I'm a longtime
citizen of Las crusis I have many
concerns my concern today is very simple
I've listened carefully to all of the
comments that have gone before
mine many of them have been addressed to
the mayor and the counselors whether the
new counselors or old
counselors but as someone told me about
a year and a half ago when I started
being a involved more public in more
public projects Los cruus is set up as a
system where it's a mayor as a figure
but the city manager is the power no one
has addressed you Mr peely and I want to
take that opportunity
now I've met you and I like you we
shared some commonalities over a five or
10 minute conversation sometime last
year I remember it well I don't know
that you
do but many problems described today go
within the tenure that you have served
as city
manager and much as I want to give you
credit for coming in to a new place and
a new set of conditions from where you
came from or from what anything you
probably learned from I have difficulty
with this
situation we did not elect you we did
elect our counselors and our mayor and I
call upon them
now to
please pay careful attention to the city
manager's report which is on today's
agenda I believe and which should be
given more often along with more
comments and involvement on the part of
the manager during these
meetings and I ask you all to possibly
reconsider the terms of the employment
of the city manager thank you very
[Applause]
much City councilors and may ricas I'm
Sarah Smith from the New Mexico freedoms
Alliance I give my condolences to the
family of Officer
ernandes we have been pleading with you
to fix the crime drugs and mental health
problems plaguing our community for
years why didn't you pass any
resolutions to urge our legislature to
pass the many bills that could have
helped for instance maybe at you're
urging the legislature would have passed
the bills that were introduced to make
it easier for the courts to hold
dangerous criminals in jail to increase
the charges for drug trafficking in
possession of a firearm to strengthen
the three strikes law to increase the
penalties for organized theft from homes
and businesses instead neither you nor
our Los Cruz's senators or
Representatives spoke in support of
these bills and none of them passed
you've heard today from many people who
are suffering meanwhile the city is
spending Millions on housing first
programs to give homeless people housing
with require no requirements for
sobriety or accountability yet these
programs are not helping many of the
homeless to to reform their lives and
break free of their addictions there
have even been drug dealers housed in
your homeless housing project will you
please rep prioritize the city budget to
focus on Public Safety if your own roof
was leaking water into your house you
would stop buying new clothes or cars or
going on vacation in order to get your
house fixed first we need to do the same
thing with the city budget and
prioritize the safety and health of the
whole community over other projects
investing in the film industry and
buying electric buses are not the best
uses of our taxpayer dollars right
now please please invest more in mental
health and substance abuse treatment
please ensure homeless support is
resulting in rehabilitated responsible
lives instead of No Strings Attached
housing please hire more police officers
please enact ordinances to stop the
Catch and Release and repeat offenders
if that can't be stopped at the state
level we have to do it here please find
a way for defendants labeled as
incompetent to receive mental health
treatment instead of just being released
back onto the streets Public Safety is
the most urgent need our community is
facing the other projects can wait but
this has to get fixed right now thank
you thank
[Applause]
you is there anyone else on my right
side
good afternoon
Council my name is hir I'm a small
business owner and employer and I am
here uh saddened and by the loss of
Officer
Hernandez
um I heard I'm happy to have heard of
the complaints and the fears and a lot
of the Str feelings that my neighbors
have all very
warranted but we also what I heard is
that we have a lot of fear and a lot of
concerns about every time we step out of
the parking lot right and everywhere on
the city we feel
unsafe and the problem is that I see a
lot of calls for boots on the ground and
more police and the thing is that police
doesn't solve the problem right at best
shows up after the problem already
arised what we need is less poverty and
less homelessness and I know that it is
um Politically Incorrect to help the PE
the poorest people I know it is
incorrect to um build a community of
Hope and try to keep homeless people out
with those strings attached but what we
need is people to not be on the street
and it's hard to hear but if what we
need to do is have have give them free
housing with no streams attached maybe
that's what we need to do that's what
has worked in other places but you know
what hasn't worked more incarceration we
are the country that incarcerates the
most people in the world but we are not
the
safest I mean we could incarcerate more
like they did in Germany right back then
but that didn't work out so well either
so all I'm saying is yes I thank the
council for those Progressive policies
that have helped and some of them have
failed some of them have have not gone
right but it takes courage to do
something difficult different and go
against the tide and try to do what's
right for the community and so I know
everybody here has good intentions and I
appreciate everybody here listening
thank
[Applause]
[Music]
you good afternoon mayor city council my
name my name is Mary
Morgan uh and I am a um
Unapologetic data
nerd so the general fund in 2023
increased uh by what uh yeah and uh 18
more LCPD officers were
hired uh violent crime now
please do not shoot me when I
leave I am not
discounting any of your
firsters account ma'am at all you need
to speak into the microphone I'm not
discounting anybody's first person
accounts of the violent behavior that
they have witnessed over all in the city
violent crime is down by 18% and
property crime time is down by
4% um
nationally
homelessness has increased by
12% Los crues is not immune to those
kinds of
Statistics so a lot of you um I'm not
going to Discount their experiences
ever um and they do need to be heard I I
would love to come to a work
session to try to address these specific
needs in those
businesses um but mayor city manager and
counselors uh Chief Smith Chief story
you all have impossible jobs and thank
