By Roger Lanse
District 2 Councilor Lynda Aiman-Smith opened her remarks at the Tuesday, Dec. 12 meeting of the Silver City Town Council, by saying, “When we discussed the fact that the county had okayed recreational off-road vehicles on the county streets, we knew that there were going to be probably an uptick on our streets. And we agreed that we would engage in education, public education. I’d like to ask you, Mr. Brown (Alex Brown, Town Manager) to bring that public education and move it over into citation of the actual use. I’ve seen a number myself. I know that some are riding on the streams, stream beds, rights-of-way, so I’d like to really encourage us to begin to take action on the unlawful use of recreational vehicles in our town.”
Silver City Police Chief Ed Reynolds responded to Aiman-Smiths remarks saying “We have put out a zero tolerance on it. We’re done with the education portion of it.”
District 3 Councilor Jose Ray Jr. stated, “Getting back to Councilor Aiman-Smith’s and Chief Reynolds’ comments about the side-by-sides, there has been numerous guys that have asked me to pursue it to see if we could do it (legalize side-by-sides on city streets). I’m not going to do it because it’s going to create too much, I guess, friction. Some people will like it and some people are not going to like it. So, I don’t want to go there.”
Mayor Ken Ladner mentioned the activity by the state on Highway 180 working on the signs. “I’ve got a lot of complaints,” Ladner said, “Because a lot of the signs are totally unreadable.” Ladner said he talked with the foreman of the crew working on the signs who stated they are not going to replace all of them, they’ll have to come back. According to Ladner, the foreman said they had all the new signs ready but they got left in the yard a while, “and now you can’t read them either, so we're gonna have to make up some new signs.”
In other business, council approved a resolution approving the Town’s Supplemental 40-Year Water Plan. The plan can be seen on the town’s website.
Council also approved two resolutions supporting applications to the New Mexico Finance Authority under the Colonias Infrastructure Fund; one for improvements to the wastewater treatment plant for $250,000 to $300,000, and a second for a $750,000 Ridge Road street and drainage improvement Phase 1 project.
To clear up ambiguities regarding the municipal judge position, amendments to the code of ordinances of the Town of Silver City was approved. The position’s salary was unchanged at $36,000 per year and would receive the same benefits as other full-time town employees, but would not accrue personal leave, vacation or sick leave. The position is answerable to the electorate, since the municipal judge is elected, and not to the town manager. The municipal judge will be available to the court during all hours the court is open for the conduct of business, at the minimum of 32 hours per week.
Council approved the destruction of 121 boxes of documents from various town departments.
Ladner reappointed Carmon Steven to the Planning and Zoning Commission.