thank you
very much
foreign
thank you
[Music]
thank you
okay good afternoon everyone Welcome to
our city council meeting today is Monday
September 19 2022
before we have our Pledge of Allegiance
I'm going to ask if you please rise for
so we reflect back on the brave men and
women of the United States armed forces
they protect our interests around the
globe as well as the courageous men and
women of Las Cruces Police Department
and Las Cruces fire department as they
keep our city safe 24 7.
and also before we begin our pledge Las
Cruces lost one of our heroes this this
weekend a young man by the name of Abe
Romero so a moment of silence for he for
him as well
pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the
Republic for which it stands one Nations
okay thank you
okay as we begin always with our pets of
the week and Jennifer Martinez from our
Communications office will introduce
them
good afternoon mayor and Council I'm
Jennifer Martinez with the city's
Communications office and first I'm
going to introduce you to our cat Binks
Binks is a little scared of new
situations but does quite well around
other cats dogs and kids if you give her
a little bit of time she'll be the
sweetest Kitty that you would have ever
have met she's had two previous homes
but hoping that this next one will be
the one and then we have Okie
Okie is the center's longest canine
resident right now at more than a year
and he is having a hard time
understanding why he has a lot of energy
but really just wants to get out and
exercise he does well with other dogs
but does need a cat-free home he can sit
for treats and he's great in a crate and
volunteers who take him for walks say he
is a very gentle sweet boy if you'd like
to eat I meet either of these two please
visit the ascmv.org website and get
their animal numbers and then make an
appointment the number to call is
382-0018 there's also an adoption event
going on this weekend at the farmers
market that does take place downtown
from 9 A.M until noon thank you mayor
okay thank you Jennifer next we're going
to have Giselle balamatis I think she's
going to from the Workforce Connection
is going to do our jobs of the week
good afternoon mayor and members of the
city council for this week's the jobs of
the week we have city of Las Cruces they
are hiring for Deputy City attorney
we also have Stellar solutions they are
hiring for defense opportunities
software developers Saputo cheese is
needing to fill 10 positions for cheese
packing operators
um NMSU is hiring for facility
maintenance technician for 15 an hour
and the electronic caregiver they're
hiring for a customer relations
specialist for a full list of jobs
please feel free to visit Las Cruces
Dash Las cruces.org and planm.com or
governmentjobs.com forward slash careers
forward slash Las Cruces
for the notes of this week we have an
employer connection event on Wednesday
September 21st from 9 A.M to 11 A.M as
well as 1 30 to 3 P.M the event will be
held as a New Mexico Workforce
Connection office which is located at
226 South Alameda Boulevard
and as always for any information
regarding the jobs that you've heard of
today you can always contact the
Workforce Connection office at
575-524-6250 or you can go to the 226
South Alameda Boulevard office thank you
mayor thank you Giselle
okay so I'm going to change the agenda
around just a little bit earlier you
heard me mention that we had a moment of
silence for one of Las Cruces Heroes who
a young young man who played High School
football for Oregon Mountain high school
and he
lost his battle over the weekend and so
his family is here with us today and
we'd like to have a proclamation that
we're in a bank and I'm going to ask if
they join us up here please
the mother and brothers and sisters
I want to ask my colleagues to join me
as well
so we're going to choose the 22nd
because
that of course is his number and and
always remember it because the 22nd is
my wife's birthday so I thought that
would be pretty good so every 22nd we'll
always be here for you
okay whereas Abraham Wyatt Romero was
probably born here in the city of Las
Cruces on October 31st 2004.
and whereas at a very early age his love
and passion for sports began when he
started playing baseball he loved to be
on the field and whereas he was in the
sixth grade he tried out to be on the
School's football team at Mesa middle
school and he wanted to become a rattler
Abe had never been to a football
practice he had no experience whatsoever
in football but he had a hunger to start
something new and whereas Abe has always
been up for the challenge and football
was his new goal to accomplish he tried
out for the team and a few days later he
was accepted to be a rattler and whereas
a ape gave it all at every game season
after season until his time came to
become an Orton Oregon mountain night
and whereas as a freshman Abe was on the
baseball team and also on the football
team his family would only see him for
about an hour a day as his life revolved
around school and his dream and that is
being in sports
and whereas although he was told
constantly that he was too short for
sports as he was only five foot four he
would not let that stop him his desire
to prove everyone wrong only made him
stronger on and off the field
and whereas in the 10th grade Abe made
the decision to commit to football 100
percent he lived the sport but most of
all he loved his team his brothers and
the organ Mountain Knights became his
family
and whereas Abe had the biggest heart
his smile would brighten any room he
walked into and his personality would
make a friend out of anyone
now therefore we the mayor and City
Council of Las Cruces New Mexico do
hereby Proclaim Thursday September 22nd
2022 has Abraham Romero day and
encourage everyone to treat each other
like family watch out for each other
encourage each other and act with
thought and care for each other I tested
to my Christine Rivera our city clerk
and signed by myself Ken miyagashima
thank you
and also we want to express We There are
various fundraisers throughout the city
and I believe there's also a GoFundMe
account to help with expenses and I know
various businesses around the city has
have done their best to help us out as
well and I also want to point out a
couple of my colleagues Drew and and
Patrick in the back and and Jacob for
all their all their work and again we're
here for you anything you need from us
please let us know
foreign
okay now I'm going to ask if uh Ronnie
Medina
would come is she here
if you want to come forward and and
Carolyn you want to
introduce your the
committee as well as uh recognize the
our top teams
good afternoon everybody
the mayor and the council
good afternoon everyone I am the
committee chair for the mayor's top
Tunes this group of kids is our 16th
group of kids so we've been going on for
quite a few years
and these are the kids that have had
hardships in life struggles in life but
have stayed in school have made their
grades and just just one of a kind of
students that we want to recognize today
this program started in 2007.
with uh Bill Matisse with zamir at that
time
and then
mayor magashima came on and has been
with me since day one
and uh so it's a quite an accomplishment
for these kids we are funds are relied
on by the community we don't get
anything from
the city the state or nothing we get
from the committee that goes out and
gets from the
Las Cruces committee community and so
I'd like to thank all of those who
contribute to this great Foundation
um let's see here's my might have
committee members here if you would
please stand out and introduce you
sorry
Rudy tortoise is my vice president and
he's the photographer the one that takes
the pictures
hi and their next team is Karen Warren
she's a communication uh
for all the kids she's the one that
needs their correct emails the correct
phones to communicate with you kids as
to the stuff that is going on
and we have a new one who just came on
to a Tallulah
Chula
she's new
I still have to learn her name
but I know she's a lot of help
thank you
um and that's all the comedians I have
now
it's a truela Holstein and I've been
with her since day 366 so he says day
one but then she was talking about mayor
Matisse so you know it was a year later
so I was on day 366.
okay been good all right so now we're
going to go ahead and I'll turn over to
we're going to bring each top the world
was changing this every year we never
seem to stay consistent so how we're
doing it this year a couple of years we
didn't do it
so you all have your number so we'll
start with number one you just come to
the podium state your name in the high
school and we'll give you a plaque
hi my name is Samantha Ellum again and I
go to Mayfield High School I'm a senior
and I want to double major in aerospace
engineering and mechanical engineering
[Applause]
hi my name is Jenny Castile I'm a senior
at Oregon Mountain High School I plan on
attending law school at the University
of Arizona
foreign
I go to Oregon Mountain High School I'm
a senior and I plan on majoring in
criminal justice
good afternoon I'm Tess Fuquay I'm a
senior and I attend Centennial High
School I will be attending the
University of Arizona in the fall of
2023 and majoring in pre-med and biology
thank you
my name is corneva Griffith I'm a senior
at Arrowhead Park Early College High
School I will be getting my associates
in science in May of 2023 and I continue
to pursue my education getting a
doctorate in aquatic Veterinary
[Applause]
good afternoon my name is Amberly
Hendricks I'm a senior at Centennial
High School and I hope to attend Hawaii
Pacific University and major in marine
biology
thank you
hi my name is Bailey Hines I am a senior
at Oregon Mountain High School and I
plan on majoring in theater and minoring
and teaching
[Applause]
hi I'm Liliana Hogan I am a senior at
Arrowhead Park Early College High School
and I plan on majoring in ICT at NMSU
hi I'm Toronto Haso I'm a senior at
Desert Springs Christian Academy and I
hope to study hotel and tourism at
Cornell University
[Applause]
hello my name is Ximena and I'm a senior
at Centennial High School and I hope
um to go to YouTube and study nursing
[Applause]
hi I'm Robert montivaez and I'm a senior
at Mayfield high school and I plan to
major in animal science
[Applause]
hi my name is Matt Montalvo I'm a senior
at Mayfield high school and I plan to be
majoring in some form of engineering
here soon
[Applause]
hi my name is Shreya mohamala and I am a
senior at Museo ballet Christian and I'm
plan on majoring in neuroscience and
minoring in business
[Applause]
hi my name is analia Munoz I'm a senior
at Oregon Mountain High School and I
plan on getting my doctorates in
psychology
[Applause]
hi I'm Sophia Phillips I'm a senior at
Centennial High School and I plan on
double majoring in digital film
production and journalism
[Applause]
good afternoon I'm Mia Salazar and I
plan on attending NMSU and studying
nursing
foreign hi I'm Vanessa Sosa I go I'm a
senior at Arrowhead Park Early College
High School and I plan to get a master's
in computer science
hi my name is Joseph Spicer I go to
Airhead Park Early College High School
and I plan on getting my Master's in
international business at Boston
University
[Applause]
hi I'm Evan Taylor I go to Mayfield high
school and I planned on studying
psychology
foreign
I go to I'm a senior at Mayfield and I
plan on getting my major in architecture
[Music]
[Applause]
hi my name is Lauren doe I'm a senior at
Arrowhead Park Early College High School
and I plan on double majoring in pre-law
and electrical engineering
[Applause]
hello everyone my name is Andres I am a
senior this year at Arrowhead Park Early
College High School in the spring I'll
be graduating with my associates of arts
and I have hopes to pursue social work
in the future
foreign
my name is Peter Vasquez and I go to
Mayfield High School I'm a senior and I
plan on majoring in cyber security
[Applause]
wherever
if you're shorter and you want to come
forward
foreign
[Applause]
wonderful congratulations everyone
we have two more proclamations today
um is someone from I see Ashley Curry
yay we have a proclamation for walk to
school week do you all want to come down
here
all of you are hard to miss today
thanks everyone go back to school
laughs
hello of course I'm so happy
come over follow Ashley
hello hi hello how are you
wonderful okay this Proclamation is in
honor of walk to school week
whereas the health and safety of our
children is the highest concern to the
citizens of New Mexico and whereas
making bicycle and pedestrian safety
improvements a priority can help protect
the lives and safety of the city of Las
Cruces Youth and whereas the city of Las
Cruces is working to add bike Lanes
Trails sidewalks and improve Street
Crossings to better connect our
neighborhoods and provide safer routes
to to school and whereas diabetes and
other health problems among children are
