With rain pouring down Burro Avenue on Tuesday night, Sept. 29, the council worked quickly through a busy agenda at a sparsely attended special meeting.
The Short Version
The council approved a liquor license that allows a bar inside the Grand Cloudcroft Hotel. It voted to begin paying the mayor and trustees in 2028, fixed a mismatch in the ice rink lease ordinance, gave a Public Works employee a raise and hired a temporary worker. Every item passed, and no members of the public spoke against any of the three hearings.
Ordinance 404: Pay Now Found
Starting January 1, 2028, Cloudcroft’s mayor will be paid $1,000 a month and each trustee $500 a month from the general fund, a total of $36,000 a year.
The pay applies only to officials beginning a new term, so no one on the current council will receive it unless re-elected. The ordinance passed 4–0. Trustees said pay would bring more accountability to the job and encourage more residents to run. According to Clerk Jini Turri, Cloudcroft is one of only two municipalities in New Mexico that don’t pay their governing body.
Former Trustee Gail McCoy, who proposed the pay ordinance, stepped down in August to serve as library aide. Trustee John Snook was unanimously appointed to the vacant seat.
Brewery Bar at the Grand
Trustee Matt Willett, a part-owner of Cloudcroft Brewing Co., recused himself from the vote on the small-brewer off-site location license at the Grand Cloudcroft Hotel. Trustees John Snook, Keith Hamilton and Danny Hardwick unanimously approved the license, which allows the brewery to operate a bar at the hotel.
Jim Maynard, a former trustee, Cloudcroft Brewing co-owner and a partner and spokesperson for the Grand Cloudcroft Hotel, said drinking will be allowed only inside the “hotel’s secured area, inside the doors.” Hotel management will release the bar’s hours and drink menu and will decide whether the bar is open to non-guests. Maynard said no food will be served.
Related: Cloudcroft Reader: Grand Cloudcroft Hotel
Rink Rent Ordinance Amendment
The council amended Ordinance 2025-01, which leases the James Sewell Ice Rink to Southwest Sports Solutions. The rent written in the ordinance didn’t match the signed lease. After consulting Village Attorney Zach Cook, staff determined the lease reflects what was actually agreed to.
Cook couldn’t attend Tuesday’s meeting because of area flood warnings, and was available by phone if needed.
The amendment removes the dollar figures from Section 4, which now says the lease terms “shall be determined and agreed upon by the Village of Cloudcroft and Southwest Sports Solutions.” That way, future lease changes won’t require amending the ordinance, Turri said.
Rent is $1,000 a month, and every approved and verified capital improvement the company makes is credited dollar-for-dollar against it. Turri said the arrangement meets the state’s fair-market-value standard, based on an appraisal. The previous lessee paid $1,000 per year, Willett and Turri said.
Southwest Sports Solutions holds a 20-year lease. When it ends, the company keeps the ice plant, floor system, dasher boards and ice-making equipment. Anything permanently attached to the building, such as lights, paint and the rainwater capture system, stays with the village. The amendment passed unanimously.
Related: Skate Expectations: Longer Rink Season Comes to Cloudcroft
New Business: Public Works Staffing
The council unanimously approved a raise for Public Works Water Operator David Hunter, who holds his Level 4 water license and just passed the Level 3 wastewater license test. After one year, he can test for a Level 4 in wastewater.
Trustees also voted to hire Kristian Ruiz as a seasonal worker while another employee is out on unpaid medical leave. Ruiz holds a CDL and will start next pay period.
The next council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 13, at 6 pm in the Village Chambers. See you there.
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