By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
Raton City Commissioners met Tuesday evening to hear grant agreements and approve the final version of the Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan for a September 18 submission deadline.
Commissioners approved the ICIP which places Police equipment as the top priority in part because of a legislative mandate to have body cams on all officers. Part of that includes storage for all the video which the department badly needs. Drainage issues, street improvements including a pedestrian and bicycle trail along Sugarite Avenue. City Manager Scott Berry also placed the Frontage Road and East 10th Street reconstruction on the priority list. (Link to ICIP Plan)
The Lodger’s Tax recommendation was approved providing $30,000 for advertising for the Community for Innovation. $5632.30 for KCRT/KBKZ for radio ads. $3884.60 for KRTN radio ads.
Commissioners postponed the introduction of city ordinance chapter 90 Animals to get public input on some of the proposals. The changes deal with potential or dangerous dogs. It defines what a dangerous or potentially dangerous dog is and how to handle these dogs. One suggestion is to have those dog owners register the dogs for a fee of $150 and to carry liability insurance for that dog. The city is requesting public input on the matter before the full introduction and approval of the amendments.
Commissioners approved the contract with Better City for economic development services. Services include applying for EDA EAA Grant along with paperwork for other economic developments grants.
Commissioners approved the grant with New Mexico Aviation Department for $20,000 to help cover consumables for the airport. The city will provide a match of just over $2,200.
The city applied for $1.5 million in Cares Act monies for small business and was awarded $718,875 to be used to help small business with expenses related to COVID. In order to get the money a business will have to qualify by being headquartered in New Mexico, have 50 or fewer employees prove the loss of monies due to closure or reduced operations.
The city also applied for $1.4 million in local government funding and was awarded $655,075. The city will also have to provide documentation that it had expenses related to the COVID crisis.
City Manager Berry noted that the commission approved the FAA grant for the PAPI system back in June. The city was notified that it was awarded the money but the FAA hasn’t provided the documentation as of yet. They informed Berry just before the meeting that he would have the agreement on Thursday and it is due back to the FAA on Friday. Berry was authorized in June to sign the agreement so he will take care of that and get it back to the FAA. FAA also approved to fund 100% of the project.
In his report Berry noted all the construction projects are going well and that 5th Street chip seal project will be fog sealed next week depending on weather. With that he turned the mic over to Fire Chief Anthony Burke for a report on the East Fork Fire which is seeing favorable weather over the burn area. Burke noted there was fog and rain with ice formation on some surfaces and its hoped a good deal of snow will fall and help to extinguish the hotspot that are still burning in the area. The fire has consumed 1680 acres most of which is in the Track Fire burn scar and all on city property. Berry noted they will begin the process of post fire activities to mitigate run off into Lake Maloya.
Commissioners will meet again on September 22 at 6:00 p.m. for their next regular meeting.
(Link to the East Fork Fire Map) (Link to the Proclamation Suicide Prevention Month)
