Village Meeting: 8 Takeaways
ICYMI: A brief report on the September 16th village council meeting
Trustees Hamilton, Maynard, and McCoy unanimously approved a village compensation plan drafted by consulting firm Grayson Mathews. Lubbock-based Audrey Davis telepresented at the meeting, sharing how the plan compared Cloudcroft to other Southeast New Mexico rural towns and other mountain resorts to arrive at the pay scale ranges.
The Tuesday, September 23rd Special Meeting was cancelled—Mayor King says it will take place the 29th or 30th. The council plans a special meeting to discuss and rework the budget after mistakes were found, according to Mayor Tim King. Trustees Maynard and Hamilton were careful to emphasize that the compensation plan is a framework and not a requirement. Hoping to bring to a resolution a long-simmering struggle, Trustee Maynard requested that the raises for the Water and Maintenance Department appear on the meeting’s agenda so the Trustees can once again approve the raises promised and paychecks can be funded. Mayor King appeared to agree to place them on the next agenda.
Public Works Supervisor JJ Carrizal emphasized to the council the need to free up funding for projects such as road repair and fire hydrant replacement. Pumps in the Sewage treatment plant and the Chataqua lift station recently failed and were replaced at a cost of roughly $50,000. Also, the department’s deployment of new fire hydrants requires, in some cases, a temporary water shutoff of nearby properties for a few hours due to old valves. The public is notified of the affected areas through Facebook.
Chief of Police Rolando Hernandez resigned his post on Monday, September 15th, citing family obligations for his departure. Mayor King said he has a couple of new prospects. There was no mention of how the hiring process would work this time.
The council renewed the Cloudcroft Art Workshops lease for one year. Mayor King plans to have all of the village’s properties assessed to determine leasing agreements in the future. Trustee McCoy was the only “No” vote.
Village Finance Director Sylvia Hall was sworn in as Interim Clerk.
The council unanimously approved a resolution authorizing an application to the U.S. DoT’s Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program for the Cloudcroft pedestrian bridge project feasibility, planning, and design.
Parks and Recreation Board Chair Matt Willett elaborated:
“This is not a Village Council project and will not occupy their time. The Parks and Rec Advisory Board, in conjunction with NM Rails-to-Trails and grant writing support from The Sacramento Mountains Foundation are the driving forces behind this project. The design will take into consideration the height of any vehicles that use Hwy 82. We have applied for a for a federal grant to conduct a feasibility study to determine if this project is even possible. If greenlit, once completed, this will not only allow access to The Trestle Recreation Area Trailhead, but also to 13 acres of additional VoC-owned land.”
”The long-term goal is to address increased downtown congestion by adding additional parking, restrooms, playground and picnic areas, trail access and dreaming big, potentially a recreation center. It will most definitely get used, and also proved safe access (especially for the kiddos) to additional outdoor recreation opportunities. The picture in this article is just a rendering. If approved, the final product will most likely look nothing like what is shown. The goal would be to blend with our mountain aesthetics, while paying homage to our railroad history.”The Tiny Art Show is back at the Michael Nivison Public Library. All ages are welcome—bring your 7x7-inch-or-less artwork in any medium to the library by October 13th to participate. Join the reception and awards on October 17th at 6:00 p.m.
Watch the meeting through the Village of Cloudcroft Facebook livestream. You won’t see the council, though—the camera faces the audience.
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