you all for having the good guts to put
your name on a
ballot thank you thank
you uh hello
Council uh my name is William Gilman I'm
uh Las cruus resident and a small
business owner as well and uh this is a
really hard time for our community my
condolences to the family of Officer
Hernandez it's really heartbreaking and
as well for the uh the the state of the
lack of safety that people are feeling
in our community and uh I don't really
want to I've been up here in the past to
say that we need real solutions to the
problem of homeless list and I do
believe that this even further proves
the point as people continue to remain
homeless and have their mental health
issues unaddressed we've heard heard
countless stories of what it looks like
and how it deteriorates and the violence
can escalate and we need something that
actually works and uh a lot of people
have said a lot about local Solutions
but part of the issue that people have
alluded to is a state level problem if a
person is arrested there is not always
an actual place for them to be put in
custody a person with severe mental
health diagnoses that some sometimes
can't be even prosecuted for
misdemeanors which is why they're often
released we have no model for that in
this country there's no sort of
therapeutic custody set
and we know that people uh who are put
in prisons often come out worse
especially people with mental health
issues um so what do we do it's a tough
question but there is a a working model
in the realm of special education uh I
used to work in a setting for special
education school with people with very
severe mental health diagnosis very
severe behaviors uh at one point I had
to disarm me and a fellow mental health
practitioner had to disarm and restrain
uh student student with schizophrenia
who was threatening to stab people uh
with a real deal sharp pair of scissors
uh and those systems work uh we see huge
improvements with those students and I
think we need to adapt that model for
adults so that when these people are
arrested they can be put in a placement
that keeps the community safe and
addresses their mental health needs and
hopefully diminishes the violence that
they are willing to commit in the future
and we need to petition the legislator
about it let
state
thank you anyone else on the right
side then that concludes our public
participation next on the agenda is the
Clos meeting statement which I will
read the Los Cru city council met in
Clos session at 11:01 a.m. on on
February
5th 2024 the following members were in
attendance myself mayor Eric henriquez
councelor cassley
McClure councelor Becky Graham mayor
protim hanana Beno councelor Becky Karan
counselor Ivon
Flores staff that was present was Ian
tamop
Paya Barbara bomo Sonia dogado city
manager
eoy uh
city clerk Christine
rivo risk manager Carl Conley and he
left at
11:31 uh City attorney Linda
samples outside council with Jessica
terasa Luise robbles outside councel
Bonnie dwit and uh also Chief Jeremy
story he entered at 11:31 a.m. the
meeting adjourned at 12:00 p.m.
statement for the record the Los crusa
city council met in Clos session and
only discussed those limited items as
stated in the posted notice the purpose
of the closed meeting is to discuss
pending litigation regarding Jennifer
Vega versus city of Los Cruses
d307
cv-20
23-2 I'm sorry
02717 which is closed pursuant to New
Mexico State Statute 1978 section 10
15-17 the other item to discuss pending
litigation regarding the estate of
Teresa
Gomez versus city of Los Cruses 23- cv
952 which is closed pursuant to New
Mexico State Statute 1978 section
10-15-17
next is the acceptance of
agenda but I'll need a motion to remove
item 7.1 for
discussion I move we approve the agenda
with item 7.1 up to change the exhibit
as
to move to the discussion agenda
please second by
Flores go ahead
Chrissy this is on the motion to approve
the agenda as presented and removing
item 7.14 discussion councelor mclair
yes councelor matis yes councelor Graham
is absent councelor cran yes councelor
flut is
yes councelor bomo is absent and
mayor
yes okay so we'll move uh with resolu
resolutions and ordinance for
discussions item 7.1 will be heard first
uh all we need is the exhibit a and and
then uh if you could stand for any
questions mayor we're going to need a
motion and a second first to approve and
then a motion and a second to
amend yes do we have a motion so move to
to hear it
first for
discussion second by
Flores
oh with this also comes a motion to
amend to replace exhibit a so move
mlar second by
Flores this is on the motion to amend
resolution 24- 083 to replace exhibit a
councelor M cler yes councelor matis yes
councelor Graham yes councelor cran yes
councelor flutes yes councelor Beno yes
mayor
yes so we'll go ahead and go with uh 7.1
resolution number 24- 083 a resolution
authoring the city of Los Cruses to
accept Grant awards for various City
departments through an amendment to the
city's adopted f y 2024 budget and
Charlie fle will
present thank you Mr Mayor Mr Mayor
mayor protet comoo city council City
management and staff my name is Charlie
Fiero budget analyst with the city of
Las cr's finance
department I'd like to thank you mayor
for taking this item off of consent so
late in the game just a quick little
background um the the exhibit page that
you guys hold in your hand right now is
the one that we are proposing to remove
from exhibit a now this came down from
the New Mexico HED director will glasby
this was a modification three that was
needed at this time that the plan has
change so that modification is no longer
needed so the change that I propose
today is we will be striking that page
page 38 of
465 um in the resolution
and that's the change that I'm bringing
today going to go ahead and stand for
any questions regarding this
change go ahead uh councelor Flores Mr
Mayor um thank you very much Charlie but
um can you just uh for the purp of the
public and for my edification can you um
explain exactly what the legislature had
in mind or what effect this
has I mean it has the effect that we had
to do all these motions and whatnot but
thank you for your question councelor
Flores so this modification three were
originally a staffing versus
anticipating staffing change hence the
reduction of of award amount um if you
need further clarification perhaps
someone from um police or Haida is
present that could elaborate on the
change that is no longer
needed mayor council Jeremy story chief
of police there was a a plan in place by
New Mexico heida to uh change the
fiduciary for heida that plan has
changed and as of right now it will
