By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
Raton City Commissioners met Tuesday evening January 11, for their first regular meeting of the new year where they handled the beginning of the year duties and after election duties by reorganizing the commission.
Commissioner Chavez moved to keep the commission the way it is with Neal Segotta as Mayor and Lindé Schuster as Mayor Pro-Tem. Commissioners also voted to keep their board assignments for the upcoming year.
At the request of City Manager Scott Berry commissioners postponed the Travel Policy as well as the amendment question with CYFD short cycle funding due to contract delays and the Human Resources Development Associates Inc which is associated with the CYFD agreement.
Commissioners approved the public meeting policy for the year and tackled the question about the vacant building determination of the property at 1101 S. 2nd Street. Commissioners upheld the initial determination by city staffers to classify this property as an abandon building. Commissioner had hoped to talk to the present owners who have failed to come to this meeting or the one that the question had been originally been scheduled for.
City Manager Scott Berry asked that $2.5 million and $1.5 million be added to the capital outlay requests. The $2.5 million will be for the Kearney Film school renovation/construction, equipment, and other things. The $1.5 million will go to the community center renovation and expansion of the community kitchen. The deadline to add these to the current list is January 13.
Commissioners approved the mechanism to transfer the American Rescue Act funding of $75,000 to RPS for their hardship waiver program.
City Treasurer Michael Anne Antonucci brought the commission the best news of the evening with a 7.5% GRT receipt above budget. Antonucci noted that with the warm weather into November construction went longer than planned and she also noted that Lodger’s Tax showed a big increase. Was that increase due to heads in beds or simply from hotel rate increases. (Link to Nov 2021 Financial Report)
The budget adjustment moved monies around for grant payoffs and construction projects. She noted they moved $10,000 around to cover repairs at the animal shelter after damage from the high winds in December. (Link to FY22 Budget Adjustment #6)
City Manager Scott Berry noted in his short report that the green house construction will begin soon. That the hangar project is on hold due to supply issues. The Taxiway project is complete, but weather delayed the PAPI test flight. The city will be looking at some additional funding for projects one to include an EDA grant for coal impacted communities.
City Hall will be closed on January 17 for Martin Luther King Day and the next regular commission meeting is January 25, at 6:00 p.m. in the commission chambers.
