By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
Raton City Commissioners met Tuesday evening, July 28, 2015 where they approved several events permits and financial reports for the end of the fiscal year.
Commissioners began their meeting hearing from the Gate City Music Festival committee with a run down on the many activities for the festival, which will include world-class entertainment from Deana Carter, Crystal Yates and others to a chili cook-off and beer and wine from the Santa Fe Brewing Company and Taos Mesa Brewing.
Commissioners approved those permits and the ones for the St. Patrick’s St Joseph’s Fiesta walk/run and the 1st Street Market Zuke Fest 5K.
Commissioners then approved Bill Allen and Paul Jenkins to the Raton Economic Development Board.
They approved JL Builders as the low bidder for the Arthur Johnson Memorial Library plumbing project with a low bid of $59,740.00 plus gross receipts tax.
Commissioners were given an option of funding the Multi-Modal center in three different additive bids. City Manager Scott Berry told commissioners they have enough money to fund the base project but not quite enough for either additive bids. Roy Gibson with Bohannan Huston was on hand to explain the bids. They received bids from Anissa Construction Inc and Stoven Construction Inc for all three bids. (Link to the Multi-Model Bid)
Gibson explained that they bid a base project with additive bids for additional projects within the multi-model center. The base bid from Anissa was $689,469.97 while Stoven bid $928,507.14. Additive one includes a Gazebo and additive bid two includes a Bike building. Anissa bid $1,116,770.62 for the base bid and additive #1 and bid $1,336,525 for base bid including additive projects one and two.
Commissioners approved the mutual aid agreement with Trinidad Fire and Raton Fire and Emergency Services. This agreement is similar to the others the commission approved a couple of months back.
Commissioners heard from Michael Anne Antonnuci and approved the fiscal year end budget adjustments for the city and Raton Water Works. The final adjustment included transferring monies that had been left in grants or other funds that needed to be moved to the general fund. (Link to the Final Budget adjustment FY2015)
Commissioners then approved the year end financial reports which Antonucci indicated had a few bright spots one of which was the city managed to control expenses to the point that the offset the 4% decrease in gross receipts taxes. Those reports will be finalized and sent to the state. (Link to the Financial Report June 30 2015)
The final budget for the 104th fiscal year for the City of Raton was approved. That budget does include the budgets of the Raton Water Works and Raton Public Service. The city budget shows revenues of $4,759,392 and expenses of $4,912,234. Antonucci is hopeful that the city will see some increase in GRT this next year with some of the ongoing construction projects. She also noted the budget is a living document and they will see adjustments throughout the year.
City Manager Scott Berry noted that the Municipal League Annual conference is coming up and that the commissioners will need to select voting delegates at the next meeting. Progress on the education center is moving along with the help of John Davidson. Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Latham will be in Raton August 5-6 for a tourism workshop.
Auditors will be in Raton to start their fieldwork on the audit August 10. Berry also noted that Municipal Court Clerk Sherry Romero was awarded the Court Clerk of the Year for the state.
The next regular meeting of the Raton City Commission will be held on August 11, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. in the commission chambers and as always will be heard on KRTN AM 1490.