remain with the city of Los cruus and so
that is basically the reason for that
Amendment at the end
thank you Chief thank you Charlie thank
you Mr
Mayor there any other questions
Council
Christine this is on the motion to
approve resolution 24- 083 councelor
McClure yes councelor matis yes
councelor Graham yes counc cran yes
councel flotes yes councel bomo yes and
mayor
[Music]
yes thank you thank you Jordan next
we'll go to item 8.1 resolution number
24
084 move to approve
coren
second
MCL this next item is a resolution
authorizing an annual not to exceed
amount of 3 million for ground ambulance
services to American Medical Response
Ambulance Service Inc doing business as
American Medical Response AMR of Los
Cruses New Mexico for initial period of
5 years with the option to extend for
three addition one-year term subject to
renewals and approved budget
Appropriations procurement number 22-23
D21 Virginia and chief
Smith
no
good afternoon mayor good afternoon
Council Virginia Billa buer two for the
financial services department and before
you today is a resolution to award a p a
professional service agreement for
ground ambulance
services the Las cruus fire department
filed for a certificate of public
necessity and convenience with the New
Mexico public regulation commission to
provide ambulance
services on March 2 6 2020 the permit
was Pro tested by donana county and
American Medical Response or AMR for the
PRC to intervene as both entities
provided their own ambulance services to
the community on July 13th 2020 a
negotiation was uh a um after mediation
a settlement was reached allowing the
city to move forward with their
permit the sett the settlement
stipulated um that the city and county
would enter into a memorandum of
understanding stipulating that the city
will manage or provide for all ambulance
services for the entire County these
services will provide Advanced basic and
intermediate life support staffed
ambulances within an established
exclusive operating area to meet the
needs of the community the provided
services will be in unison with a
contracted vendor selected through a
request for propos proposal
process the city of Los Cruses I'm sorry
my slides got out of order the city of
Los crusis issued a competitive uh
request for proposal to select a
contractor or contractors for ambulance
services to provide a unified response
system throughout donana County uh one
response was received as part of this
RFP the selection advisory committee
recommended awarding the professional
service agreement to American Medical
Response Ambulance Services of Los cruus
New Mexico the agreement will be in an
annual not to exceed amount of $3
million the initial term of the
agreement will be for 5 years with three
one-year options to renew for a
potential total of 8 years and before
you are your
options FL thank you Mr Mayor thank you
so much for your presentation can you go
back to page three
please the one for the
settlement uh the
uh no was it maybe it was the last Slide
the last page yeah um so initial
fiveyear terms so from today's date till
2029 uh and then after that there will
be three one-year renewal options
mayor councel yes that is correct okay
so it would take effect March 1st of
this of this calendar year through
February of 2029 and then after that we
would have three options to renew for
one additional year for each
renewal and um Chief story Chief stories
I'm sorry Chief
Smith um was I remember the last time we
renewed that this contract uh this
agreement with AMR there was some uh
concern in terms of the services they
were providing and the services we
provide or maybe it was bvda I so so
it's surprises me and that was well that
was four years ago in
2020 so but now we're extending 5 years
so they've done a good
job mayor council Flores there the
contract that we're here to consider
today is the the first and many years
the city of Los crues is issuing uh we
are working collaboratively with Don
County Don county is making the payments
through us to AMR and we'll be
overseeing an ambulance oversight
committee as well as the contract for
amr's
performance okay but we Serv as the city
Only in the service the county only or
but but the city is within the county uh
how does that work councelor Flor so the
the contract we're seeing and if if the
mayor and Council so chooses I could
expand a little bit more on the the
details of our response if that would if
that would help
[Music]
yes
I'm going to jump in here uh councelor
Flores so in the RFP we we proposed
something that that I think is a little
bit Innovative and improves our our
system for response we have several
response zones that we're creating
within the county one in the north one
in the South and then we have the
central zone that does encompass the
city of Los Cruses as well as a denser
population area immediately around the
city within the city of Los Cruses we're
proposing the most critical calls
um be taken by the Los crues fire
department we respond as primary uh
resources to that with our engines and
trucks as well as our Squad program or
ambulances sometimes referred to as
rescues so our call list that were
primary on and the uh main response for
transport calls for CPR gunshot wounds
stabbings mvas motor vehicle accidents
uh stroke chest pain and officer
distress calls we have another level
within that response area that are also
critical calls that AMR will be
responding to and the time standard for
that is 10 minutes and 59 seconds and
then we have non-critical calls within
the same area that has a lower response
that's the the the piece of innovation
and Improvement where we are creating a
tiered system based on the call severity
so that they get the right resource at
the right
time
so a little bit more into the the
performance measures of the contract we
have the North and South and we have an
outside rural area uh where just the
drive time is so far from any population
Center we just want an ambulance
responding
there uh we also have standards for
clinical excellence and also customer
safety and customer service
response so here is a just a short
Matrix of of the two areas or the three
areas we have the north Zone which will
have one ambulance in a level of effort
type model this is Staffing an ambulance
in the north basically the hatch area
north of rium Springs uh one unit 24
hours a day every day the South Zone uh
includes three units at Chapparal
Anthony Sunland Park those units are
dedicated to those two regions North and
South the central zone is made up of
three different areas your Urban which
is the city of Los cruus as well as our