growing concern and being able to walk
and bicycle to school offers an
opportunity to build activity into daily
routine and whereas regularly walking
and biking to school can be fun and
increase students as Readiness to learn
and improve their state of mental health
and whereas an important role for
parents and Care caregivers is to teach
children about pedestrian safety and
become aware of the difficulties and
dangers that children face on their trip
to school each day and the health and
environment risks related to physical
inactivity and air pollution and whereas
in September and October Community
leaders parents and children from around
the world will join together for walk to
school events to increase awareness
about health and environmental benefits
of walking and biking to schools and
whereas walking to walking school buses
bike trains and celebrations of
international walk to school day have
proven to be helpful in encouraging
children to safety walk and bicycle to
school and in creating and promoting
local safe routes to school programs
across the United States and throughout
the world now therefore we the mayor and
City Council of Las Cruces New Mexico
do hereby proclaim the week of September
20th to 23rd 2022 as walk to school week
in the city of Las Cruces
and encourage all citizens of the city
to promote the safety and health of
children this month and throughout the
year by supporting pedestrian and
bicycle improvements modeling safe
pedestrian and bicycle behaviors and
practicing an active lifestyle signed by
our mayor kamiyagashima and our city
Clark Christine Rivera
[Applause]
would you like to say a few words yes
okay
thank you very much very much
um councilwoman
um
bring Como I very much appreciate being
here and to the city council and the
mayor and members of the public my name
is Ashley Curry I'm the safe routes to
school coordinator for the school
district and I'm very proud to welcome
our students from Booker T Washington
these are students who walk to school
every week and our staff from Booker T
Washington who make it possible for the
kids to have their walking program every
week this is many years in the making
and many many team members and partners
who've made this program possible so I
just want to thank the city for your
part in helping us have safe routes have
infrastructure in place sidewalks the
codes Department who helps keep our
Roots clean our law enforcement
department who helps us be safe on the
route and and then again the community
that that I have within safe routes to
school who help go educate the students
and go out and to be together so
International walk just school week is
just one week in the entire year that we
bring highlight and Spotlight to our
program 18 of our schools walk to school
every single week if school is on we're
on and five of our schools walk to
school every single month so this
program goes on all year long we also
have bike trains after school bike clubs
learn to ride clinics Family Bike faces
we do lots of things that are
encouraging kids to be out and about and
being active and being safe while they
are doing that so we invite any members
of the public I know some of I know
councilman Como is going to be at
MacArthur Elementary on Friday we have
an invitation to everybody to join any
of the schools that are walking this
week
so without taking any more time I'd like
to invite Eric um I'll uh Alec I'm so
sorry I like it come on up Alec has
prepared some words there you go friend
so Dear Mr Mayor and city council thank
you to you and the entire city council
for your hard work and dedication to
improving our beautiful city I'm a
student from Booker T Washington
Elementary School first off I just want
to say
I would not be able to write and present
this letter if it weren't for the
teachers they have taught us how to read
write and lots more our teachers
persevere to teach us they dedicate
themselves to their work they work after
hours to learn and more to teach
themselves to them wait
I ask that you please do something big
for teacher appreciation
Booker T Washington is a community
school and we are participants of the
safe walk program
we walk every Friday to Cordon Park to
our school this is a great experience to
learn about safety
I appreciate all the work
the city council workers do the city
workers do to keep our streets clean and
safe but we have had lots of rain lately
and the weeds don't stop growing so
I'm asking you to please keep the
sidewalks and weed free so we can
continue walking safely to school thank
you for listening
[Applause]
um do we have Xavier do you want to do
your show your picture
you can introduce yourself hi my name is
Xavier
I'm a student from Booker T Washington
and I want to show you guys this picture
first so she can take a picture right
there
thank you so much that's beautiful and I
think we're gonna there you go
and is there anybody else from the team
who would like to say a few words
thank you so very much for having us and
thank you for your continued support
year after year not just today and on
our special occasions but every single
week that we're out there with the kids
so thank you so much for your continued
support thank you okay sure
myself that's it
if you want to hold us I don't want you
to hold this so I'm going to photobomb
you guys
all right
thank you everyone good to see you
and and Ashley I I have I haven't
responded yet because I remember I told
you I'm gonna be out of town but I'll be
in Friday morning but I have to do a
ribbon cutting so I'll go to one of
these schools I probably just walk maybe
I don't know 50 feet turn around and get
in my car and take off if that's okay is
that okay thank you man good I I will be
at MacArthur on Friday so hopefully my
colleagues will
join as well
okay we have one more
is Christina Kristen Drake and anathea
Huckabee here
come on down ladies
hello
how are you good
seeing a Huckabee my apologies
um this Proclamation is on behalf of
Suicide Prevention month
whereas in the United States over 46 000
individuals died by suicide in 2020 and
the number of deaths from suicide
continues to increase including in New
Mexico where 520 individuals died by
Suicide and where New Mexico ranks
fourth in the nation for age-adjusted
suicide rates and whereas in New Mexico
suicide is the second leading cause of
death for ages 34 and younger the fourth
leading cause of death for ages 35 to 44
the ninth leading cause of death for
ages 55 to 64. the 14th leading cause of
death for ages 65 and older and is the
10th leading cause of death in the state
overall with over 58 of suicide deaths
occurring by firearm and whereas the
tragic loss of someone to Suicide has an
enduring effect on loved ones family
friends and the community
regardless of age gender race ethnicity
religion or economic status in the state
of New Mexico acknowledges and remembers
the precious lives of those lost to
suicide and the countless individuals
Left Behind to grieve their loss and
whereas in 2020 a significant a
significantly greater proportion of New
Mexicans aged 15 to 34 stop Medical Care
and emergency rooms and hospitals for
self-harm attempts then all ages of New
Mexicans and where a suicide attempt
survivors provide providers and
researchers who study suicide recommend
counseling to help find long-term
strategies to ease the emotional pain
that lead to expression of suicidal
ideation and attempts and whereas mental
health is part of overall physical
health and emotional well-being and
community-based Behavioral Health
Services that respond to individual and
family needs are co-effective and
beneficial to Consumers and the
community and whereas public awareness
of the warning science risk factors
healthy help seeking behaviors services
and resources available for people at
increased risk for suicide are essential
to decreasing the rate of suicide in our
communities across the state and an
important focus of the New Mexico
suicide prevention Coalition and whereas
it is essential to share the message
that is is always okay it is always okay
to ask for help and that individual
struggling with thoughts of suicide or
self-harm should be encouraged and
assisted in reaching out for help and
whereas in New Mexico the following are
phone numbers to reach out for help
dialing 988 for behavioral behavioral or
mental health crises the New Mexico
crisis and access hotline at
1-855-662-7474 and the Agora crisis line
at
505-277-3013 or
855-505-4505 now therefore we the mayor
and City Council of Las Cruces New
Mexico do here by hereby proclaim the
month of September 2022 as Suicide
Prevention month throughout the city of
Las Cruces signed by our mayor Ken
miyagashima and our city clerk Christine
River thank you both for all of the work
that you do
[Applause]
thank you so much
wow sorry I'm really loud so good
afternoon mayor and City Council Members
it is an honor to present and accept
this Proclamation from our mayor
proclaiming September of 2022 as a
suicide prevention month it warms my
heart to see
um our city leaders and state leaders
support mental health this strongly as
they do the Las Cruces Suicide
Prevention task force created by our
very own mayor Pro tem Cassandra Gandara
in 2017 has hosted our local recovery
event since its conception and continues
this year as a task force we understand
that recovery represents a journey
towards strong mental health as well as
a journey towards sobriety with the rise
in substance use in our region this
year's recovery event focuses on
addiction we are staying true to this
year's theme of recovery is for everyone
every person every family every
community
thanks everyone this year's event held
on September 30th is a two-part event
from 8 30 a.m to 4 30 p.m the event will
be held here in council chambers we have
speakers throughout the day discussing
recovery across several populations to
include veterans individuals struggling
with severe mental illness our senior
adult population and our lgbtq plus
Community
preceding this day Summit we will
continue our event at the Plaza De Las
Cruces for our recovery Night
Celebration that's from 6 pm to 9pm
please visit our website at
lcsuicideprevention.com for more
information
um we'd also like this opportunity to
thank our sponsors of recovery night
um the city of Las Cruces City Council
Members Western Sky Community Care La
Clinica de Familia in-kind sponsorship
from Peak Behavioral Health families and
youth Innovation plus and special thanks
to the Behavioral Health Services
Division recovery communities of New
Mexico for the provision of Grant monies
which made this event possible
thank you thank you so much yes
some more
of my big girl shoes today thanks so
much
thank you
okay thank you counselor I think Como
for those proclamations
now I'm going to go to the conflict of
interest statement this is where I'll
ask if any member of the city council a
city manager or any member of the city
staff has any known conflict of interest
on any item on the agenda none by Flores
none Graham Nan Gandara none
Aveda
okay none and now we're going to go to
public participation this is where
members of the public can speak to
council for a total of seven minutes uh
three minutes for public participation
four minutes for items on the agenda if
you if you have something you want to
talk about something that's on the
agenda if you could wait until that item
is heard we prefer that if you can't
then you need to leave please let us
know and then because the council won't
be able to respond to you if it's not on
the agenda yet even though it's printed
okay so I usually start on my left and I
usually start on the first row of course
there's no one there first second third
fourth row so we're going to the fifth
row and I just start on my to my
closest here but Lorenzo I think you're
just ready to go so let's go
hopefully you have money you want to
donate to the city is that
yeah
mayor City Council
my name is Lorenzo Alba I'm the
executive director of Casa peregrinos
I've brought a couple of my staff
members with me our volunteer
coordinator Teresa Sanchez as well as
our development coordinator Bianca and
Chaka
usually what we have you guys do during
hunger action month is do a proclamation
for us
we don't want to do that we want to
recognize you
as one of our partners in this fight
against hunger this month
we want to show you a token of our
appreciation for your continued support
for the partnership and more than
anything else for continuing this fight
with us
I've been doing this for 11 years and
you've been with me every step of the
way different Council people have been
here different city managers different
leadership in different departments
um you know I can I'd be remiss by not
mentioning Natalie Green and her staff
uh for all the help that they give us
but all of you that show up to
everything that we do
and to help us in this incredible fight
that we're in right we seem to get
