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CITY OF TUCUMCARI MINUTES April 10, 2008
The Tucumcari City Commission met for their regular meeting on Thursday, April 10, 2008, at 6:00 p.m. in the City Commission Chambers. Members present constituting a quorum were Jimmy Sandoval, Robert Lumpkin, and Jim Witcher.
City staff members present were John R. Sutherland, Jr., City Manager; Jeannette Maddaford, City Clerk/Assistant Finance Director; Erin Baca, Administrative Assistant; Roger Hatcher, Police Chief; and Cathy Estrada, Compliance Officer.
Deacon Ray Aragon, St. Anne’s Catholic Church, gave the invocation and Mayor Pro Tem Witcher led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Consideration of Deletions to Agenda
None
Approval of Minutes
A motion was made by Commissioner Lumpkin and seconded by Commissioner Sandoval to approve the minutes of the March 27, 2008 regular Commission meeting. Roll Call:
Lumpkin Witcher Sandoval Yes Yes Yes
Approval of Vouchers
A motion was made by Commissioner Lumpkin and seconded by Commissioner Sandoval to approve the City vouchers. Roll Call:
Lumpkin Witcher Sandoval Yes Yes Yes Items from Citizens
Catherine Bugg, a Board Member of the Tucumcari Crime Stoppers, reported that a $4,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who stole items from the Rt. 66 Ethanol Plant. Some of the items included a 2001 black enclosed trailer, a welder, plasma cutter, cement saws, air compressor, hand tools and power tools. If anyone has any information, they were asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 461-3507. She reported that the information came through Crime Stoppers and did not go through the Police Department. She reported that Crime Stoppers has over $45,000 for rewards and if the money is not used it will go back to the State and that could include the drug dog. Chief Hatcher reported that he had been contacted and referred the individual to Crime Stoppers.
Proclamations
Mayor Pro Tem Witcher read the Proclamation Tribute to Teacher Excellence Day – April 11, 2008.
City Manager’s Report
City Manager John Sutherland gave Chief Roger Hatcher opportunity to present the Police statistics for the month of March 2008. Chief Hatcher gave the following information:
Calls for All Types of Dispatch Service - 543 Arrests - 62 Accidents-Motor Vehicle - 12 Domestic Violence - 12 DWI - 4 Minor in Possession - 0 Citations - 197 Auto Theft - 0 False Alarms - 35 Burglaries - 7 Vandalisms - 16 Assault & Battery - 4 Possession Paraphernalia and/or Marijuana - 1 Noise Complaints - 21 Fight in Public - 5 Shots Fired - 1 Child Abuse - 1 Rape/Sexual Assault - 0 Money Seized - 0
Animal Control Officer Mike Martinez furnished First Quarter Statistics for Animal Control Services - 1,263 calls
Chief Hatcher reported they have the Sleuth Software up and running and do have some questions, but they are using it pretty well. K-9 Officer Dennis Garcia has been at K-9 refresher school with his dog and should be back the latter part of this week. There will be two officers going to Gang Training in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mayor Pro Tem asked about the false alarms and the Chief reported they were caused by various reasons.
Sutherland reported that he had traveled to Roy with Doug Powers on March 28 for the Northeast Regional Planning Organization on the traffic safety problem on Mountain Road and I-40 with Flying J and Love Truck Stops. He reported it earned the number one ranking from NERPO, so it should place the City in very good position to be funded by the Department of Transportation. He noted that Mr. Powers did an outstanding presentation. April 1 he attended the New Mexico Municipal League District 4 meeting in Portales. On April 2 he met with Bruce Nutt and Jeannette Maddaford regarding to Saturday hours at the Museum in response to a request from the Hotel/Motel Association group at a special meeting of the Lodgers Tax Board meeting. April 2 he attended a lunch meeting with Lt. Governor Diane Denish at the Pow Wow Restaurant. April 2 he attended the New Mexico Renew Conference. April 4 he met with Commissioner Lafferty and the President of the U.S. Highway 54 Spirit Committee to get an update on the efforts to extend the U.S. 54 to four lanes. April 4 he met with HUD officials from the Albuquerque office who made a two-day inspection of the Housing Authority. They will reduce their report to writing and will forward to the City for action. On March 31, the Ute Reservoir Water Commission Working Group met and drafted proposed regulations providing procedures for Tucumcari to withdraw its allocation from the lake. April 10, he led the regular monthly department head meeting and set the deadline for submission of the 08-09 annual operating and capital budget. Bid openings were conducted for the Railroad HAZMAT Mitigation Project and for the Wastewater Treatment Plant Headworks and Sixty-Six Lift Station Renovation Projects. The City has successfully completed their portion of the turn lane project on the U.S. 54 project. He extended thanks to Alex Madrid, Street and Sanitation Superintendent, and his crew for the hard work they did on the project as the work they accomplished made the City proud. He noted that the crew was not a road construction crew, but tackled the job and did quality work.
