By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
Raton City Commissioners met Tuesday evening and heard that the gross receipts tax revenue for July is up by about 3.5% over budget.
In the financial report City Manger Scott Berry also noted a slight increase in the cash balance for the city and noted the street work has been completed and those figures are in the report with a balance still remaining in the street fund. (Link to the July 2015 Financial Report)
Commissioners approved the Domestic Violence Awareness Walk application for the Raton BPW and appointed Robert Walton to the Economic Development board, which was created by the changes in the LEDA ordinance.
Commissioners also approved a request from the Shuler Restoration Commission, Inc. for management of the Shuler Theater. The group brings years of expertise in the Shuler operations with it and will work with the city to go over the rate structure and make any needed changes there to make it affordable for the different organizations that use the Shuler.
Commissioners also approved the Capital Improvement plan for the period of 2017-2021. The plan moves the transfer station down to number five on the list as Jason Phillips noted to commissioners that solid waste projects are not as high on the legislative list as it has been and that street improvements have a higher priority. The Lake Maloya Dam project was also moved up to second with RPD patrol vehicle replacement third and the MainStreet Great Blocks project fourth. (Link to the ICIP Plan Final)
Phillips noted that some of the projects are funded in different ways or through different sources but they are finding that they need to be on the plan to show the other funding sources that these projects are important to the city.
Commissioners heard from Attorney Steven McConnell who is representing the seller of the Sands Motel. As the sale progressed it was found that after the motel was built in the late 1950s that an alley way was platted but never built and in the 1960s a luxury wing was built across the platted alley way. (Link to the Sands Motel Alley Vacate Docs)
In order to clear this matter up the city has agreed to vacate the platted alley in exchange for an easement for the current power lines that provide electricity to the motel. McConnell also noted that the motel was built 6.15 feet into the Emerson Street platted area, which has been there for many years. He is also asking the city to vacate that strip of Emerson Street to clean up this situation. Commissioners approved the vacations, which will allow the sale of the property to move forward.
Commissioners then approved the Lodger’s Tax board recommendation to approve the remaining $12,500 amount for the Gate City Music Festival. They had approved $12,500 in fiscal year 2015 for the event and the remaining $12,500 for fiscal year 2016 which totals to $25,000 for the event that was originally requested and approved by the board.
Commissioners approved a change order for Engineering Analytics on the First Street repaving project that will extend the work to be done all the way from Pecos to Savage. Because of the work done recently on Tiger Drive, the city has a better-cost estimate of the work and materials and so can now almost double the 1st Street project with some additional monies coming in from NMDOT.
Commissioners also approved Molsen-Corben Engineering to proceed with engineering work at the airport which will include a gate to keep wildlife out as well as a water pollution plan and rehabilitation of the main taxiway. A recent inspection found that the third fuel tank at the airport had problems and Molsen-Corben will do the engineering to replace that tank.
In the city manager’s report Berry noted that: Amtrak will begin work to improve access to the train station.
The Raton Police Department will soon be outfitted with body cameras as a result from a grant from the NM Municipal League;
The city will call for bids for soil to start the reclamation on the landfill;
There will be another CDBG grant public hearing on Monday August 31 at 5:00 to get more public input for a CDBG grant project;
The city will work with another vendor to develop a more bear proof dumpster lid as they have seen mixed results with the current design. Berry has also asked residents to hold off putting trash in the dumpster until pickup day. He noted that in his neighborhood residents have agreed to do that and it has worked very well;
Residents are also asked that if they can’t get trash such as sofas or appliances to the transfer station to call the city office and schedule a crew to come pick them up for you. For a small fee the city can take the items out to the transfer station. He noted this is a very labor-intensive problem if the items are dumped by the dumpster and that it takes crews away from other projects like pothole repair, plus it is illegal and makes the whole town look bad.
The next regular meeting of the Raton City Commission will be September 8, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. and will be broadcast on KRTN AM 1490.