better at it every year and I think with
this new building we're even going to
get better at it
we've got some other stuff going on
within the community that'll also help
us but we'd like to present something to
you that you guys can put somewhere here
and show people that we do this together
it's not simply about Casa peregrinos it
never has been it's always been about
this community for us
we realize that the only way to do
anything is to collaborate to work
together and it's a big situation that
we're in right now and you guys are
really beginning to push the envelope
and that's important to us
but again we want to thank you on behalf
of our board of directors
the staff the volunteers but more
importantly the people that we serve
those are the ones that we strive to
make a big impact on their lives so
without further ado
we have something for you and the mayor
or all of you can come down and we'll be
glad to give this to you
I'm going to speak very loud
it says an appreciation for our
partnership and your continued support
as we collaboratively work to fight
hunger in our city of Las Cruces
2022 hunger action month presented to
the city of Las Cruces
[Applause]
to get a picture with all of you
yeah this is very nice thank you very
much
I've been here for 11 years so I've
watched you as you've done a fantastic
job Lorenzo you know it's incredible how
you've taken this organization you and
your your team and you're right this is
a these are extremely challenging times
but yet you still seem to show up to
work with the of course your signature
grin and you're just you're just great
and you take a situation that's so
challenging and you make it seem like
it's you know I know there's a lot of
work you're like a duck on the top it
doesn't seem like a whole lot but on the
bottom those those legs are moving you
know and that's that's you you're always
making sure that people have food to eat
and this community would be in Dire
Straits without you and your team so
thank you very much for this
thank you
thank you all right thank you okay thank
you
so much
[Applause]
so next speaker let's see if you have
something to give to council as well
just kidding anyone else on the fifth
row
one did you want to say something
I just need your state training please
three minutes yes uh name is Juan Garcia
first of all I would like to thank
councilor Graham for attending last
week's CCI meeting it was great having
you as well as Council Gandara and the
mayor
contrary to President Biden's attempt to
demonize all who disagree with the
Progressive Agent we are just citizens
who care about our community and thank
you
Precision municipal judge Joy Goldman
has alleged the city's mayor planted
planted a judge on the bench as a means
to keep poor and unhoused people behind
bars when accused of non-violent
property crimes
I find the quotient of Sunday Las Cruces
son attributed to the judge very
troubling and if the allegation is false
it's very irresponsible coming from a
member of the Judiciary this type of
comments in my opinion
our expected quote from legislators and
members of the executive or from the Las
Cruces City Council rising stars but not
from a judge I applaud the mayor's
effort to resolve the rising crime issue
in Las Cruces
the comments Goldberg quote Goldwell
Bradford presiding judge on a campaign
which stressed alternatives to
incarceration for people living in
poverty unhoused is quote get out of
jail card free because nowhere is their
discussion
on how to address accountability and
responsibility by those who are alleged
to have committed a crime I guess law
abiding citizens who are affected are
expected to suck it up because
perpetrators are living in property that
premise is upside down since the victim
is twice victimized
Puerto De Las Cruces an article quote
goldbaum has previously said she butted
heads with Ryan while she was an
associate judge saying he resisted her
Progressive ideas such as DWI courts
homeless courts and other
problem-solving courts puts in question
judge goldblum's impartiality in pushing
against the appointment of Judge Ryan if
she is concerned he will affect herself
describe quote Progressive ideas I stand
behind you and the city council's vote
on August 1st thanks to McDevitt of the
Las Cruces son for highlighting some of
the behind the scenes political
cesspools in the continuation of turning
criminals into victims which really
concerns me since I I see and all of you
here or experience they impact crime is
having on our community I hope that the
rising stars as the council was
effectually known by the progressive
left don't cave thank you
thank you Juan when I have a chance to
find that email I'll let you I'll send
it to you I never asked for any type of
high Bond that's totally false so I
um I guess my server only goes back so
many days but it has shown me how to do
it so I'm going to figure it out here so
I can because I don't have those emails
anymore but I'll let you look at it but
thank you for those comments anyone else
on that row
I think a trip one of these times going
down there
I just need you to state your name
please three minutes
all right my name is uh Rick Renault
lifelong Las Cruces resident I live in a
counselor of lotus's District
my small business is in counselor
Graham's district and the embattled
Dollar Store businesses across the
street in Council of beta's District so
it's almost a quorum
so and I want to thank councilor Graham
for visiting the CCI Thursday meeting
councilor Gandara has already visited us
and the mayor miyagishma has also
attended
one more counselor and we've got a
quorum there of sorts anyway what I want
to talk today about is metrics the
metrics the measurements that Sarah
Smith has brought up
about the area around desert Hope
Apartments
and I want to give a report
since Sarah Smith called for metrics
it's two windows down to four windows
down they have four pieces of plywood up
there across the street
and there's a big population I I commend
the police for for more sweeps and all
but you're gonna have to have 80 000
policemen pretty soon because the
population around the desert Hope
Apartments is growing
you can drive around and see it when I
arrived my work in the morning there's
people laying on the Alley behind so
anyway
I am today respectfully asking again
to immediately initiate metrics on that
neighborhood
thank you
anyone else on that row
hello everybody my name is Michael Clark
I'm sorry I need you to no sir my name
is Michael Clark okay
um from Las Cruces I'm a native of Las
Cruces I'm the coach of Crosstown boxing
off the West Side off of Quince and
Berry I have over 50 close to 60 kids to
go to my gym we're a small non-profit
gym
we're right behind the five-star
Imperial Motel
the addiction
it's bad I saw these young kids talking
about walking to school and bike lanes
and path Lanes on that side west side
town we got tents we got a lot it's not
a homeless problem we have an addiction
problem
we have an addiction problems going on I
worked in the system Craigslist for 21
years and I retired from it
my goal has been to work with kids and
help them see different things
but Picacho what should be the first
exit into Las Cruces should be the
prettiest exit in Las Cruces
because when you go down here to I-10
you're going to go to Albuquerque or
you're going to go to Texas before you
see Sonoma
we're putting everything on the hill
we have Pikachu we got kids walking home
through a drug infested area
with drug use walking around them laying
on the street passed out we have drunks
right behind Circle K near our kids
walking right by them when it's going
after school beer cans in their head
I had a client of mine from Dunkin
Donuts she was a manager at a new new
place nice to have a new business coming
to town on this side of town where kids
can get to find a job
six o'clock in the morning all the
windows and employees were broken all
their cars death
the manager there she calls me Mike I
gotta go right away six o'clock in the
morning
at 9 20 that's when the officers
responded
9 20.
when the girls did to check on her her
laptop it was in Albuquerque by the time
the officers got there
that's a problem
because officers were driving by you
have dispatched time and they're real
busy and they're waving them down and
they're just driving by
I don't know what the problem is but our
town I mean
I love Las Cruces and I remember Picacho
was a beautiful area we went swimming
there as kids
but it's bad
I had Amco
of some a lot of small businesses come
talk to me and they said Mike you need
to go say something about this because I
got the kids on the side I put my team
on the west side of town
so I can't have something for kids on
that Poor Side of Town to go to
I'm a small non-profit gym I've taken
girls fighters to Houston Odessa Texas
I've had the first female boxing Show in
Las Cruces ever
I have teams come from California Texas
and I had it right there on Picacho at
the Eagles Club
I'm not ashamed of my city but I think
we can do a lot more for our kids we've
taken so much away from our kids now we
have I used to coach football every team
in battleway would be full or needed
more or we have to make another team now
we kind of build a team because poor
kids can't play the game
because they have to buy helmets they
got to buy pads they got to buy pads
they gotta buy everything
low-income families don't got the money
I'm sorry Mr Clark you're good thank you
thank you
okay so that was fifth row anyone that's
it six row anyone
seventh
last row so no one on my left
okay so I'm gonna start on my right
second row
yes sir
just need to state your name please
hello I'm Mark savatko I take advantage
of this opportunity to address you
people
uh I guess mine has to do with the
bicycle riders in town
uh
I don't think we're enforcing the law at
all in those of example work a couple
months ago or so there was a bicycle
Rider riding on the wrong side of the
road
going through us a pedestrian walkway
and a high speed through a red light in
front of a Las Cruces Police Department
vehicle
on some of the streets it says share the
ride
what the heck does that mean all the
streets are share of the ride except for
those who are designated bike Lanes so
either all the streets should have the
share the right sign or none of them
should
the I talked to a couple of uh law
enforcement officers and people riding
bikes I run a lot of bikes in in middle
school or Junior High in high school
and I like bike riding or so but they
had to follow the traffic laws of the of
these of the cars
and most bicyclists do not know that
so perhaps some public service
announcements increased enforcement
maybe just warnings or or more of a
education to the public and the police
police force would be appreciated that's
all I really have to say
thank you thank you Mark I agree with
you perhaps that's something there we
can get with our management team and
have a little bit more in addition to
and this might save lives in addition to
we're in some type of reflective
clothing especially in the evening and a
lot of times I know people they they can
see us in the headlights but we can't
see them sometimes and so I think that's
also important so
okay
that was second row anyone third row
fourth row fifth
sixth row seventh last row anyone oh yes
yes judge
and as usual if you just state your name
please good afternoon
so I'm judge goldbaum of the Las Cruces
Municipal Court I wasn't planning to
speak today but um because of Mr
Garcia's comments I kind of feel that I
need to clarify some misinformation that
appeared in yesterday's newspaper
article and I didn't have a chance to
respond to the reporter before it went
in but I have never ever had a policy or
a practice of treating homeless people
different than any other defendant I
issue warrants for homeless people the
same as I do other people when I feel
that it is deserved however for me to
treat a group
as a specific class to either
discriminate against them or give them
special benefits would be completely
unethical
and I don't do that I do see a lot of
homeless people coming in front of me
and I know homelessness is a problem in
our community and crime is as well not
all homeless people commit crimes not
all people who commit crimes are
homeless there's some intersection Mr
Mayor please let's work together on this
please talk to me stop pushing me away
there's a lot we can do together to
address that intersection and I want to
so please please work with me judge
would be more than happy to All I ask is
while I was wanting to know is if
someone who's a repeat offender that
constantly you they go in they get
arrested they're out they keep going
back and forth back and forth we have
identified a handful of them who've been
arrested 70 times sure there are
probably people that are deemed not
competent by the district court but I do
hold people in jail if they violate
their conditions I can't hold them in
