By Lynn Janes

The Village of Santa Clara held a regular meeting October 24, 2024. Mayor Arnold Lopez called the meeting to order. Mayor Pro Tem Albert Esparza, and Trustees Peter Erickson, and Ralph Trujillo attended. Olga Amador did not attend.

Mayors report

Lopez addressed the need to have a variance hearing scheduled before November 14, 2024. Yvonne Gonzales, village attorney, said they could do it before the next meeting on November 14, 2024, at 5:30.

Lopez has been trying to close out the year’s projects. The sidewalk project should be done by the end of December or before. Sheila Hudman, village administrator, said they had some railings to install. Lopez gave an update on the Bradley Hotel. They still need some permits to finish. Leandra Esparza, village clerk, and Hudman have been attending training. Lopez said they have been trying to have all the departments trained as much as possible. The new Bellm Street stop sign has been ignored by the public, and they have not been stopping.

Hudman said they had changed the top five list for the ICIP (infrastructure capital improvement plan). It had been done because of a meeting with Copper Collaborative which consists of Santa Clara, Bayard and Hurley. The mayors and clerks meet monthly to discuss the mining district and projects they can do together. They have identified affordable housing as a priority because of blight issues. Priscilla Lucero, Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments executive director, will be helping with funding and be a liaison between the three communities. Santa Clara and Hudman will serve as the fiscal agent. Lopez said Freeport McMoRan and Lucero had asked for their lead in the process. They have looked at small homes in Roswell and would like to have models in all three communities for people to see. Hudman said number three in the ICIP had been broadband and matching funds for fiber optics. It had been done because last year the governors initiative had been broadband, but the village had not been funded. This year the governor’s initiative has been affordable housing, so they changed that to number three. Lopez thought they could have some bumps, but it would be a good project.

Tom Caddel, a resident, wanted to know why they had put the stop sign on Bellm Street, because it made no sense. Lopez agreed and added the contractors and state had done it and not the village. Hudman said it had been done to have people get used to slowing down on the curve. The contractors had identified the problem while working because of people coming through at high speeds. Caddel wanted to know if they would take it down when the construction had finished. Lonnie Sandoval, police chief had addressed this with Hudman and with his experience he didn’t think it would be practical and explained why. Lopez said they would look at it. Hudman told them it had to stay until the project had been finished and they did the walk through. Currently the contractors have been on hold from the department of transportation to receive permission to do a small area of sidewalk to finish.

New business

The council approved the commercial property lease between the village of Santa Clara and Alexa Tubbs and Matthew Leef DBA Open Space Brewery L.L.C. Lopez went over the terms of the contract. It had taken several meetings with them and had been a give and take. The contract was supposed to have been done over a month ago, so Lopez signed the contract. He didn’t mean to step over them, but Gonzales had told him it would be legal. Gonzales said it would be a two-year lease at $800 a month. The market rate would be $1,300 a month. Although they do not provide jobs, they do support food trucks, and the village made gross receipts tax off both. Tubbs and Leef have been very worried about the sale of the armory and wanted some kind of guarantee of support by the new owner. However, if incompatible with the new owner's use, they would have to move, and Gonzales gave the example of a school. They had asked for some improvements, but they will not be paying enough rent to support that. Gonzales added they had been very anxious about the lease and that had been the reason the mayor had signed.

The council approved an application from David and Evangeline Valles to move a 30 x 70 foot 2024 Palm Harbor double wide mobile home to 901 Pine Street. Rosemary Arciero, code enforcement officer, said they had met all requirements.

The council approved a $500 sponsorship for Grant County Prospectors for Grant County Days at the legislature. Hudman said this had been the first year they asked the municipalities, sponsorships in the past had come from businesses. She went over the funding that had come from them in the past and what prospectors do for the community.

The council approved a MOA (memorandum of agreement) with the town of Hurley, city of Bayard and village of Santa Clara for the Copper Collaborative. They will be working on affordable housing. Freeport McMoRan has sponsored the group to push the needs of the communities. The three had decided their number one problem has been blight. Lopez said Freeport McMoRan sponsors a lot for the communities and has been a real asset to them.

Resolutions

The council approved resolution 2024-31. This authorizes the execution and delivery of a Colonias Infrastructure Project Fund agreement with the New Mexico Finance Authority (NMFA). Colonias has $85 million to fund out this coming year. The grant will have a 30-year loan component to the project from the general fund. They have asked for funding to repair and replace valves, rehab well number four and holding tank repairs. Hudman added they may not need all the grant. The total amount they have applied for will be $2,230,000. Colonias funds can only be used on water projects. Hudman went over some of the past projects they had done using colonias funding.

The council approved resolution 2024-32. This authorizes the participation in the state local government road fund program. They apply for this every year and although it's only $40,000, they will combine it with last year as the department of transportation advised.

The council approved resolution 2024-33. This addressed the first quarter budget transfers. Hudman explained many times they must pay for projects upfront and then request reimbursement. This causes the movement of funds from one place to another.

Hiring raises and terminations

Lopez asked Sandoval to explain what he had wanted to do. Some years back the previous mayor, Richard Bauch, had worked to add a PSA (public service aide) position with the police department. It had not been used and Sandoval wanted to use it. Ronnie Martinez has been serving as the secretary of records for the department. Sandoval said he has been a good employee but needs more time to get into the academy. While he attends the academy and before he wanted to put him in the position of PSA. It could be paid using the law enforcement funds from the state. This will allow for him to do more street watching duties both day and night and can fill in the gaps they have currently. He can also help with special events. If anything happens, he will have to call for police assistance.

Sandoval would like to hire Austin Whitehead as an uncertified officer. He will be attending the academy. The village will still need his background and psych check.

Currently they have four officers and with Martinez and Whitehead they will have six. Lopez said that would be the most he had seen Santa Clara have. He reflected on the problems Hurley has been having with their police department.

Sandoval said with Martinez taking the position of PSA he would need a records clerk. Sonia Valero has twelve years experience, and he would like to hire her at $20 an hour. Currently she works at Hurley but doesn’t know if she will have a job much longer.

Lopez felt Martinez would be a good idea and it would be a win-win for the village.

The council approved Martinez for the PSA position and accept his resignation as records clerk effective November 14, 2024

The council approved the hiring of Whitehead as an uncertified officer at $20 an hour.

The council approved the hiring of Valero as records clerk at $20 an hour.

First regular meeting to be held Thursday November 14, 2024, at 6:00 pm
A variance special meeting will be held before at 5:30

Second regular meeting Thursday November 28, 2024, at 6:00 pm-Canceled due to the holiday

Meeting Adjourned