population density City uh around the
city a rural which is within 18 minutes
and 59 seconds of drive time from the
center of the city and then anything
outside of that area as you know the the
county encompasses is a large area uh is
just a level of effort we want a
ambulance responding to those
calls here are performance measures uh
we have customer service surveys that
AMR will be doing as well as surveys on
safety there's also a clinical report
card we're implementing this review of
actual procedures and interventions
provided by AMR and amr's employees and
if they do exceed a certain level they
can have any liquidated damages for uh
poor response times uh removed from I
guess from their penalty from their
fee some additional things that we're
requiring in the contract there is a
maximum mileage amount they can have on
their apparatus we specify the size of
the fleet that they have to Main
maintain as well as meeting the national
standards for their apparatus we have a
provision for equipment restock that's
used by First Responders so the local
fire departments will be restocked with
equipment and guidance on standardizing
the equipment we use things like cardiac
monitors that they're equal and the same
across all services that are uh
providing EMS care and then we do talk
about report writing uh compatibility
wanting to make sure that we can share
our electronic reports with each
agency uh some of the penalties that are
included in the contract uh you have for
non-compliance with our our response
times there's a fee for $500 for every
tenth of a percentage point and then any
extended response time is $250 per call
in a penalty and those can't uh seek
relief through patient
care but the maximum times you see on
the right hand side of the uh ambulance
maximum 2159 within the urban and
3759 any call exceeding that time uh
results in a penalty to
AMR so with that I'll probably stand for
more
questions Mr Mayor if I
may I have another
question are you good councilor thank
you okay thanks so um so from in those
four years uh were the same uh
measurements or those same uh what was
it the checkpoint uh checking to make
sure that they're working within the
time of um you know the response time
were there any
um were there any instances of not um
responding AMR not responding within
those response times mayor councelor
Flores
I would say that there there have been
uh calls where they have not responded
to within the response time outlined
with the contract with the county
currently I do know that hiring and
maintaining Fleet and ordering new fleet
has been a challenge uh since the covid
pandemic AMR was uh subject to the same
type of um challenges in that way as
well as maintaining their Staffing I
don't think in the last couple of years
there has been any uh quarter where they
have met their response time Matrix with
the county they have not that's my
understanding yeah so okay well I'm just
wondering about that working
relationship and the safety of our
community and I know there was just a
well at least I saw it as a big to-do
the last time we visited this agreement
so yes councilor Flores and I would
agree and I think that's where we start
talking about the Improvement and the
innovation in the system that we have
created two dedicated zones in the North
and South for units that are there for
911 response and we have a multi-tiered
response system that we're going to
establish within the core population
center of the county so the city of Los
Cruses as well as just outside the city
okay and then there will be U
intermittent checks on all the keeping
the stats the times and all that yes
Council Flores we're even going to be
pursuing a a third party uh vendor to
review the response data and metrics
from both the cat from Valley Regional
dispatch as well as AMR to actually
report on their performance standard and
have all the um issues been resolved
with mvda because there was an issue
there too in terms of how they were uh
channeling or communicating with either
the city or uh
AMR wasn't there some issue there I mean
I can't remember what I had for
breakfast so you know four years is for
this not that I can I can recall okay
great thank you so much uh Chief thank
you Mr
Mayor any other questions from
Council okay I don't know if uh AMR if
uh you have anything you want to add
or good excuse me good afternoon Mr
Mayor uh City councilors my name is waen
Graham I'm the regional director for uh
gmr which is the parent company of
American Medical Response uh I happen to
live here in Los crusis Los crus is my
hometown and I grew up as a paramedic
serving in Los cruus with AMR and
another company over the years but uh I
think Chief Smith started one of the
introductions with something I
wholeheartedly agree with is this
contract is very Innovative uh this new
contract is very Innovative and holds us
to different standards and and really
develops what we were looking for is
that of a partnership right so it's no
uh secret that uh councelor florus as
you mentioned we've struggled with
response time performance um most of
that is around our staffing param
excuse me we've done some very
Innovative work to increase the number
of staff that we have on hand that
number is coming up uh very very very
nicely for us and we anticipate that uh
meeting those response time performances
under the new partnership with the city
of uh Los cruus and their fire
department and rescues is going to be
something that's uh very achievable and
we look forward to working with you all
on that thank you for the opportunity
thank you very much walking thank
you
this is on the motion to approve
resolution 24- 084 councelor McClure yes
councelor matis yes councelor Graham yes
councelor cran yes councelor FLOTUS yes
councelor bomo yes
mayor
[Music]
yes next is 8.2 resolution number
24
085 move to approve
Graham second
[Music]
Corin this is a resolution authorizing
an amendment to the FY 2024 budget to
adjust the bonds designated a state
shared gross receipt tax Improvement
revenue bonds series
2023a and amend the FY 24 vehicle
acquisition fund Rosio yes good
afternoon Rio gamb budget analyst to I'm
bringing a resolution to um accept
budget adjustments for FY
24 these budget adjustments do not
include any um new programs or policy
initiatives the data presented is
summarized um please refer to your
packet for any questions the amendment
includes a vehicle acquisition an
amendment to the vehicle acquisition
fund for
police okay our first adjustment is um
to adjust uh the budget adjustment is to
issue the budget cost related to the