jail indefinitely and the thing about
jail is it's not a long-term solution
whether it's a day a week a month three
months people get out at some point and
they go back to the community they know
you know we need to do something
different to try and resolve this issue
and I will say this with all due respect
because I only seen one sheet of of but
the one particular sheet of people that
I've seen none of them have come back to
court and so consistently I hear my
colleagues myself the police department
were constantly being looked on as we're
the problem we're not we're doing we can
we support our plea our law enforcements
we support our judicial but we need help
too because you have people who
consistently are breaking the law they
they get arrested they're out within a
couple hours and they're back on the
street again and if there's nothing if
they have no consequence they're just
going to keep doing it Mr Mayor I think
you're speaking from a lack of
information because I do issue warrants
for people that violate and let me just
say excuse me if I may interrupt I am
not this I am not speaking about the
homeless I'm talking about anyone who
just breaks the law yes sir okay yes sir
okay that's so I think what you
represented to the paper was incorrect I
am worried about crime I am worried
about homelessness you know I do have to
treat every single case in individually
I cannot treat people as a group to be
treated a specific way I have to look at
the case individually sir yeah
I said I'll be more than happy to work
with you judge I appreciate you coming
forth I appreciate you being able to
take questions and and be more than
happy to work with you on that
thank you
okay so anyone else here didn't want to
speak
that ends public participation so now
we're going to go to
oh I'm sorry
I just need you to state your name
please in three minutes
my name is Lisa Margaret I'm a retired
Municipal Court Administrator I have 29
years of experience I'm a certified
Court executive with the national Center
for state courts
I'm here today because I'm concerned
about the same thing as a gentleman that
came before you crime in Las Cruces is
that there's a reason for it
city is a home rule municipality the
purpose of that designation is to ensure
maximum local self-government
because of that the city has a municipal
court whose judge swore by oath to
support the ordinances and laws of the
municipality
those laws are of concern to the local
population as evidenced by all the
people that come in front of you telling
you that
this is why there's ordinances of local
concern things like indecent exposure
Criminal Trespass shoplifting expecting
local judges to impose sentences that
influence lawful behavior is not
unreasonable
the current judges asserts that holding
repeat offenders who are a clear danger
to Las Cruces residents is somehow
inconsistent with state law it is not
whether an individual is homeless or not
we as citizens of Las Cruces expect them
to abide the laws that we also follow we
expect our judges to adhere to their
Oaths and enforce that and that's not
happening
there's a reason our government was set
up with three branches and that purpose
is for checks and balances after
Fielding the numerous complaints that
you do it is the duty of this
legislative branch of our local
government to inquire and do something
about the judicial branch and its lack
of support for the ordinances of the
city
the current judge has openly shown her
bias against lawfulness when a person
who's accused of being unlawful is
homeless
told me personally
that she will not jail any individual
who is homeless
regardless of how many times they commit
a crime
state law and the bail reform that was
enacted does not say that Homeless
individuals cannot be given jail
sentences it says that anyone including
the homeless and the poor cannot be held
before trial
under the condition of payment of any
kind of money or bail
however they can have conditions of
release that must be adhered to to stay
released the current judge refuses to do
this to ensure safety and Lawless
lawfulness in the city of Las Cruces
I'd also like to point out that in front
of this Council judge gold bar
misrepresented that she was part of what
she called a transparent process
for a vacant municipal judge 2 position
when in fact that process was to review
applicants for alternate judge positions
which are temporary hourly positions
very different from what she was
suggesting
the appointment of a full-time elected
judge when there's a vacancy not aligned
with the with an election is the sole
discretion of this Council
it's a very important duty which is one
of the many reasons that you as the
council are elected
and since the current judge suggested
that the council checked the other
judge's records prior to the appointment
I suggest that this Council check her
record
to see if her finding her findings and
sentences for people are consistent with
maximum local self-government
and that that is shared with the public
because numbers don't lie
so why aren't numbers being shared
thank you very much for your time
thank you Miss uh I'll call him again
okay is there anyone else here before we
close the public comment
okay
public participation is over and now we
go to acceptance of the agenda
move to accept Graham seconds okay
motion made by Council Graham second by
councilman Cuomo
Theresa this is on a motion to accept
the agenda as presented counselor beta
yes councilor Graham yes councilor Ben
Como yes councilor Koran yes counselor
Flores yes councilor gandra yes mayor
yes thank you
that's pretty fast
that's okay that's all right
so if you recall Teresa she's the deputy
city clerk so she's
she's flying today yeah this is her
okay so next item is 6 -1 it's a public
hearing it's uh 2 p.m so the public
hearing is now on is there any members
here in the public who wish to discuss
either for or against
the approval of a beer and wine liquor
license on-premises consumption only to
Verlander Enterprises LLC doing business
as butter Smith kitchen and Pies located
at 445 South Telshor Las Cruces New
Mexico
okay see none it's a 201 p.m public
hearing is now closed entertain a motion
to adopt resolution 3-029
okay I'm sorry I'm really excited about
the pie and the mimosas so I move to
approve this okay second by Flores okay
motion made by counselor Quran second by
Council Flores
Teresa
this is on a motion
to ex to approve the resolution
23-29 counselor beta yes councilor
Graham yes counselor Ben Cuomo yes
councilor Koran yes counselor Flores yes
councilor Gandara yes mayor yes thank
you thank you okay
item 6.2 resolution
23-030 I need a motion in a second so
move to Beta second Graham okay motion
made by councilor beta second by
councilor Graham and shirelle De La Cruz
will be presenting in as well as Sarah
kanduff
or are you just here for moral support
okay
greetings mayor City Council Members
Trail De La Cruz budget analyst for the
record
today I'm presenting to you the
resolution to adjust our FY 2223
budgeted for various budget adjustments
so there are no new programs policy or
initiatives our adjustments are focused
on compliance and Alignment you will see
several carryover adjustments along with
bringing budget to actuals
we are amending the CIP and as always we
strive to follow routine budgetary best
practices
so just a reminder we are looking at the
highlighted third column here those are
adjustments e is for expense R is for
Revenue T is for transfer anything
within parentheses is a decrease
so the very two adjustments here are
within the general fund 1000 and you'll
notice that Community Development and
the city city managers office have the
same amount here and that's because
funds are going between the two accounts
city managers increasing their expenses
by 991 thousand dollars in Community
Development is decreasing their expenses
by the same amount this is being done
due to organization restructure
from City to cmo's office and funds will
be used for personnel and operating
expenses
also within the general fund Parks and
Rec we are increasing their expenses by
83 000 this is to adjust the competitive
pool to actuals and also for carryovers
for the recreational trials program and
University Loop smart controllers
neighborhood neighborhood parks and the
Butterfield shooting range project
fund 1000 on Department we are
increasing Revenue by 500 000 to adjust
um for a budget adjustment to correct
Revenue
and fund 1030 economic The Economic
Department
is increasing their expenses by 50 000
and that's to expand the downtown event
programming the vaf fund 12 000 police
we are increasing their expense line by
64 000 and this is to carry over funds
for two vehicles that did not arrive in
FY 22.
fund 2100 economic Economic Development
Department
we are increasing both revenue and
expenses by 500 000 and these are for
the Lita Saputo funds
fund 2100 Parks and Rec we are
decreasing both revenue and expenses by
577 dollars and that is to bring budget
to actuals for the fit lock Grant
project
fund 4005 Parks and Rec we are
decreasing by nineteen thousand and that
is for Budget adjustments for the 2019
media and Improvement program and the
Chandler tank program
boarding 100 Parks and Rec we are
decreasing revenue and expenses by 95
000 and that is to bring budget to
actuals for projects rpt at University
Loop Park security lighting and Pioneer
Park projects
fund 4106 Parks and Rec were decreasing
expenses by 365 thousand dollars and
that is to bring budget to actuals for
the park impact fee
fund 4228 airport we're increasing by
258 000 expenses for carryovers for the
East area taxi Lane project
fun 5010 Airport
197 thousand dollars will be increased
in expenses for the carryover for Air
Service the master plan and the space
Expo project
from 5100 utilities is increasing their
revenue by 10 000 increasing expense by
000 and they have a transfer out for 75
000 going over to the 51.60 fund and the
revenue expense adjustments are for
carryovers for personnel and operating
from 5160 utilities we're increasing
expenses by 229 000.
and that is for carryover of vehicle
replacements
and they do have a transfer coming in of
75 000 from fund 5100.
fund 5200 utilities we are increasing
Revenue by 30 000. they have a 85 000
increase in expenses for carryovers for
investment grade audit
and they have a transfer coming in from
fun 5260.
150 250 utilities 100 000 increase in
expenses and that is for a carryover for
the employee parking lot
from 50 to 60 utilities increasing an
expense by two hundred and twelve
thousand that is to carry over vehicles
funds for vehicle purchases and they
have a transfer coming in for 200 000
from fund 5200.
fund 5300 utilities we are increasing
Revenue by 20 000 increasing expense by
two hundred and seventy thousand for
carryovers for minor equipment
investment grade audit and Safe Drinking
Water Act sampling
there is a transfer going out of 35
000 to fund 56 I'm sorry 53.60
150 320 utilities we are increasing
Revenue by 15 000 decreasing expense by
6 000 and that is the carryover funds
for minor equipment and Water
Conservation plan
fun 5332 utilities we have a transfer
coming in for 29 000 from both fund 5342
and 53.77.
15342 utilities we have a transfer going
out to fund 5332 for 29 000.
153.50 utilities we have an expense
increase of twenty five thousand dollars
and that is for a carryover of funds for
the Empire employee parking lot
150 360 utilities 95 000 increase in
expenses for increased costs of
equipment purchases we also have a
transfer coming in from fund 5300 for
thirty five thousand dollars
fund 5377 utilities we are actually
closing out that fund so we have a
transfer of a dollar going out to fund
5332.
153.89 utilities we have a transfer
coming in for 887. 887 000 from fund
53.96.
then there you see from 53.96 that
transfer going out for the 887 thousand
dollars
150 400 we have an increase of 20 000 in
expenses and that is for to carry over
minor equipment and Professional
Services for PCB analysis
and we also have a transfer out to fund
5460.
15401 utilities we're increasing
expenses by 118 000 and adds to
carryover Wastewater impact fees study
and ongoing Capital CIP projects
on 54.35 utilities we have a transfer
coming in of 14.
from 54 41 utilities we have a transfer
coming in for
9442 dollars
150 42 you see the other end of that
transfer the so the transfer coming in
for
9442 dollars
fund 54.50 utilities were increasing
both revenue and expenses for 206 000
and that is for the to carry over the
Wastewater Grant 19d 2457.
from 5460 utilities we are doing an
increase in expenses for a hundred
thousand to carry over major equipment
and Rolling Stock and then we have a
transfer coming in of a hundred and a
hundred thousand dollars from fund fifty
four hundred
from 5475 utilities we have a transfer
going out for 14 to fund 54.35
154.81 utilities the transfer coming in
for 139 000.
