By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
Raton City Commissioners met Tuesday July 25, 2023, for the second regular meeting of the month where they approved event forms and celebration permits for upcoming events in Raton as well as approving fiscal year-end financials.
Resolution 2023-47 came before the commission and is an intent to designate Magistrate Court jurisdiction over municipal ordinances and will do away with the Municipal Cm kourt in Raton. This is related to Senate Bill 173 from a couple of years ago which designates magistrate court jurisdiction over city ordinances. The statute also requires the city to create an advisory committee to watch over this process. Current Municipal Judge Roy Manfredi addressed the commission and spoke about the bill and how it affects the city and the court. He added the municipal court has been in effect for over 100 years and requested the commission to not pass this resolution.
Christine Piancino, the Municipal Court Clerk, spoke about the court caseload and how it will affect the caseload in magistrate court. She also spoke about the effects the closure of the municipal court would cause, including the loss of two jobs. She also spoke about how it will affect the police officers in Raton. It is noted too that the police department is understaffed and that also has reduced the number of citations coming into municipal court. Mayor Neil Segotta noted this is not just based on caseload but also budgetary concerns. Commissioner Lori Chatterly posed concerns about the state pushing for control of the municipal courts. She also noted that the NM Municipal League is opposed to making this change. Commissioner Ron Chavez made a motion to postpone the decision to the August 8th meeting, in order for the commission to obtain more information from the court.
Commissioners held a public hearing for the Infrastructure Capital improvements plan for FY24-FY28. The public hearing is to take comments from the public in person or by email, phone calls to city hall or other means of communication. The ICIP will be sent to the state in August this year as the deadline is earlier than usual. Stephanie Jansen addressed the commission and asked that the pickleball courts be placed on the ICIP. Jansen, reminded the Commission that the group has a majority of the private funding in place for the courts in the El Portal lot. The Commission assured Jansen that Pickle Ball is on their radar.
Commissioners then heard from City Manager Scott Berry about the public events that are going on in Raton over the next month. The 1st Baptist Church will have a block party on August 23 and require Rio Grande Ave to be closed from 3rd Street to the alley on the west side of the church. The Rainbow Alliance Pride Festival will take place on August 26-27 mostly in Heritage Park. The Gate City Music Festival will take place on First Street on September 2-3.
The Gate City Music Festival will have Colfax Ale Cellar, Left Turn Distilling and Blu Dragonfly brewing on hand for the festivities. Music from Angel Fire on August 20 and William Lee Martin comedy performance on August 12 will also have adult beverages at their events at the Shuler which will be covered by these permits. Those Celebration permits were approved by the commission.
The Lodger’s Tax Advisory Board recommended funding for Raton Mainstreet for the Gate City Music Festival in the amount of $26,530 for advertising and covering the costs of entertainers. The Rainbow Alliance for $6,750 for advertising. They also approved funding for the Colexico Spaghetti and Western Fest to cover advertising in the amount of $5,000 for advertising and merchandise. They also approved funding for the Lions Club Community event on August 5th in the amount of $5,205 to help with entertainer costs and other costs including security.
Raton and Colfax County are negotiating a change in the dispatch agreement as a result of changes at the sheriff’s office. The new agreement was made back in early July, however the County did not approve that agreement and has requested a 60-day extension of the old agreement. The cost of the additional 60 days will be $12,500.
Commissioners heard from Michael Anne Antonucci about the RFP for youth services for the Restorative Justice program. New Hope Family Counselling LLC was the only bid and was awarded the contract for its services pending approval by CYFD. The contract is for $39,380.
They also heard about the MOU with the Continuum Advisory Board per the JJAC agreement. The MOU is much the same as last year. The MOU spells out the requirements of each party participating in the program. The MOU was approved.
City Treasurer Antonucci went over the end-of-year budget adjustment for FY23. The budget adjustment moves money around to cover any overages or shortages. Two of the adjustments involve changes for grant monies to cover them until payments are made to close out the grants.
Commissioners also heard about the FY23 financial reports for the end of the year which will now become the beginning for the FY24 fiscal year. The city received additional loan payments from RPS and increases from the GRT giving the city some cushion going into the fiscal year. The final budgets and reports are due into the state by July 31, 2023. (Link to Budget Adjustment End of Year FY23)
Resolution 2023-46 was approved, giving approval for the final budget to begin FY24. Antonucci went over the changes that will affect the final balance such as the change in the dispatch agreement with Colfax County and equipment purchases that were made in 2023 instead of 2024.
Commissioners heard about the removal of a dangerous building at 805 North Fourth Street in the Willow Springs addition of Raton. An environmental appraisal will be required before the building is brought down but Berry noted that it is in such bad shape it cannot be salvaged and must come down. He added that there are several burned buildings in town that will have to be removed. The City will begin the process to get the buildings demolished and will re-apply for a Brownfield Grant from the US Government to aid in the process.
Commissioners then heard about a grant from Outdoor Recreation Trails +. The application process opened up July 1st and the city will ask for funding to restore the underground tunnel going under the railroad tracks connecting downtown to Roundhouse Park. The tunnel is 400 feet in length and has been closed for many years for safety reasons. The estimated cost for the restoration is $100,000 with the city matching $33,333 and requesting $66,667 from the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division.
Berry noted in his report that many projects are underway or complete. The kitchen work at the Senior Center is now complete, and Seniors returned to the Senior Center for lunch. The restoration work in city hall is coming along quite well and is nearing completion. There has been some curb and gutter work done in town as well as other small items around town. The Conestoga Wagon monument has been moved to the Raton Visitor Center. The City has received the occupancy permit for the new airport hangar.
Senator Ben Ray Lujan told the City he will take the request for the 10th Street bridge reconstruction on to the Senate Appropriations Committee. NMDOT has committed $400,000 to design work for I-27 and the Feds will possibly put as much as $2 million toward the work.
The next city commission meeting will take place on August 8th at 6:00 p.m. in Raton City Hall.