debt issuance for
ssgt
2023a bond for the fire equipment for
fire
equipment and the first fund 23 nmfa
equipment for the fire department we
have um an increase in revenues of 5.5
million for loan
proceeds and the same fund for the fire
department um
5.5 106,000 5, 56,000 is going to
Rolling Stock 74,000 is for the debt
issuance
cost in fund 23 and MFA fire Debt
Service for the fire department we are
including
85,000 for the principal and interest
payments for this we need a transfer
from the hold harmness account of
92676 and that transfer includes a 112th
required to hold and that's to cover the
loan principle and interest payments and
that's going to go um transfer to fund
23 and MFA fire Debt
Service I'll hold for for
questions any questions by
Council okay thank
you this is on the motion to approve
resolution
24-85 councelor McClure yes councelor
matis yes councelor
Graham yes councelor Cran yes Council
flotes yes councel bomo yes mayor
yes next is board appointments and there
are
none uh next is a notice of proposed
ordinance there are two on the agenda uh
the first one is Council number Council
bill number
20- 021 ordinance number 363 an
ordinance approving a zone change from
R3 high density residential from the
south mske overlay to C1 neighborhood
commercial district from the south mske
overlay the subject property
encompasses 33 plus or minus acres and
is located at 541 comple Street the zone
change is to allow for the future
development of a commercial business on
the subject
property the other one is 10.2 Council
bill number
24-22 or ordinance number 3064 an
ordinance authorizing the execution
delivery of a loan and subsidiary
agreement loan agreement by and between
the city of Los Cruses New Mexico
governmental unit and the New Mexico
Finance Authority Finance Authority in
the total amount of 15 milon
$300,000 mayor can I ask for
clarification on
for the
ordinance yes I I have two questions um
forgive my newness but um we're the
final Arbiters on these um proposals
right if it kind of to borrow from the
legislator if um say historic
preservation and planning and zoning
vote no on this we still review this
right yes just to clarify okay and then
secondly um the R3 is there still
commercial availability in that zoning
designation just for my
curiosity just on good afternoon mayor
Enriquez city council city manager and
city of Staff uh Larry Nicholas
Community Development Department U the U
project we we are he from discussing it
before it comes before a hearing but
basically uh those designations were
reviewed and there is a uh allowed for
that rezoning to from go three to uh
commercial thank you just for cl clarity
thank
[Music]
you yes councel thank you Mr Mayor Mr uh
you know
who Mr nich I have questions about the
ordinance and it's procedural and
substantive I think um uh I believe uh
councelor McClure asked a very good
question to have more of a understanding
exactly where this is and all that but
by voting yes on this today it means
that uh we're bringing it forward for
further discussion full discussion so
you may be presenting all the data and
everything uh the whole the whole thing
right uh mayor Enriquez and Council
Flores that is correct we have a
prepared a
a council packet for that presentation
at the next city council meeting and it
will be just discussed fully about all
the compliances and the um uh in concert
with the Elevate Lo cruus thank you so
much Mr Nichols and U City
Clerk city clerk
oh U so miss city clerk misss uh Riva so
um we don't need to uh we just have just
one counselor has to say Bring It
Forward we don't need motions on these
current yeah thank you so bring It
Forward okay that was for Council bill
number um ordinance number 3063 now for
ordinance number
3064 Bring It Forward
McLure
next we're at city council member board
reports and comments I'll go ahead and
start with uh councelor
McLure I also wanted to Echo um my
condolences to Chief story and his
entire force
um I like you understand that words fail
in the gravity of these situations but I
think what you said the other day in
terms
of it it is a
calling and particularly enhancing
people with unique
skills and and that skill is is courage
and I think that that doesn't remove
fear it's going and doing it anyway
walking into that darkness and I'm I'm
very glad that we do have those who are
willing to do that
and I do see my job as trying to help as
much as possible to make your job safer
and more effective for the public so I
welcome any opportunities to look at how
we can do that so thank you that's it
thank you
mayor thank you Council
MTI again I'd like to offer my sincere
condolences to the family and I'll be
there I believe Wednesday at 10:00 at
Abundant
Faith and um I also realize that
today um a lot of our
citizens
uh actually have uh spoken and explained
to me and showed me that uh quite a lot
has changed since I've been on on this
city council and I appreciate their
words today their
stories it's quite an
eyeopener and I hope we can all work
together to make the uh improvements in
the safety the public safety issue for
the city of Los crues thank
you councelor grant thank you mayor I
too would like to add my voice to the
thousands um who are
expressing profound grief
condolences for officer nandez his
family his LCPD brothers and
sisters
um I I just want to I just want to
express that I'm holding you all in my
heart and in my
thoughts uh in a slight news item I'd
like to thank mayor enri
and councelor McClure for joining me at
the PAL boxing gym over the weekend on
Saturday we had some great amateur
fights um and again it's always so
uplifting when we have these community
events and have folks come into the gym
who have not been there in several years
uh who get to see the incredible good
that the city investment in this program
in the equipment in the people
um and the work that is it is enabling
so lots of fun again thank you
colleagues for joining me and
finally I want to speak directly to
Mayor protm
Beno um you
shouldered a lot today I want to
recognize how heavy that was and I want
to say here on the record that it is an
absolute honor to serve with you that
your passion your intelligence your
courage and your unyielding
capacity to carry this
heaviness to walk through the world that
you the way that you do and to
inevitably be the brunt of this kind of
criticism it is not unseen it is not
unfelt and I am here with you and for
those
who would like to leverage all of the
blame on one member of council um I
invite you I invite you to speak with me
also to speak with me directly to call
me out
directly