54.91 you see that transfer going out
for the same amount
150 500 utilities we're increasing
expense by 652 thousand dollars and
those funds will be used to carry over
employee parking lot and budget Solid
Waste Fleet into utilities
15510 utilities increasing expense by
115 and carry those funds of the
carryover pre in 1965 landfill Phase 2
project fund 5560 utilities were
increasing expense of 12 000 to carry
over diagnostic scanners for solid waste
vehicles
and lastly we have
fund 74.80
and within this fund for police we will
be increasing both revenue and expense
by 800 this donation has come in from
the makers of the movie Wanted Man
with it a memo they wanted to think LCPD
for all their hard work and assistance
in making the recent locally filmed
movie
fire has also received a donation for
five thousand dollars from the M Barlow
estate to be used for mih program
along with the check the late Melvin
males Barlow family wanted to thank Paul
Ford and the mih team for all the Care
and invaluable assistance that gave
their loved one mail
and with that I'm going to carry uh pass
it over to Sarah kunda from to go over
to CIP
may I ask a question
yes absolutely
so I'm just curious 14
what was that for bubble gum I believe
that's a transfer that's on page 11. yes
um and it's within two funds I believe
we have a representative here from
utilities that may be able to give
someone I'm just curious like I mean
you're showing us the fun that's coming
from it's kind of sort of transfer what
it's transferring to but we don't know
what it's for so we're at a loss I mean
you show us a lot of numbers but we
really like then we have to approve this
that's the one thing I've always said I
I mean
you know from one fund to another and
another number number so I don't know
how we can learn more about this
yes and I don't know if it's something I
just don't understand yes Miss Flores um
do we have someone from utilities
maybe you can share some more insight on
their transfers we did have a lot this
this quarter so
so I think specifically you just want to
know where the fourteen dollars went
where it came from well I'm curious
about the fourteen dollars and I and I
I'm curious and I don't know that this
is the Forum uh to fully understand
what these you know five four seven five
for example what fund what monies what
are the monies in that fund used for and
it's a huge Department I mean I
recognize that it's its own business
really but um
but then we have to make the decision so
I've always felt somewhat uncomfortable
with the lack of information
good afternoon my name is Abner Gomez
I'm the interim rate in economic
analysis manager
um regarding your questions some of
these small transfers that you see from
one account to another is to make a fund
inactive there's some certain
requirements they have to have they have
to be unused for a couple years
and then have a zero balance so some of
these accounts either have a small
balance left on them and we have to move
it out to make it inactive or some might
have a small deficit so we're moving
money into them to make them inactive
there was a specific account that
happened excuse me you move money into
them to make them inactive or active to
have a zero balance
so to make it an active it can have a
zero it has to have a zero balance and
not be used for a specific period of
time which I believe is three years okay
so a lot of these transfers that you see
between funds so that's what we're doing
well the the fund you're going from yeah
actually can either be true or from
maybe if that answers your question
yeah no
um
so five four seven five fund that one's
presumably based on what you just
explained is uh going to be closed
so that one is going to be closed out
and you can see that the 14 is being
transferred to fund 54.35
so I don't have the name of that account
right at the top since I'm covering for
my supervisor but I would believe that
54.75 is the one that will be closed out
okay so then
um all these other funds
um you know five four eight one five
four nine one
Etc
what um
well that's a huge entity there
Enterprise but
I don't know maybe another in another
form another I'd like to really
understand what all those departments
are or the funds
I mean it's one Department in many many
funds are you suggesting a fun name
for clarification well it would be great
to know what the fund name is yeah but
that's feasible yeah okay we can do it
another time thank you thank you
councilor Flores excuse me mayor if I
may this is Barbara DeLeon sorry over
here I apologize I don't want to startle
you uh but I was going to suggest that
we could also take this up at the
finance select committee meeting to just
go over the the typical kinds of fund
transfers in addition to providing some
um more clarifying information in this
forum when it comes before the full
Council but if you like that could be an
agenda topic for a future select
committee meeting Council for the
financial committee well that would be
great but I think it'd be great if all
the counselors were great thank you
Barbara Ms de Leon thank you and thank
you very much thank you Mr Mayor
okay Sarah
thank you good afternoon mayor members
of council my name is Sarah Cundiff I'm
the management analyst for Public Works
I'm going to go over all of the
Amendments for the CIP
we have quite a lot that's a budget to
actuals so just a brief reminder that
budget actuals can also be called a
carryover this is simply a description
to say that we are making the carried
over budget match the actual project
balance budget to actuals
so you'll see here we have the airport
infrastructure improvements which is
being adjusted for Budget to actuals
Runway 422 has its cost estimates in the
future years in fy24 updated that cost
estimate came back in and as opposed to
1.5 million it came in at 1.8 million so
it was revised as well as readjusted as
those projects in the future your
columns are listed in descending order
of monetary value
then we have the enhancement of the
Broadway access for the airport that
project is being removed from the CIP as
the installation is going to take place
through a private entity in the
municipality is no longer on the hook
for any of those improvements
we have the butter-filled Ada
improvements Chandler tank Las Cruces
lateral RTP median Landscaping Metro the
neighborhood parks all being adjusted
for Budget to actuals
we have Veterans Park parking lot being
listed for clarification under the parks
parking lot project
I have Park security and lighting being
adjusted for Budget to actuals
we have Park smart controllers Pioneer
women's Park gazebo the regional Aquatic
Center construction neighborhood parks
Wastewater development new interceptors
Wastewater septic systems the gas
Administrative Building Solid Waste
building and water building all being
adjusted for Budget to actuals
and with that I will stand for questions
any questions
members of the public
I've seen nothing Teresa
this is on a motion to approve the
resolution
23-030 counselor beta yes counselor
Graham yes councilor Ben Cuomo yes
councilor Koran yes counselor Flores yes
counselor Gandara yes mayor yes thank
you
okay thank you
item 6.3 resolution 23-031
and made by councilor beta second by
counselor Quran and Rocio Gamboa will be
presented
your council members will see
a seated analyst
One Federal grant three straight state
grants and one modification Grant
Department received an award 2021 Edward
Byrne Memorial Justice assistant grant
for a hundred and twenty thousand one
hundred dollars from the New Mexico
Department of Finance of sorry apologize
Public Safety Department of Justice the
funding will provide a smart forensic
technology equipment as well as training
and the purchase of the equipment the
project period is from July 1st 22 to
June 30th of 23.
Economic Development Department received
20 to 22 permanent Supportive Housing
Junior bill for fifty thousand dollars
from the New Mexico Department of
Finance
funding will provide permanent
Supportive Housing to the homeless
population with disabilities and their
families in Las Cruces
the funds will revert on June 20th June
30th of 23.
public works department received Telshor
Ada Improvement phase six
and the total funds for fund 4100 is 237
494 dollars
with a match in the flood control fund
for 79 165 dollars for a total of 316
this uh fund came from this grant came
from the New Mexico Department of
Transportation
the funding will provide for the
continuation of the Telstra RDA project
phase six from cloud Dove Drive to Doral
Court that's the west side of Telshor
and from cloud Dove Drive to hillrise
drive on the east side of Telshor the
project will include the Reconstruction
of existing sidewalks Ada ramps and
drive paths to bring the sidewalks
sidewalks into compliance with ADA
requirements
Public Works received map 23 map funding
Del Rey Boulevard signal improvements
for a hundred and fifty thousand dollars
with a match from the GRT Street
Maintenance for 50 000 for a total of
200 000 from the New Mexico Department
of Transportation
the funding will allow for Signal
improvements and fiber installation at
Del Rey Boulevard
up to the Northwest stripe and Telshor
Boulevard intersection the city will
provide the required 25 percent match as
and is responsible for any cost in
excess of the grant award
Haida has been awarded
FY 23 modification Grant this
modification is an increase in funding
of 158 076 dollars to bring the total FY
23 amount to 1 million two hundred and
twenty thousand four hundred and forty
four dollars
the grant was from executive office of
President Office of National Drug
control policy The increased funding is
for the relocation and the rent of new
offices for the program
and this shall do it for this for this
month here are your Council options I
will stand for questions along with Amy
bastard from Grants we also have David
said deals from public works Elizabeth
Teeter Teeters from Economic Development
Sandra Russell from Haida available to
assist
thanks for sale questions Council cran
hi I have a question that's probably
more for Mr sidio so sorry in advance
but related to the Del Rey signal
improvements or thank you Mr Trevino I'm
happy to see you I'm just curious what
um what will happen at that on that road
and I know that Del Rey is a source of a
lot of Heartache for folks in my
district as far as the traffic goes so
if you could just tell us a little bit
about it that would be awesome please
good afternoon mayor city council
Council Quran this is Tony Trevino
deputy director of public works for the
record uh this grant is going to help
improve and replace a lot of the
equipment for that intersection a lot of
that stuff is outdated so we can kind of
keep up with the ongoing technology
improvements so that is just kind of
equipment update for that intersection
that is a lot of it was constructed and
installed in nmdot did the highway 70
extension so those have been there for
quite some time we do have an mou with
nmd to grow there and maintain those
this is an opportunity for us to replace
it in that intersection
thank you very much I appreciate it
okay any other questions
members of the public
seeing none Teresa
this is on a motion to approve
resolution 23-031
counselor beta yes councilor Graham yes
counselor Ben Cuomo yes councilor Koran
yes counselor Flores yes counselor
Gandara yes mayor yes thank you
okay item 6.4 resolution 23-032
proof second gram oh sorry
she made my counselor made the second by
mayor Pro tem Gandara and shirelle De La
Cruz will present with
Sirens this one is not as long I promise
budget analyst ingredients Council mayor
so I'm presenting the resolution to
adjust our FY 2223 budget to include the
American Rescue act plan arpa allocation
for the second tranche
so some quick background you may recall
we brought in the first tranche of 12.3
million in August of 2021. today we will
be bringing in the second charge for the
same amount together the arbor direct
allocation is 24.7 million
so for fund 2100 various departments
will be increasing the revenue by 10.1
million
and all these on this side will be for
fund 2100 police will be increasing
expense for 200 000 and that will be for
police smart technology fire 675
000 increase in expense and that is for
CPR and EMT training
also for PPE emergency response
equipment
utilities 875 000 that is for the sewer
connect program and economic development
department is 7.5 million and that is
for community and economic initiatives
and Neighborhood Services
me fund 2100 visit Las Cruces which is
held within the CMOS office we will be
increasing by 500 000 and that is for
advertising web visual assets event
revitalization and Key Programs
Public Works will also be increasing
their expenses by 365
000 and this is for the engineering
design of a CIT slash mih mental
integrated Healthcare building
within 4100 fund Public Works we will be
increasing both revenue and expense by
2.2 million and that is for cayennecanto
and call the Sol roadway reconstruction
projects
and I'll hand it over to Sarah kindef to
go over the CIP portion
foreign
good afternoon mayor members of council
again this is Sarah Cundiff management
analyst for Public Works
we have three amendments to the CIP to
reflect the arpa budget adjustments
those respective projects are the design
of the fire department's CIT and mih
building
the continuation of funding for the
public safety Smart Technologies and
constantly in the Acres which I would
like to clarify casalina acres is a
collection of three different roadways
the subdivision is called casalinda
Acres so those three roadways are
Avenida Blanco from Valley to Callen
gando which is currently funded for 450
000.
