Raton City Commission Deliberates on Capital Outlay Priorities

By Marty Mayfield

KRTN Multi-Media

Raton City Commissioners met Tuesday evening November 26, 2024, for their last meeting of November where they heard from City Manager Rick Mestas concerning this year’s upcoming capital outlay priorities.

Of note during the committee reports from commissioners Mayor Pro-Tem Chatterley noted that the National Park Service RTCA had three individuals visit Raton and with their help have focused funding on the trails through the trails grant to move planning to the Climax Canyon/Goat Hill area from the stinky tunnel project. The city will explore some student design projects on our local parks possibly through UNM or CSU next fall. The mapping and inventory of the city parks has already been completed as part of the project. NPS worked with Highlands who were instrumental in that process. The city now has some very useful mapping assets for the parks department.

During the visit with NPS RTCA they did a field visit of Roundhouse Park, Romero Park, and Goat Hill then visited other areas of interest including the Raton Amtrak Station, Great Blocks, and drove by a few other parks. The group worked on mapping edits, did visioning and goals, and hiked the Climax Canyon National Recreation Trail and the new spur trail, with the volunteers who built it and continue to maintain it.

After approving the previous meeting minutes commissioners heard about the six top Capital Outlay Projects which include Lake Maloya Dam safety improvements, $30,000,000; Raton Animal Shelter replacement, $1,000,000; Solid Waste equipment $200,000; Storm Drainage improvements $500,000; Monument sign $150,000; and Convention Center improvements $500,000 for a total request of $32,350,000. The list of the projects is based on their position within the current ICIP. The commission approved the list as is.

City Manger Mestas noted in his report that the city dealt with a sink hole that had opened next to the railroad tracks on North Second Street. The cause of the sink hole was attributed to underground water from storm runoff and snow melt. The culvert that is associated with the sink hole will need to be replaced in the future. All the city supervisors have completed the Art of Supervision training, a 24-week program to improve supervision and help supervisors to provide a means for employee evaluations and tools to advance employee careers.

Mestas and Jason Phillips attended the annual budget conference November 20-22. The conference was geared to bring awareness and promote improvement and efficiency. A discussion with Marcus Montoya the 8^th Judicial District Attorney included police processes and the lack of defense attorneys in Northern New Mexico.

Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham has rescheduled her appearance in Raton for a Public Safety Town Hall on Monday January 13, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Shuler Theater. Mestas concluded his report with Raton like many other communities can improve public safety by requiring a comprehensive set of accountability and prevention strategies that seek to change the behavior while addressing the conditions giving rise to crime. There is a tightrope we need to walk as a government and community while juggling a lot of variables including the judicial system, our schools, our municipality, our healthcare and our citizens who want a safer Raton. He went on to add that he encourages all of our citizens to be part of this conversation but to also think long and hard about the circumstances here on the Northern New Mexico Frontier.

Commissioners will meet again on Tuesday December 10, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. with the December 24 regular meeting being cancelled due to the Christmas Holiday.