because I am here with you and for you
mayor pram Beno thank
you
thank you I join my colleagues and in
Sharing grief and carrying uh officer
herandez and his family and all of
LCPD as we navigate this and and
understand the context of of all of the
emotions that are that are coming out
now and
um so I I continue to carry that Chief
and and officers as you as you move
through these days
um uh I I'm going to speak about
something that I experienced yesterday
and and really put this in context um
yesterday uh mayor mayor and I had the
opportunity to attend a veterans court
treatment graduation um which at at The
District Court down the street it was an
extraordinary sort of experience that I
had never um anticipated it it showed
what a community can do when you see
someone who has needs and um rally
around them and support them and the
folks who do veterans treatment Court um
are doing extraordinary things and
supporting supporting those folks
through their Journeys um and first of
all I just want to say that's
extraordinary they got an award um and
and uh shared a lot about what what they
do and how they do it it is a really
complicated subject that that for which
there is no easy solution um in this
case all I could
think in addition to admiring the folks
who were who were sharing their stories
and committed to supporting those folks
working through um the criminal justice
system and their addiction was um you
know this is a model that and there's
one person on our Council I know who has
been committed to doing this kind of
work and that's councelor bomo and so um
when I hear folks excoriating her I I
realize how uh they perhaps don't
understand how extraordinarily
complicated uh these issues are and how
extremely hard councelor bomo has been
working on it on on these issues and
thinking about them in complicated ways
[Music]
um I also would would urge folks to
direct their ey at me I've been here I'm
proud of the decisions that we we make
collectively and I will continue to look
to councelor bomo as the person who
thinks about things uh in ways that are
different and so um in the way that
she's not alone and in the way that I'm
here to work on complicated issues with
my colleagues collaboratively and and
moving us forward and not leaving folks
behind which frankly was the gist of
veterans court yesterday and what I
understand uh they're doing in our
community um I'm here for it and it's
hard work and and I'm willing to do it
and and looking forward to working
together with you all to do so so um
that's all I have to
say councilor fres uh thank you Mr Mayor
um I too again um extend my condolences
to uh Chief story to
uh your fellow officers your your
officers and um and the community we
we've lost an officer in the line of
duty and
um and I'll be there tomorrow as well
um I I uh also align with uh what um
counselor Graham and councelor Corin
have said regarding the uh I I really
saw it as bashing of uh mayor protm uh
mayor protm bomo I know she's worked
very very hard uh she's worked with the
governor's office she's worked very hard
on many many issues that are the root
problem that contribute to the situation
we're in I would also like to say that
uh we have to be awfully naive or
downright ignorant to think that four
years being on city council her her four
years on City Council made a uh made all
the difference and it was uh the
contributing factor major contributing
contributing factor to homelessness I
mean that's awfully naive and um and I
just want to say to our fellow residents
that
uh all of us out here up here
um I have to say this honestly all the
elected officials here um are here
because we really love people we really
understand the root problems and all of
us here you know we're not here uh we're
not here for the money we're you know
and and um most of the counselors up
here people have other jobs to so that
they can and nonetheless they're able to
contribute wholeheartedly and um to be
here and there and go up to Santa Fe and
Lobby or
our elected
officials and um so I just I just want
to say that um and then um and then I'd
like to report on the um boards that I'm
on uh I'm the leaz on to the City Art
board and it's getting ready for the uh
annual uh we had our first annual me Las
Cruses last uh
April and um and I believe this year is
April 2 yes it's April 27
and um if that event last year was the
highest I had the highest attendance of
any event historically that the city has
had and uh former mayor proem and I had
the pleasure of meeting um these
companies or whatever that promote
cities I don't know what they're called
but anyway we they they really love
they'd never been to Las cuses they were
here they loved it um and so we're
anticipating more even more people uh to
attend and the City Art board is working
on the chalk the uh chalk art the one
that's on the sidewalk and the uh
presentations last year were were
Dynamite so and then also um on the
Animal Service
Center uh Barbara
benom and I
um attended the meeting with um with uh
Clint Clint that ther uh we went over
the the uh we went over the the budget
and uh the proposed budget and uh and
it's pretty it's pretty good we and
Clint has uh theer has been working hard
at getting another veterinarian because
everybody recognizes that we have a
shortage um and and uh you know so
they're in the meantime making do with
what they can and there has been a the
the Animal Service Center Clinton has
been looking for another um
veterinarian and um we hope uh hopefully
uh he she will be with us soon um and
then our community um uh we have a joint
Powers agreement with the uh Lo uh lasus
school board so um regarding the joint
uh Powers agreement is for the uh lasusa
Community
Schools and um every just about every
minute and um counselor um Graham serves
as a chair of that committee and it
seems though in the four five six years
I've been on that yeah um there's like a
new school added on and the concept it's
a it's a concept that started many many
years ago many decades ago maybe a
hundred years ago in New York and um and
you bring the entire community community
in where the parents are participating
and uh with their children's uh classes
and um their
education and there's a lot of success
um it's uh aligned with the um
Nea and we have the representative at
any rate I just want to share that
I uh from where I'm sitting we have a
thriving community of people who care
people who are doing everything that can
possibly be done to have a better world
for everybody and I just can't speak
highly enough for of U the work that the