to Brown
and call the soul from Avenida Messiah
to Avenida Blanco
so the 2.2 million from arpa is being
combined with the 450 000 already on the
CIP I hope that clarifies why the
portion on the CIP is listed as 2.65 as
opposed to 2.2 as it is the combination
of both
before I turn it over for questions I
would like to let you know this is my
last presentation on the CIP as the CIP
analyst position has been filmed I have
I will still be assisting in the
transition behind the scenes I have been
facilitating the CIP for over four years
now it's been a wonderful and
interesting experience I want to thank
everyone who has supported me over the
last four years and I look forward to
continuing to serve public works as
their management analyst with that I
will stand for questions
I have another question actually I I
just wanted to say that when when we
became
um when we were on boarded as new
counselors I I mean the CIP is a large
opaque spreadsheet that is basically
incomprehensible to the untrained eye
um and I really thank you for orienting
us in a way that allows us to understand
what's happening and being really clear
and and that onboarding has been
invaluable in my time so far and so I'm
sad to see but I'm happy to see that
you're moving on to more things that
hopefully you can help explain to us as
we as we ask you many questions so thank
you so much Sarah that's really it
really means a lot that you put so much
into helping us understand that mayor
councilor Quran it's been my pleasure
anyone else
that was the public but you'll still be
around and make presentations though
right
mayor not related to the CIP unless the
presentation presents itself on behalf
of the Public Works management analyst
I I will no longer be up at this Podium
oh okay well you've done a great job
thank you for all that you do
okay
okay if there's nothing further Teresa
this is on a motion to approve
resolution number
23-032 counselor beta yes
counselor Graham yes counselor Ben Como
yes counselor Quran yes counselor Flores
yes counselor Gandara yes mayor yes
thank you
okay next is item 6.5 of resolution
23-033
the second Graham okay counselor beta
second by Council Graham and Amy Johnson
password will be presenting
thank you mayor council Amy Johnson
bassberg grants manager for the city
today we are going to be discussing the
proposed Awards of 2022 legislative
Capital outlays that will be
administered by New Mexico Department of
Transportation
the New Mexico Department of
Transportation is the oversight Agency
for all Transportation related
legislative Appropriations they do
require a resolution that indicates that
Council will accept the award and make
it one of their priorities
um so this is not an acceptance of your
of the grant agreement just of the award
once we have the grant agreement
executed by the city manager and the
secretary of the Department of
Transportation it will come back to
council for acceptance during the
regular budget resolution and adjustment
um
yeah I said that backwards sorry
the regular budget
resolution to accept grants into the
budget
so the first one that we received was
for roads and drainage improvements of a
hundred thousand dollars this is to plan
design and construct Road improvements
on the East Mesa of Las Cruces this
supplements the funding that we've
received the past couple of years for
East Mesa roads and drainage
improvements
the second one is for the Las Cruces
International Airport improvements this
is five hundred thousand dollars this is
to acquire land and rights of way for
and to plan design construct renovate
purchase furnish equip and install
infrastructure at the Las Cruces
International Airport
and the final one that we have is for
North Telstra and Spruce Street
improvements if you'll recall a year or
so ago we had a capital outlay to study
this intersection this is the per this
will be the first phase of improvements
to that intersection of six hundred and
fifty thousand dollars this is to plan
design construct equip and install
improvements at that intersection
and with that I will stand for
questioning her Council options and I
will stand for questions
thank you Amy questions oh Council
Flores thank you Mr Mayor thank you so
much Amy on page five I thought we we
had already allocated
um money and things had been done at
that intersection on North telshore and
Spruce I mean I know the line the lanes
were redesigned and there were more uh
semaphores so so there was some work
done on the intersection we do have sugu
Lee who's the streets administrator if
he'd like to come down and explain what
was done already and what's going to be
done in the next one unless
we'll do it
I'll help Sue out
um good afternoon again mayor City
Council
or Flores yes we did have a grant before
where we did an extensive study of that
intersection and with the available
funding we're doing some temporary
improvements they had that double turn
lane to the left heading north on on
Telshor but also as part of that study
was a future kind of permanent fix which
is going to involve some
reconfigurations some additional lanes
that will be implemented so that is
that's the next phase going into this
project
additional Lanes on telshar or Spruce
but additional configuration
configuration kind of a high tea it's a
whole different style of design for that
section wow yeah
Style thank you very much yeah thank you
Mr Mayor you're welcome sir
any other questions members of the
public
see none Teresa
this is on a motion to approve
resolution
23-033 counselor abeda yes counselor
Graham yes counselor Ben Como yes
counselor Koran yes councilor Flores yes
counselor Gandara
yes mayor yes thank you
okay it takes care of those so next is
board appointments
and
to the oversight committee I want to
appoint myself reappoint myself
so uh
nothing you just grin and grin and bear
it this next one is I need a motion a
second to appoint a real Point counselor
Tessa abeta to the oversight committee
Summer by Pilates second gram motion
made by councilor Florida second by
Council Graham
Teresa this is on a motion to reappoint
counselor abeta to the oversight
reappointment for councilor beta to the
oversight committee
counselor
yes councilor Vader yes
counselor Graham yes councilor venkomo
yes councilor Koran yes counselor Flores
yes counselor Gandara yes counselor a
mayor yes okay
okay so next we go to notice of proposed
ordinances
checking to make sure you're paying
attention
Theresa I'll just check and make sure
you I do that once in a while to see if
you're since you're trying this out here
I need a motion a second to reappoint uh
Jack Eckman to the oversight committee
so moved by Florida's second Aveda
she made my counselor Florida second my
counselor I beat that
Teresa this is on a motion to reappoint
Jack
Eggman as a reappointment to the
oversight committee councilor beta yes
councilor Graham yes councilor Ben Como
yes councilor Quran yes counselor Flores
yes counselor Gandara yes mayor yes
thank you
okay now we go to notice the proposed
ordinances 8.1 Council bill number
23-005 ordinance number 3011
Bring It Forward Bring It Forward yeah
okay item number 8.2 Council bill number
23-006 ordinance number 3012
Bring It Forward and bring it forward
okay now we'll go to city council member
board reports and comment
um really don't have any but uh so mayor
Pro Temp
the housing Summit in Albuquerque and
learned a great deal about programming
for housing and the speakers were
fantastic and I look forward to working
with Natalie and her staff as we move
forward in supplying housing here in Las
Cruces councilor bengoma and I will be
meeting with our faith leaders again on
Thursday I think this is a fourth
meeting September 22nd from 1 30 to 3
um met with the Salvation Army directors
this morning mayor I understand that
they met with you they'd like to
organize and maintain a cooling station
for next year in partnership with the
city of Las Cruces the hours of
operation would be from 8 to 6 p.m they
would offer food water clothing cots
showers Etc
that we just need to identify a building
and they would do the rest
um
I understand mayor that when they met I
think you were in support of that but
asked that they come they um
meet with city council and so I'm
bringing it up in hopes that we could
get a nod here for efo and staff to look
into what it would take for them to
start their own cooling stations
yeah remember Tim what I had mentioned
to them was uh and I don't know if some
of the council members are aware of this
but there's a company that's on the on
the West Mesa called Alaska structures
and they build these massive tents that
was used primarily for the military when
they were out in Afghanistan and Iraq
and so I thought it would be good if the
city had one on hand for emergencies and
that could be we just buy it one time
and then we'll we can place a wherever
we need to that was the primary thing
I've mentioned to them and depending on
the cost if it fell under ifo's
Authority then let him get it if not
then we need to come we need to do
whatever we need to do to get bids and
do that but I just thought it would be a
good idea that the city had an emergency
basically one of those massive tents and
so that that's probably the best thing
to do is to I guess have if direct Eric
to work with EVO to see what the prices
would be and if it's the larger amount
that we may need to bring it back to
council if that's something that we're
okay with doing
thank you mayor
to received number
demolition of
so we're concerned that and felt that
the case quote-unquote should be heard
in front of the historic preservation
committee I don't believe that it was
would like to clarify the process and
add a notification to the city
counselors when that is occurring and
maybe a press release to the community
informing them of such demolitions
there are also concerns about the trust
building on Main and three crosses what
if anything can be done to save this
building from the perspective of the
city can we have a closed session to
discuss it further or hear it on the
agenda maybe in our infrastructure
policy Review Committee and then lastly
I was hoping to get another block party
set up for the Fall Festival in and
around the tree streets area I know that
I spoke to Cynthia about that and I just
wanted to get it on the agenda to move
through the process with staff and
people who hope that we can explore that
further thank you mayor mayor Pro tem on
that on that building that trust
building of course that is owned by by
the developers now Zach weigert and his
his company so I did have a chance to
reach out to Zach and told him what was
going on and he said it's possible that
he could keep one wall and incorporate
that into whatever structure they're
going to build but it apparently the the
clubhouse is right in the middle of the
road and or wherever it is there
wherever they're what they're going to
do with it but he thinks that he might
be able to keep some portion of it that
would still would remain in the original
so that it could be preserved for for
history
mayor how long ago was that conversation
it's probably several
several yeah I've understood that they
he no longer owns that property he sold
it out and it belongs to
um
doesn't belong to him it belongs to
others and there's a lot of discussion
being had about selling tearing it down
and of course our our community that is
concerned about historic preservation
has been notifying me and concerned and
I think we all have received various
emails in the last couple of weeks
related to that building
you know if you can find the owner I'll
be more happy to reach out to them again
because I want to have to respond back
to them they'd say okay thank you and
that was it so I I didn't know ownership
to change hands okay
councilor Flores
uh thank you Mr Mayor and and um so
um
yeah I too was going to bring up the
trust
I guess it was a clubhouse and
um
and I too have met with many people who
have asked if we can do anything and my
answer to them was that
it is now in private hands and the owner
of the property pretty much can do what
it wants to do only because it was never
designated as a historic place
by any entity so unfortunately it's
going to go I know Greg Smith worked
very hard very hard to preserve it
because trust t-r-o-s-t
is I mean that house and his designs
were just absolutely beautiful
um
I also want to say that the gun buyback
on Saturday was quite successful so I
want to thank the chief and and police
officers I wasn't able to make it there
as I was last year but I hear I think
there were what 150 assault weapons that
were turned in
a good afternoon uh mayor councilor
Florida so it was 122 that returned in
different varieties oh different
varieties 150 assault weapons sounds a
lot better so let me continue with my
life I'm a politician I'm supposed to
lie
no I'm sorry for the misinformation but
I'm glad you were here to clarify it for
me thank you Chief so I'm very happy
about that I want to thank Maria
Marina
viscoli who has worked ardently on this
I know that
um I introduced a resolution for or I
think the mayor and I did on
on the
on
on this sort of thing anyway at any rate
um so on September 8th
um
the Las Cruces Community Schools met at
Alameda school elementary school and the
