The Raton City Commission set aside a couple of hours on Tuesday, Feb., 18 to gather at City Hall to get an update on pressing needs and projects for the City’s immediate and long-term future.
City Manager Rick Mestas started the planning session with a “State of the City” presentation and told the Commission that the “the City is at a crossroads, it has a robust municipal government and solid financial reserves, and is well positioned to address many key issues, but the road ahead will require vision, investment and collaboration.” Mestas then presented a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) with strengths being; 1. a Strong Government and Healthy Budget; 2 Strategic Location; 3. Abundant Water; and 4. Scenic Beauty. The Weakness side of the chart highlighted ; 1. High Levels of Poverty; 2. Dwindling Population; 3. Infrastructure Deficiences; and 4. a Severe Housing Shortage. Opportunities include our regional location, tourism and outdoor recreation, leveraging our abundant water resource, and according to Mestas, more collaboration with Colorado.
The meeting included department head reports as Chief of Staff/City Treasurer Michael Anne Antonucci reported on the City’s finances and budget saying the City is in good shape financially and was able to build up reserves in the recent past mainly through savings on wages due to several staff vacancies going unfilled. With four months left in the fiscal year they are beginning the process of putting together a budget, and at the end of 2024, the City had 3.7 million cash reserve, but because of some grant reimbursments it might be as much as 5.4 million by the end of the fiscal year. GRT continues to be above projections and was at the end of December some 3.63 above estimates. Several projects that were assumed to be starting this year have not really geared up like the Maverik station, some road projects and airport projects. Small Cities Assitance Distribution came in about $54,000 under budget at $395,000. Lodgers Tax and the Gas Tax collections continue to be lower and a concern. The City manages 44 grants totaling a little over $18 million.
Jason Phillips, Director of Public Works addressed the commission with 7 seperate projects that the City needed to address with number one being Raton City Hall. Phillips noted that since 2012 issues with the structure had been popping up, but just recently foundation safety issues have pushed it to the top of the list. Phillips said the project is estimated to run $354,000, but the City has only $77,000 budgeted for City Hall maintenance leaving a $277,000 deficit. Phillips proposed to the Commission a repurposing of the $256,000 line item currently dedicated for Pickle Ball Courts, and $35,000 for the Coors Building, coupled with the $77,000 already in the budget to make the project possible without dipping into City’s reserves. Phillip’s also said that he was willing to take $102,000 out of his $200,000 recreation budget to refurbish the high school tennis courts into pickle ball courts. Lone Mountain Construction has said the $102,000 could resurface both north and south courts and provide 6 pickle ball courts on the north side of Tiger Circle and provide new netting for both courts.
Phillips said the compromise is not one that everyone will be happy with, but everybody can walk away from this feeling they got something and the repairs to the City Hall would be possible without dipping into general funds.
Phillips said that the other projects he has, might not be able to be done without using general funds.
The second priority is the Shuler Theater electrical upgrade. A National Endowment for the Humanities Grant for $150,000 in 2023 that was matched with $150,000 from the City, was for the replacement of water, sewer and electrical systems in the 110-year-old Shuler Theater.
The City has completed the plumbing phase of the the project , but the electrical upgrade is estimated to be some $300,000 short. The Fire Department utilizes some of the Shuler, so some 50 to 75K of Fire Funds might be available, but still leaves a $225,000 deficit which will have to come out of the City’s reserves.
General funds will probably not have to be used for infrastructure roads and bridges.$2 million in NMDOT funding plus gas tax funding is accruing, so Phillips recommends a staying of the course for the 3 bridge project (Railroad Avenue and Shuler Ave.), North Underpass and South 2nd Street paving.
The Commission recently approved the architectural design of the Raton Animal Shelter and plans will be drawn up by Alpha Design with a modular build being considered. The City requested $1 million from the legislature this year in Capital Outlay money, but depending on the award, the modular build will best utlilize the available money.
Phillips next project to discuss was the Kearny School Film Project. A recent bid opening had only one bid and the bid was “shockingly high”. Because there was only one bid, Phillips said they had nothing to compare it to and they may discuss redesign and rebid, but there is more work to be done.
Phillips delivered City Enginerr’s Jaden Welch’s top priority is property cleanup which needs a dedicated revenue stream. Property cleanup for four properties is short $118,000 with the City already having budgeted $82,000.
The seventh large project is the Train Depot. It is anticipated there will be a forthcoming grant to finally get the station on track after seven years of waiting.
Phillips also said various systems in numerous City buildings need new equipment, mostly HVAC such as the Center for Community Innovation, The Visitors Center and the Raton Convention Center.
The City has received it’s new trash truck and it is in service.
Department heads addressed the Commission and City Police Chief John Garcia, reported to the Commission that if the Police Department had to relocate out of City Hall, while repairs are made the pricing would be “quite high”. Personnel-wise, RPD is in good position with 13 officers and two open positions and five dispatchers with 2 positions open. Next Generation 911 equipment should be arriving sometime this fiscal year. Crime stats for 2024 are being gathered and Garcia didn’t expect a big jump one way or another as compared to 2023. Bullet-proof vests are being purchased and a new digital platform for new radios is being investigated with a $250,000 price tag.
Raton Fire and Emergency Services Chief Anthony Burk, reported to the commission that the new ambulance had been ordered and currently Raton Fire has 14 staff and 2 processing. Burk said their Station 4 Training Station is a vintage 1989 building that was the old visitors center and it is completely non ADA-compliant and they are hoping to get a new training center/ emergency operations center that would accomodate 50 seats and include an impounded vehicle area and some 20,000 square feet. The price tag is estimated at some $10 million.
City Clerk Desire’e Trujillo said her department is mainly concerned with old record’s destruction and new records storage, while Arthur Johnson Memorial Library Director Dennie Gum, said their priority is digitizing the unique and valuable information housed in the library.
JR Alderette, Recreation Director/Aquatic Center Director ended the Department Heads reports and he reported the Aquatic Center is busy, about 19,000 visited last year and the spring is busy with parties and schools and should be paid off a couple years early in 2031.
Alderette also wanted the commission to think of Phase 2 for the Aquatic Center which would include Basketball courts, walking track, meeting rooms, indoor pickle ball courts. In his talks with Molzen Corbin, the original contractors, a preliminary number of $24 million came up, which was twice as much as the original price tag of 7.6 million. Mayor Neil Segotta said if it were linked with the senior center and other muli-purpose uses, the dream could become a reality.
At the end of the two hour planning session, the top two priorities the Commission agreed on was City Hall and the Shuler electrical upgrade.
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