the jpa uh that I'm on uh my my fellow
counselors sit on different boards as
well and um anyway I just uh just have
to L uh my colleagues and uh that's it
Mr Mayor thank
you thank you mayor
proten thanks mayor
um I just want to say that I have felt
um deeply s
by the loss of Officer n this
um it has had a pretty profound impact
on
me
um it feels weird to thank thank you but
I just I do want to just Express how
grateful I feel for the leadership of
Chief story in this incredibly tragic
moment
um you're you're a deeply courageous and
thoughtful leader and I just really
appreciate you um I also want to
appreciate iani
um and Mar Enriquez and Barbara and EO
for
um just the way that you all LED through
last week but for sure definitely UI
Connie I really appreciated the
communication I wrote a comment I wrote
something because I knew I was going to
cry as everybody knows I cry
often
um I'm not even going to read it now it
sort of feels a little bit pointless
but um
you know
so societal problems um challenges are
not just the sole responsibility of
government or of
nonprofits um they're our they're our
responsibility as a
community I think the question of what
could I have done what could we have
done to prevent such a tragedy will
always stick with
me um I think it'll always stay with me
um but I know that through lots of
therapy that um shame and guilt and
blame are like dead weight
emotions sadness
can turn into anger and anger can turn
into action and that's sort of how
I um see this moment I think we have to
reject calls for
divisiveness um I think we have to
reject calls that feel
malicious and I'm GNA not going to lie I
think today I was coming in feeling
pretty emotional but um I knew that
there was a meeting last night by
business owners and I think um for quite
some time I've been hoping that
there's
um you know real solutions presented
that we can work together in a good way
and today um through all of it I I find
myself creating space to honor people's
grief and to honor people's anger and to
honor people's feeling of um that
they're not safe I honor that deeply and
I hear
that I I think um unfortunately the
moment that you know you you sort of
cheer and um laugh at my expense I think
that sort of
um unfortunately creates
a different narrative for me that
perhaps this isn't in good faith um but
I'm not going to do that I'm not going
to I'm going to reject that as much as I
can um because I believe that we can
build we can build real safety
um I understand
that my
framework um that My
Philosophy
um of trying to interrupt systems that
dehumanize
people I I understand that that's
uncomfortable for a lot of people
understand that's just who I am at my
core so
um that's how I will move forward
through the work um
and
um thank you for your lovely comments
um I I I work incredibly hard I I know
no other way my parents did not leave me
generational wealth um they left me a
strong work ethic so that's what I will
do and I will keep working hard um for
my district the one I live in and the
one the one I deeply love as much as um
I love last crues so apologies for
rambling I think I just um find myself
in a lot of reflection about what
happened and I just want to continue
being a good partner to the chief to my
colleagues and to community members and
Advocates who um want to find real um
real solutions for real safety
thanks
thank you mayor
protim um I also will be attending the
funeral tomorrow for officer Jonah
Hernandez um it was it was a heavy
week and uh so councelor Graham uh thank
you for the invite it was great to see
our youth in this community with an
activity showing their skills and their
talents so being at the pal gym that
that was great uh
councelor Karan you're absolutely spoton
uh there there is so much the veterans
treatment Court it it was great to see
people who were committed to a change
and change their lives and it starts
with them and they followed the
treatment they followed the plan and if
we all work together we can we can work
on on issues that that are that that we
are all dealing with whether it's mental
addictions things of that nature that
that there is help and we just got to
put those resources together it was it
was really great to see um I thank uh
city manager and staff for the budget
Retreat that we attended and uh I I'm
very optimistic I I I like what what was
presented uh there's a lot of things
moving forward and a lot of the public
comments that came today was was things
that we're we're we're already looking
at identifying and moving in that
direction and there's there's more that
we need to build on and we understand
that and that's why as as I as I sit up
here it's it's not one individual's
fault they can't they can't point the
finger at any one person it's a
community issue it's a community problem
but as a mayor and Council we are
leaders up here and we take that with
full responsibility we will be
responsible and we will be accountable I
look to the city manager as as uh do we
need a work session or I'm willing to
address those issues at the uh state of
the city address so those are some
things that we can do to to to to move
forward um also as we make our comments
now I can see that uh no one's left in
the audience and uh it's there's
sometimes that there's information
that's not correct and maybe we could
clarify some of those things so one of
the things moving forward I'd like to
see this start taking place in April but
uh we're going to change the agenda and
we're going to put the com public
comments right before the in counsel
comments and hopefully uh with the clerk
uh we can and or legal we we can make
that agenda change so that it's right
before our comments so that not to get
into a debate or or discussion but at
that point they can they can hear some
of our comments and what we're working
on and the other thing is a signup sheet
because I'm going be honest I can't I
can't figure out the row and
so there their right side my right side
their so uh we'd like for staff to
create a signup sheet so those
individuals that wish to speak at public
participation to to sign up put their
name their address and so we have it for
the record and uh if they want to
include the topic that's fine but I I
think those are some of the things that
we need to do uh and and moving forward
and I'd like to see that uh take place
hopefully in April
um well on another note as uh
public uh participation on my part uh
where the Los cras Public Schools is
going to have a benefit on Friday
February 23rd it's a thoria rolling
contest so I signed up for it uh
counselor florides has already told me