Community Schools the goal of a
community school is to incorporate the
entire community and I know that it's
still going on now at Dona Anna
elementary school
and the principal there Sherry love
has really drawn in the community and I
don't know the name of the new
coordinator there for the um
Community Schools but Maria Zuniga was
was there and set it up beautifully and
now she's at Alameda Elementary anyway
they have a couple of Gard Gardens going
on and
um and uh Vida
is that the name Vida from FYI was there
Brian Kavanaugh the CEO of FYI sits on
the board serves on the board and and
the the la Vida project presented on how
how they really reach out to to youth
yeah at any rate
um also on the following week
there was a
[Music]
ribbon cutting ceremony for a new
community school and that's Messiah
Valley Park
on Union and that went very well and the
turnout was fantastic there were parents
and all sorts of people there also on
the 14th Centennial High School had a
Civic engagement and I went I learned
about it because Wendy Dr Wendy Miller
Tomlinson and Dr Roberto Lozano I said
okay let's go and I said where and they
go over to Centennial okay so we went
over to Centennial turned out that
counselor bencomo and mayor Pro tem
Gandara along with Manny Sanchez Marcy
Dickerson Bob Wilford and
Shannon Reynolds were on a panel and so
Dr Lozano and I walked over to see how
that panel was going and that's when I
learned that
councilor binkomo had an emergency with
her puppy and so I was asked to to sit
in
um I don't know with with three well we
don't know which way it's going to go
but I think Centennial will be in your
District Centennial is already in my
district oh it's already in your
district oh and I was bellyaching I said
you should be asking the counselor who
sits here there's going to be a
different one next year well I was right
about that part
yeah they never responded back
so there you have it but anyway so
they're on notice for that I mean if
something's going on in a counselor's
District that counselor should be it not
to the exclusion of others but included
um in that but it was absolutely
wonderful and riveting to see
um it was I think the entire freshman
class it was huge and they were very
receptive
um and young and
um and it was absolutely invigorating
to be there
um
the
City Art board meets on the first or
second Thursday of the month and
um
and they've been doing a fantastic
fantastic work
um
they are they were honored by the Dona
Ana Arts Council last night and mayor
Pro tem gandaras Senator souls and I
were there who else was there that we
know and then the entire city art board
was there
and Greg Smith
being the CEO of the doniana Arts
Council
made it all happen
it was it was absolutely wonderful and
there's an event going on where's Chris
Chris where's my email this Friday
there's going to be a wonderful event
and it's about
um I think it's
it I want to call it Barrio art but I
don't think that's really the title but
it sounds good Barrio art but it's art
from artists from this part of the world
in the Border that's what it is the
Border I'm sorry Mario border and it's
all the same at any rate
that'll be this Friday and it's free to
the public and it's going to be
absolutely wonderful I wish I had the
poster I left it in my other car
[Music]
so anyway
um
so at the airport Advisory board meeting
uh guy ruelle who's with King dubos and
Du Bois and King
said that
we'll know within a short period of time
when we'll have the interstate travel
all set up and Interstate travel is also
a Interstate travel is also being
considered in something that Andy Hume
clarified for me if not others
is that we can have Interstate travel
right now so long as it's less than 30
passengers because TSA doesn't kick in
till you have 31 or more
so
um and I know that Andy is looking
ardently into this
and I know that guy ruelle from Du Bois
and King is also and he presented
um
he he presented to us via Zoom he
usually flies out because he loves Las
Cruces
um and so that's going really well and
then on
on September 29
the Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce will
be having
its big dinner big Gala dinner at the
airport and the reason Debbie Moore the
CEO of the Las Cruces Chamber of
Commerce is doing it there because is
because
she believes that the airport is
definitely going to be an economic
driver and will be a very successful
airport and has been very supportive of
everything we're doing for that to that
end
um
so
um
let's see
oh
and then on October 15 I didn't forget
the poster for that air was that my
sleep airport
appreciation day Saturday October 15
2022 9 A.M to 2 p.m and they wanted to
do a big aeronautical thing that Tanya
privett who actually she designed this
and printed out the morning of the
meeting we had last week
and let me graciously let me have this
so it's a big and then you can see the
sponsors are molts and Corbin the
engineers and Dubois Du Bois and King
but the important thing is that it's
really a fun event and it's going to
hope maybe be a little bit different
next year
because they want to have more
aeronautical stuff but somehow it just
didn't I don't know didn't work out
[Music]
um
so
that's all I have for now thank you
mayor
thank you Council correct
thank you mayor um I have a couple notes
uh if you thought your high school
students were young counselor mayor part
time Gandara and I had an opportunity to
meet with the virtual Learning Academy
of fourth graders and they were
on Civic engagement day and they were
really adorable including one student
named Teddy who had a list of questions
to to to ask us and they were hard
questions like
um what are you doing about homelessness
and I felt like we were like oh wow I
don't know if we were ready for this
conversation but we I think we I think
we did okay and the kids were so
enthusiastic and so excited that we're
with the virtual Learning Academy so
that was really fun
um for us to visit with them a few other
notes related to the district there are
going to be road closures for fog and
seal fog and seal is that right is that
the right thing hi it's a little
mysterious but around the Elks the Elks
area
um uh in the next week or so so just as
a heads up for folks who live near there
I also had the opportunity to meet with
the some of the folks associated with
the the recovery event that's happening
the Southwest Summit event that's
happening here on September 30th and
that was already covered earlier but
just as a friendly reminder during the
day it's open to people any providers or
people who might work with folks who are
in any kind of recovery which is
recovery for all of us is the theme and
then that evening on the Plaza from six
to nine there's the recovery Night
Celebration event so I was excited to
hear hear from them and sponsor that
event
similarly I had the opportunity to meet
with the uniform prevention Coalition
which is a substance abuse and
prevention Coalition of folks
they both wanted to follow up on some of
the conversations around cannabis that
they had when the original
um
sort of
structures for permitting around
cannabis have but then also they wanted
to extend an invitation to the city and
I I sort of put this to assistant city
manager Enriquez but they they have a
couple of
harm reduction related activities that
they'd be happy to do with the city
including have potentially having a
Narcan training for folks who might be
going out and interfacing with people
who are overdosing and then they also
have a number of materials that I'm
hoping to connect with the folks in
quality of life who do
um
Outreach to the Aging population on sort
of mixing of medications and all of
those things so I can follow I'll follow
up with with you all later to to connect
that as a possibility
um other items the TSI PRC is meeting
October 4th at 8 30 a.m
among the folks on the agenda the
doniana resilience leaders will be
talking about Fair free Transit and we
the airport will be sort of having a
we'll be having a picture of the airport
and the event may actually take place at
the airport I'll keep talking to Andy to
see if we might have that meeting there
to show off some of the things that are
going on at that time so that's October
4th at 8 30 a.m location TBD
and then one two other notes I
just want to give a shout out to action
programs for Animals a community
organization that takes has taken
thousands of animals from our local
shelter and re-homed them they're roof
caved in during the rain and it's I
think about a fifty thousand dollar
repair and they also have to place all
of the animals that they had at their
facility and so they're looking for
folks who might be able to Foster
temporary very briefly until they get
their roof fixed small dogs and a few
large dogs or potentially donate to
support their roof fund and so I wanted
to elevate that Community organization
that's that's experiencing some hardship
and that and then the last thing that I
just wanted to touch on related to the
country club
um I guess I I sort of come from this I
think from a different perspective and I
um first think about our fiscal
responsibilities and I know that this is
an inner process and in private
ownership
um and so I know that that's something
that has to be negotiated and figured
out anyway so I would really ask always
sort of what what are the costs and what
are the benefits and then I would ask us
to extend that conversation and and
think about what this
Place represents and specifically I
would like to point out that country
clubs were places that most of us here
on the diocese would not have been
allowed in for their first 50 years of
existence they are a Bastion of racism
and sexism in our history and I would
argue that spending money on monuments
to things that might not have the most
inclusive history I would always
interrogate that as as an investment in
public money so I just want to speak to
that as something as folks have been
emailing me and I've been thinking about
this and it really doesn't sit well with
me to have conversations about a country
club without acknowledging what a
country club means to most people in Las
Cruces so that's my last note of the day
thank you I was expecting that counselor
Quran I really appreciate that actually
um
thank you
um oh mayor were you supposed to tell me
to go sorry no I was just gonna
I was just gonna just share something
with Council Quran about the Las Cruces
Country Club I remember as a kid my my
uncle who was a he used to run the
University's food service and he would
do ice carvings for president Corbett
but I remember specifically when we
would go to that Country Club he would
do it for the members of the of the
board there and they seemed to be pretty
nice they were pretty open I think it
was a it was it was a pub it was a
course that there are very few golf
courses and so I
pretty much you could play golf and then
of course you wanted to join but I I'm
just I guess kind of semi defending them
I you know I was just a kid I don't
recall there but oh I guess Here Comes
counselor Florida she was she remembers
the board from what 60 years ago
10 years old
if you want to talk to you can talk to
the microphone and so mayor the question
then to your uh you know saying that
your uncle did all this stuff was he
invited to become a member probably not
he was either Mexican or Japanese so
yeah so either one wouldn't qualify I
think thank you so much for sharing okay
councilman Como
thank you
um
yes a couple things
um I recently met with
um some constituents in a neighborhood
that had been experiencing some traffic
speeding issues and again I just feel
like that's
um how can we keep having that
conversation
um where red light cameras might not be
what wouldn't address the speeding
issues within residential areas and
neighborhoods I just want to thank
public works for getting back to the
constituents pretty quickly as they
begin to roll out the three E's process
education enforcement and engineering
and just you know I I think it's
important that we perhaps either have a
work session on that or or or do some
education some you know public Outreach
around the three E's and the process how
someone can you know a community a
neighborhood Champion can call in and
say look we're experiencing speeding
problems we'd like to have these yard
signs and you know and launch the whole
process I just think it's important that
we focus on that program that I think
works and invest in it even more so I
just wanted to note that I recently went
to a memorial sort of service for
veterans who have been deported on
behalf of the mayor he was out of town
and so I was asked to go on his behalf
and share a few words you know quite
frankly the words deported veterans
should not exist simply put I I don't
know who mayor I don't know who's um in
in charge or who staffs or leads the
veterans
task force or committee I think it'd be
you know a lot of what they were asking
me that day mayor was
um you know we actually had uh one
person one there's been President Biden
has been repatriating a lot of people
coming back and we had someone come back
to Las Cruces um in July and a lot of
these men and women are going to need
housing and services and how is the city
able to help them and I think that
