Commissioners Look for Road Funding and Approve Event Forms and MOU

By Marty Mayfield

KRTN Multi-Media

Raton City Commissioners met Tuesday March 10, 2026, with a large crowd of concerned citizens present once again as they gather to handle event forms and road work funding.

Raton Public Service General Manager Dave Piancino reported to the commission that RPS is ready to begin work on a planned outage to replace two power poles. He noted that the crews are working dawn to dusk in preparation for the needed work. There was a short power outage earlier today when mechanical failure caused a large fire ball and the outage. Piancino noted that one of the poles only has an inch and half on one side and an inch of wood left on the other side the remaining 10 inches inside the pole has completely rotted out.

Bryan Cotter has met with RPS and MCMC has prepared a plan for the power outage as they have an emergency generator that will power most outlets and devices however some non-critical items will be down during the outage. Cotter notes that leadership staff will be on site and he is confident that everything will be handled. The facility will be able to handle emergencies as needed.

Pat Walsh talked about the MOU with Atterix and informed the group that March 16 at 6:00 p.m. will at the former Presbyterian Church.

 John Scott Foreman talked against the MOU demanding total transparency about the MOU and asking things about Atterix that commissioners were unable to answer as the items from citizens present is only for commissioners to hear comments. Also, many of the questions commissioners did not have answers too.

Rev. Charlotte Strecker-Baseler spoke about the commission robbing people of their quality of life and wants at least three commissioners to step up and vote no against any form of data center.

Monty McGowen supports the commission’s stance to allow the process of collecting information and looking at the possibilities. He feels that the commission has the best interest of the community at heart.

Scott Berry can’t really say he is for or against the data center but wants to find out what the information will provide. He talked about a data center that was built in Los Lunas to handle Facebook traffic and how it has helped that community’s economy with over 400 jobs. That data center has also brought in more business including a Walmart distribution center and others. Berry noted that there are two sides to the story and we have heard the negative, but we need the facts to make an educated decision.

Commissioner Dan Campbell spoke that he himself is working to stay transparent and talked about how RPS and Raton Water will also be a part of the decision and then went on to talk about Raton’s water availability. He noted that the water will not be given away we have worked hard to give Raton good water.

Commissioner Schuster, while she was against the idea, noted the city cannot stop a business from coming to Raton. She noted that the city will be working on sound pollution ideas to help protect the citizens and other regulatory items to help protect the City of Raton.

Mayor Pro-Tem Honeyfield read a couple of lines from the MOU noting that the MOU doesn’t create any binding contract to tie the city to any permanent agreement. This is just a feasibility study to determine what might be possible for the city and Atterix.

Interim City Manager Neil Segotta talked about how technology has changed things and that the city needs to be open to change and invite businesses to our community but make informed decisions as to whether they will fit in with our community.

Mayor Lori Chatterley also noted that we need to be open minded and that she plans to be here for a long time and that we need to work together for the betterment of the community. She also noted that the comments on Facebook are not good for the community. She noted that one on one communication can be so much more productive and positive than the posts on Facebook have brought.

Commissioners heard from Economic Advisor Ann Theis and Economic Development Director Synthia Molina about a survey they have completed with local business owners on what they are needing and how the city might be able to help. They talked to as many businesses that they could reach and found that one problem is getting people in the front door. Marketing is the biggest issue businesses face and that is where they need help. It was suggested that webinars would be a good way to offer help with the issues they need help with.

Capturing traffic off the interstate is one thing that needs to be improved. Give people a reason to stop and come into town and see what Raton does have to offer. Increase marketing to help bring travelers in. The group will continue working at marketing with web presence and other communications including increased signage.

Commissioners heard that all the event forms being submitted have been approved by department heads and are ready for commission approval. The first event is the Raton Little League opening ceremony to be held on April 18, 2026, at the little league fields. The second event to be approved is the Cinco De Mayo celebrations to be held May 2-3 at Ripley Park. Sun Valley Rides will be back in town as a fund raiser for Raton Mainstreet and will be located at the Raton High School June 12-14.

Commissioners discussed the MOU for the Raton Little League for the upcoming little league season that will be held at the ball fields in Raton. There have been several improvements at the ball fields to make the sports season more enjoyable. They have over 240 kids registered for the season but are in big need of volunteers to help this year.

Commissioners were presented with an application for an MAP (Municipal Arterial Program) grant from the NMDOT District IV in Las Vegas. The funding will be used for Chip sealing and fog sealing. The grant application is requesting $420,000 with the city portion at  $105,000 with the state’s portion coming in at $315,000.

Commissioners discussed a COOP grant also from the NMDOT that will be used for crack sealing, cold mix asphalt patch and base course material with the city asking for $150,000, the city’s portion will be $37,500 and the state will provide $112,500. City matching funds for these grant applications will come from the gas tax which has seen a hit in the last couple of years.

A proposal was presented from Sunland Asphalt for the Round House Park trails paving project. The proposal will replace the trail asphalt with a total cost of $402,877.68.

Parkhill presented a proposal for 2026 landfill environmental monitoring services at the Raton landfill east of Raton. The proposal will cover the ground water monitoring from the landfill at a cost of $33,000 excluding GRT.

Resolution 2026-15 was presented for approval covering the ADA Self Evaluation and Transition plan. This resolution indicates the city’s adoption of the plan and instructs city staff to work towards making the city compliant. The plan has a one, five and 20 year plan with the most critical needs to be addressed in the first year or two.

Resolution 2026-16 brings changes in the composition of the Financial Advisory Committee. The committee oversees the financial reports that are presented to the commission. The proposal is to expand the committee by one person for a five-member committee, and the question was asked does the committee really need to exist? The committee has had issues meeting a quorum for meetings. The committee was established 12 years ago during a turbulent time with the commission.

City Manager Neil Segotta commended Raton Fire for their response to the vehicle fire on the pass and keeping the fire contained. The city has a large number of grants that it manages and has dealt with over $5 million in grant monies. Attended a webinar about data centers that he felt was very informative. They performed a walk through at the Kearny School and it has some obstacles but are making progress.

Staff had a ride along with code enforcement and it was disappointing to see the problems and that there are several things that will need to be addressed.

The next city commission meeting will be on March 24, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the commission chambers.

Editorial Note: The Mayor set forth some ground rules for the comments from Citizens present they begin at 4:30 followed by comments from the public beginning with the RPS Power outage then the MOU both against and for. The Mayor and commission had some very well thought out comments concerning the MOU with Atterix those comments begin at 39:40 in the video.