By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
Raton City Commissioners met Tuesday evening May 11, 2021 for their regular May meeting and heard good news from Carr, Riggs and Ingram, LLC on the city audit for this year.
Commissioners heard from Alan Bowers who reported the city received an unmodified audit report. Bowers also noted the city had rectified three of the four findings from last year while RPS rectified two of the two findings they had from last year’s audit. Each entity however had one NMSA finding which Bowers noted were minor issues but had to be reported on the audit to the governing body. (Link to Audit Report 5-11-2021)
Commissioners then approved RCI as the auditors for FY 2022 at the recommendation of City treasurer Michael Anne Antonucci. Antonucci noted the state has revamped regulations on the number of years an audit firm can be used by the city to do the audit.
At the request of City Manager Scott Berry commissioners postponed the agreement with Ramel Family Farms, LLC until a special meeting next Wednesday evening at 6:00 p.m. when commissioners will also go over the interim budget which is due to DFA on June 1st. Berry noted that there were some issues that attorneys brought up that needed to be refined and should be finished by next Wednesday.
Only two bids were received for the CDBG project in downtown Raton. H.O. Construction bid $827,831.15 while Rocky road Gravel and Well Drilling bid $815,123.00. Due to an increase in construction costs the proposed deductive alternates were pulled from the project. Both Bids however have come in above the allotted $725,000. The city is communicating with the approving authority for the grant to hopefully acquire additional funding for the project.
Commissioners will meet Wednesday to go over the interim budget which Berry noted isn’t as bad as they had expected. GRT, which is the main income for the city didn’t fall as badly as Berry feared it would and with upcoming construction projects and the relaxation of the health restrictions so local businesses can get back to work, he is hopeful that things will recover which will also help the budget. He also noted that once the state releases the GRT collected on online sales the city is hopeful to see additional income.
Commissioners approved the renewal of the two dispatch agreements with the town of Springer ($32,004) and the village of Cimarron ($14,000). Berry noted the agreements remained the same as last year.
Commissioners approved the amendment to the Juvenile Justice agreement for FY2022 and then approved the budget adjustment for the program.
Commissioners also approved Budget Adjustment #13 which includes moving funds to purchase an additional two police vehicles from salary savings due to unfilled positions. It also includes a transfer to meet the CDBG match. (Link to FY 2021 Budget Adjustment #13)
Berry noted that RPS has received four proposals for purchase power agreements. They will now begin the process of selecting one to bring to the city commission for approval. Raton Water works is continuing work on the pumps and motors at the Cimarron Diversion facility. He noted the equipment there is about 40 years old and in need of replacement. Lake Maloya is seeing good inflow with the water level only seven inches below the spillway.
Berry and Mayor Pro-Tem Lindé Schuster met with the county commission with a proposal to use some special federal monies to purchase 2200 acres on top of Bartlett Mesa to help connect Sugarite Canyon State Park with the new Fisher’s Peak State Park in Colorado. The governor’s Chief of Staff sees the proposal as a major economic development opportunity. The city now has the task of getting federal officials to approve the money for the project. Berry is noting the land is priced at $2.7 million and could take as much as $3 to $4 million to provide needed developments.
Commissioners then went into executive session to discuss the litigation between the City of Albuquerque and NM Taxation and revenue Department. Case number D-202-2018-08036.
Commissioners will meet again on Wednesday May 19 at 6:00 p.m. for a special meeting and May 25 at 6:00 p.m. for their next regular meeting for the month of May.
Mayor Neal Segotta presented the proclamation for National Police Week Tuesday evening (Link to Proclamation National Police week