I'm not going to win because I haven't
been practicing but it's a benefit for
the Los Cruses public school so this is
my my bid to if you want to go see me
make a somewhat round tortilla it's for
a benefit for our lost crues Public
School it'll be at the convention center
at 6 PM uh so join me if you can Friday
Friday the 23rd um I have a vague
recollection you know that there used to
be these fundraisers where little kid
little kids myself included would be
like oh just pay me 15 cents for every
lap I swim and then I it turns out I
could swim like a thousand laps and
people were on the hook for a bunch of
money is there a similar model for us
your tortillas like is there a per
tortilla sponsorship
or I'm not sure I'm I'm not sure what
the they're selling tickets uh you can
look for it through Los crues
publicschools.org and I I think they're
they're selling tickets too as a
fundraiser there you go
yes thank you yeah 6 PM I'm open to
being grifted though if you're up for
making 100 tortillas I'm I'm here for
it okay thank you it's going to be it's
not going to be a quantity thing it's
going to be the quality
correct yeah I said he going to lose but
but I'll make a bunch of minis for a
fundraiser okay I'll with that I'll turn
it over to the city manager thank
you thank you mayor and Council uh just
a couple couple items have been given to
me by our departments um just to
reminder February 24th is our government
Communications day so that's in honor of
our communication and so give kudos to
them so also VC visit Las Sun Seekers
trail pass has launched um it's a free
mobile friendly passport that includes
information on over 20 Trail
locations and then uh the neighborhood
dumpsters as well February 24th
um at Paul's ball uh parking lot and
then T Tony go Gomez Park and then Harry
Henry Ben Community Center from 8: to
noon um and then uh mayor council if I
can just just have one comment here um
I'll I'll keep the rest brief with my
report here but
um there was a a comment made which I I
I want to highlight and I'm grateful for
the comment that was made because that
was probably Mo the most enlightening
comment I think if people really listen
to um like this woman uh in the back I
um she's absolutely right the the form
of government we have is a council
manager form of
government and uh like I said if if
everybody understood
that um this would be in my this would
be lining up in my office because the
way the the way the the council manager
from a government works is that city
manager is uh appointed to run the
operations of the
city and um one of the genius of that
role is that it takes the politics out
of out of that and that um we go
strictly on day-to-day and operations
and there are many people in the
community that understand that and um
both Chief story and myself had have had
opportunity to speak and to really
talk about facts um give real data
because the politics are aren't mixed in
to that the vitriol and the well they're
still vitriol but um certainly we can
speak more freely about facts and and
move away from the the politics if we're
talking about facts that um Police
Department in the last three years is
the general fund budget has increased by
25% um we spent close to $6 million on
just
vehicles um and so there's so many
programs so many things that our um
Chief and chief chief story Chief
Dominguez has been pounding putting into
work as um and if if they would
just U people understood that rather
than um pointing fingers at the mayor
and councel um I think there'd be more
productivity in the convers ations that
we have um because they there's absolute
truth in that and um and I'm happy happy
to sit down with anyone uh Chief story
as well we're happy to sit down with
anybody and talk about the plans from
from Administration what's been working
what's not um we've also asked for
Solutions and um haven't really got
gotten much from those that have come
what they have walked away with is
better understanding of how city
government works and um the things that
we're doing and the things that again
are not
working U but I will say
the what the council does
have um what is the what the council is
responsible for is approving our
budget and the council has approved
every single thing that we've brought to
you certainly since I've been here there
have been no push back when it comes to
Public Safety um and so I I want to make
that
known because that is that is a fact no
matter how the council and mayor feels
about uh what needs to happen there's
been no push
back um so any thoughts about
defunding um I don't know where that
misinformation is coming from but um I
can tell you as your city manager
um there has been no no talk about that
at least at least with me was the only
employee of the city mayor and city
council and so I just wanted to make
that known and and then also again I
would spread that I would tell the the
people that uh because you know what the
role of government we have and so that
they'll understand and that we can meet
um with the politics aside and we can
talk about um again some of the things
that we're doing that was working that's
not um and in all my years I've never
had a mayor and Council that has um has
worked so
hard with the solutions because your
your role is really
policy but you've worked so hard in
trying to come up with Solutions and um
I get I get stuff all the time from from
you uh Council about things that we
should try we should do um just from
looking at looking at other cities and
so I wish there were wish the crowd was
still here um so that can be said but um
I appreciate the comment ma'am earlier I
appreciate that because that's where you
should be looking and that's where the
people should be
looking but um I appreciate the
opportunity and um I I stand with uh
Chief story when he says you know I we
want to make sure that uh officers
Hernandez um is honored and that um you
know his death isn't in vain and so
we'll continue we'll continue to push
we'll continue
to to try and try and uh come up with
Solutions and um we've never slowed down
Council hasn't neither has has staff and
so just wanted that to be out there
there in the public uh setting I've said
that before but um it doesn't seem to to
register and so um I'd like to say it
again and again appreciate the comment
and
opportunity thank you Senator manager
peely um so looking to
adjourn so move by Flores second
[Music]
Graham this is on the motion to during
the city council meeting councelor
McClure yes councelor matis yes
councelor Graham yes councelor cran yes
councelor flotes yes counc bomo yes
mayor
yes