Commissioner Sandoval inquired about Tucumcari’s part in Ute Lake Commission. City Manager Sutherland reported that Tucumcari is in the thick of it. The Ute Water Reservoir Commission had not met for two years, but the last two months the Commission has come back into existence. He noted that Tucumcari has a contract to supply Ute Lake Ranch their water needs for their development and that requires the City to redraw its allocation from the Ute Reservoir and it requires certain procedures to be in place in order for the City or any other entity to receive water. Ute Water Reservoir Commission is in the process of developing of those procedures. Mayor Pro Tem stated that the City’s contract with Ute Lake Ranch states they will ship the City purified water of which the City will pay for the purification.
Old Business
Mayor Pro Tem Witcher acknowledged the Planning and Zoning minutes of February 26, 2008.
New Business
Robert Ciolli, a member of the National Animal Control Association, the American Humane Association, and an east side representative for Animal Protection New Mexico, reported that last year he was part of a group that put on a spay/neuter clinic at Del Norte. He stated that they were only able to do 14 cats and 13 dogs and had to turn away almost 50 people in addition to many other calls received. He cited statistics of areas that had started subsidized spay/neuter clinics had reduced euthanasia rates and the number of animals admitted to shelters dropped as well. He noted that Tucumcari destroys over 1,500 household pets per year. He reported that he had been contacted by the Santa Fe Animal Shelter about bringing their mobile spay/neuter van back to Tucumcari the weekend of May 24 and 25 and would be able to spay and neuter 50 to 60 animals including giving vaccinations and rabies shots at a cost of $4,000. He stated that he was approaching three other groups to help with the cost. The Commissioners asked if the City had the money and City Manager stated that if the Commission desired to do this, a budget amendment could be prepared to cover the cost. A motion was made by Commissioner Lumpkin and seconded by Commissioner Sandoval to foot the entire $4,000 for the cost of the clinic and wholesomely restrict it to the residents within the City limits of Tucumcari. Roll Call:
Witcher Sandoval Lumpkin Yes Yes Yes
Code Enforcement Officer Cathy Estrada requested free landfill dumping days for the Great American Clean Up to be held on Friday and Saturday, May 2 and 3, 2008, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. both days requiring a water bill and drivers license as City resident proof. Also Trek for Trash will be held Friday and Saturday, September 5 and 6, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on both days. She asks that the loads be tarped and tied down so no trail of trash is left. Also she noted that no batteries, paints, refrigerators, or hazard products will be accepted at the landfill and there will be a charge for tires. The first year she held free dumping, she had ten people, last year she 40 people, and this year so far she has had quite a few people ask when it would be held. A motion was made by Commissioner Lumpkin and seconded by Commissioner Sandoval to allow free dumping on May 2 and 3 and September 5 and 6, 2008 with extended hours. City Manager reported that Mayor Apodaca had called to request that the elderly and homebound be provided with a pickup service at their dumpster for bulk items. Roll Call:
Sandoval Lumpkin Witcher Yes Yes Yes
Executive Session
A motion was made by Commissioner Lumpkin and seconded by Commissioner Sandoval to go into Executive Session pursuant to the Open Meetings Act 10-15-1(H)(7) threatened or pending litigation in which the public body is or may become a participant. Time noted 6:30 p.m. Roll Call:
Lumpkin Witcher Sandoval Yes Yes Yes
A motion was made by Commissioner Lumpkin and seconded by Commissioner Sandoval to reconvene from Executive Session and acknowledged that only threatened or pending litigation pursuant to the Open Meetings Act 10-15-1(H)(7) was discussed and no action was taken. Time noted 6:40 p.m. Roll Call:
Lumpkin Witcher Sandoval Yes Yes Yes
Items from Commissioners
Commissioner Sandoval stated that he hoped the community would use their dumpsters, but when the dumpster gets to the point of being full to wait until the garbage truck empties the container before adding more trash as there is a problem with trash being blown all over the City. He also asked the citizens to pick up trash on the ground and be sure to shut the dumpster lid.
Commissioner Lumpkin reported the first annual Renewable Energy Conference in Tucumcari was a huge success. He stated that he had received e-mails from all over the state thanking the City for the conference. He noted that close to 400 people attended the conference and it was a unique group of people who were interested in renewable energy. He publicly thanked the Greater Tucumcari Economic Development Executive Director Pat Vanderpool and his assistant, Danielle Gallegos, as well as the Convention Center staff of Ron Wilmot and Eddie Griggs who worked extremely hard to have everything set up and ready to go. Also he thanked whoever decided to build a Convention Center, as it was the perfect place for a large convention. He noted that everyone that came to the conference was impressed with the facility.
Mayor Pro Tem Witcher noted that he had met with the Eastern Plains Council of Governments on April 9 at the Convention Center.
Adjournment
There being no further business, a motion to adjourn was made by Commissioner Lumpkin and seconded by Commissioner Sandoval. Time noted 6:42 p.m. Roll Call:
Lumpkin Witcher Sandoval Yes Yes Yes
______________________________ Antonio Apodaca, Mayor
ATTEST:
____________________________ Jeannette Maddaford, City Clerk
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