perhaps belongs that discussion belongs
in the veterans
committee we can do that through the
veterans committee but then we can also
work with Nicole because I know they get
some money from the from the VA and um
HUD yeah veterans to find housing and in
fact they have a they have a preference
or priority so I will connect them then
with Nicole as well I just thought it
was a really great ask and and I think
it's an important uh if we have if the
city can have a role to play We Should
um councilor Eric leads the veterans
Advisory Board the mayors of the
veterans Advisory board so he can follow
up on something that would be great
thank you and I apologize for calling it
the wrong thing Advisory Board
um I also attended
um the memorial stair claim on on
September 11th it was invited as we all
were by the fire Union and members of
lcfd and I just wanted to share my
gratitude to all of them certainly was
um also it was very somber and Powerful
event and I was very honored to be there
to witness that and certainly to support
our fellow counselor who who walked all
120 flights 110 flights you didn't do 10
extra just for good measure I was doing
push-ups well it was like halfway
through and she hadn't even broken a
sweat yet so I was really impressed but
it was a really beautiful event and just
wanted to say thank you to to those who
organized it
um and then lastly I'll just you know
continue to talk about the uh West
Picacho as I might every single meeting
um because it has become quickly my top
priority as the counselor for that area
the gentleman who spoke here today
earlier is not wrong
um you know we have
disinvested significantly from this
corridor from this area and it's about
time that we start turning that ship
around and invest in this area that for
a long time was and it still is the
welcome Corridor to Las Cruces there is
a lot of people a lot of entrepreneurs a
lot of folks who have invested their
entire savings and opening their small
business there who've been there for
decades and don't want to leave and
should not have to leave
um and on the other side of that I think
it's really critical that we begin
talking about folks who are experiencing
serious mental illness and serious
substance abuse or both
as that as people I think often we get
so caught up in the frustration around
property crime and and I get it I I that
is frustrating
and I I want to understand who these
people are who these people lost in
their fentanyl addiction that doesn't
have fentanyl addictions don't happen
overnight and I would you know I think
it's important that the city you know
begin to draft up a plan
um or hum reduction and prevention and
education around
opioid crisis in this country and in our
community we're certainly no strangers
to it
um and
jail is not the answer for a lot of
these folks it just simply is not jail
is a traumatizing Place once people get
out they will have a harder time finding
housing a harder time finding jobs they
will have continued to have no Services
there is no rehab in jail and if there
is I would like to know about it
um I don't I don't trust that a
for-profit contract at our County
Detention Center is actually actually
cares about Rehabilitation for people
um and if we're going to continue having
this conversation this is where we split
the issue we are we are absolutely
taking very serious measure measures to
address our own house population
and the other side of that is addiction
and severe mental illness and the fact
that people have deemed incompetent to
stand trial and then fall through the
cracks and are on the street or wherever
because there is nowhere else for them
to go there isn't there is no other
facility our hospitals don't keep people
long enough the triage Center is 24
hours the other rehab facility here is
13 days
and I think this is where we can really
begin to have serious com I talked to
ifo last week about as we begin to have
these one-to-ones with
state legislators who represent the city
of Las Cruces this is where serious
Investments need to be made treatment
facilities for people and whether it's
we're able to say you know what it's
perhaps for repeat offenders it is
either jail or a treatment facility
right like that is where we begin
to not discard people I I just feel like
often we get stuck in this conversation
and we just throw people away and I'm
personally not okay with that and I'll
continue to do my research
on on finding ways
um
to treat this and I know I've been doing
a lot of reading this is the last thing
I'll say and I know the conference of
mayors has been discussed has been a
serious this has been a serious
discussion in that area and I know the
mayor of Boston
um in Boston came out with a pretty
significant plan to reduce their the
rise and opioid and their deaths and so
I don't think we have to reinvent any
wheels and I I don't think we need to
get stuck in this box that we just need
to throw people in jail that is just
simply not the answer
the last last thing I'll say is that
actually last week I met with about six
owners and I just want to thank all the
staff that was there owners of motels on
West Picacho and we had a great meeting
and so much of what they said the
challenges they were facing where people
experiencing substance abuse is that
it's actually heartbreaking it was
substance abuse prostitution and mental
illness and I really think it's time
that we come together with experts in
this field and and figure out a plan to
serve that population
council is just a couple things before
good to councilor Graham
getting back to the cameras in fact I I
discussed this with EVO because when I
sent the email to him it wasn't I don't
know how it moved over to the stationary
cameras it was for the mobile cameras
because that's the ones where if we had
them in certain areas you know
especially in the neighborhoods if there
was a problem we have to advertise it
that there used that there could be a
mobile camera here but I really that's
the one that because
um well let's see where is it New
Orleans is using and their mobile mobile
Vans whether they're first whether it's
for
school zones and such I mean if if we're
still if there's still at least some
interest to see what those look like
instead of the stationary ones I can I
can Eric can tell him and we can bring
that to look at and then getting on the
mental health facility I'm with you on
that if you recall there was uh we had
passed a resolution asking the
legislature to fund a study because
there's only one mental health facility
that's Vegas New Mexico and I we think
that southern New Mexico deserves to
have one here and so if that's the case
we can re-do that resolution
and see what
the state can do because they seem to be
flush with money and why spend it on
various other
infrastructure and let's just go right
to the heart of it and start with this
okay Council Grant
thank you mayor wow amazing comments up
here today I just want to thank my
colleagues for always making me think
and keeping me on my toes most of what I
have to say is going to be a little bit
of repeat of stuff you've heard from
others but I was really glad to hear the
conversation that came out earlier about
continuing education for cyclists for
you know for the roads that we're
sharing sir thank you so much for the
comments you made and for hanging out
through all of this
I'm you know I'm out there on my bike
and I need to be as good a citizen and
Steward of the streets as anyone I'm
actually going to film a little PSA
Wednesday about wearing your helmets
protect your heads people wear bike
helmet so I'm looking forward to that
um a couple of notes on our various 911
ceremonies as counselor Ben Como
mentioned
um I got to join members of Las Cruces
Spire doniana fire Messiah fire and
Spaceport fire climbing on 9 11. thanks
to electronic caregiver for loaning Us
Las Cruces like closest to a skyscraper
so really appreciated that and
especially to
International Association of
firefighters local 2362 that's our local
fire Union and just because I you know
get to have the mic up here to my
favorite fire firefighter Mike Graham
which is no relation no just kidding
because imagine totally related he's my
husband but yeah we uh we did the climb
together and it was inspiring and moving
my will push back on councilor Ben Como
I was decidedly sweaty
um then following up on the 12th the
general Federation of women's clubs
progress Club of Las Cruces had a really
lovely ceremony right here in City Hall
near the art installation that they were
integral in getting for us mayor mayor
Pro tem Chief Smith new Cadets of Sir is
it 30 37
of which fire academy we're on 35 yeah
so really amazing to see the uh the
future of fire service and I really
appreciated the progress Club coming out
for us I also got to attend the Messiah
Park Elementary ribbon cutting that
councilor Flores had mentioned I wanted
to give a special shout out to the
Messiah Park choir and Zia Middle School
band who came out and provided
entertainment it's always so cool when
the older kids will come out and you
know look look really really awesome to
the younger kids and I was frankly
rocking out to some of that marching
band music so much appreciated and
that's it for me thank you so much
would you care to demonstrate when you
said you're rocking out what you were
doing oh yeah I mean it you've even
Seinfeld right like the Elaine
there's a lot of like movements okay
okay I can imagine that I'm better at
climbing stairs than I'm at dancing
counselor beta
thank you mayor
um I only made 20 flights
so
um I have to say uh thank you to
everyone
um who honored and remembered during the
9 11 memorials I also attended the stair
climb and the progress clubs events I do
have a few other
um pretty important items the biggest is
I will be having a public safety meeting
on Thursday the 29th from 5 30 to 7 30
p.m at the francobright papin center we
will be talking about not only
neighborhood building but also some of
the challenges that the district has
been experiencing including those around
Crescent Drive and then the Tony Gomez
friendger area as well so there are
going to be an email blast that's sent
to the district and we are going to be
doing I believe door hangers as well so
just to try to get more individuals to
come
we had the district cleanup as well this
last Saturday so thank you to everybody
who participated and cleaned up the area
City man assistant city manager Enriquez
can attest that he saw me in the ditch
cleaning up with my kids who were super
thrilled so thank you
we have an oversight committee meeting
this Wednesday and the voting members of
oversight met last week with Mr peely to
give some recommendations on the type of
information that might be useful to be
included for the oir reporting and for
us for the next time
and I want to thank councilor Koran for
working on updating the evaluations with
me for this city manager reviews
including potentially doing a 360 review
throughout the city
and I believe that is it for me so thank
you mayor
counselor do you mind sharing with me
what what the problems were on Crescent
Drive yes they've been having a string
of residential burglaries so they've had
about three in the last small item
you're copied on an email as well
okay just curious thank you
assistant manager Eric Enriquez you have
a managers City manager's report
thank you mayor council a few things to
mention I just wanted to share with the
council that Transit is working on a
plan to do a fair free pilot hopefully
we get completely staffed and the fleet
and anticipating the resources they'll
need and we're shooting for late
November early December but it will
happen before the end of the year and
will go Fair free
um wanted to mention that when we talk
about traffic and speeding pedestrian
fatalities
um those type of issues we are planning
a work session it'll be on December 12th
right now we're Gathering a lot of that
data with our GSI Department to deliver
a presentation with a lot of the issues
and the concerns with the assistance of
police mpo public works even the school
crossing
um
program that I forget Ashley has as well
Gathering all that data and we're able
to put a presentation uh for for Council
on December 12th
I just wanted to mention on the 10th
that we have been looking at that with
OEM as far as emergency plan look at
those tents even for cooling stations so
that's something that we'll follow up on
and we'll follow up on all the other
items and I do want to add that
councilor obeta if that was work and
cleaning you you made it look like you
were having fun thank you that's all I
have
okay thank you assistant manager
Enriquez okay if there's nothing further
entertain a motion to adjourn so move by
floaters second at beta hey motion made
by councilor Florida second by councilor
beta Teresa
this is on a motion to adjourn the
meeting
counselor beta yes councilor Graham yes
councilor Ben Cuomo yes councilor Koran
Theresa you can totally take credit for
us getting out early yes
counselor Flores yes counselor Gandara
oh absent
mayor yes thank you okay we're adjourned
it's 3 19 p.m thank you enjoy the rest
of the afternoon evening
[Music]
huh
probably
I'm not going to be here next week or
the week after or the week after that no
just kidding
and I could
make this
[Music]