You're live.
Thank you. Well, good afternoon. Welcome
to the work session. Today is Monday,
May 11, 2026. It's approximately 1:00
p.m. I'm Mayor Eric Enriquez. We'll
start with a moment of silence for the
brave men and women of the United States
Armed Forces that protect our interests
around the globe, as well as the
courageous men and women of the Las
Cruces Police and Fire Department.
You join me in the pledge.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America,
and to the republic for which it stands,
one nation under God, indivisible, with
liberty and justice for all.
Okay, we have three items on our agenda
today. But, before we get started, we
need a motion and a second to allow
Counselor Bencomo to attend uh via Zoom.
So moved.
Second.
This is on the motion to allow Counselor
Bencomo to attend via Zoom. Counselor
McLeroy?
Yes.
Counselor Matias?
Yes.
Counselor Harris?
Yes.
Counselor Bencomo?
Yes.
Counselor Curran?
Yes.
Counselor Munoz?
Yes.
Mayor?
Yes.
Okay, so item number one on the agenda
is the active transportation.
Kyle.
Mayor, council, good afternoon. For the
record, my name is Kyle Oren, your
interim public works director.
What you have here today is a
presentation on where we're at with the
active transportation plan, as well as
some discussion about Vision Zero, which
you have patiently waited for us to
bring to your attention.
With that, I will introduce
Vanessa Morales Romero,
the engineering manager, and she's going
to introduce the rest of the team.
Good afternoon, mayor and council. Today
I'll be giving a brief overview of our
active transportation team, our
coordination efforts, and then
we'll as well be going over Vision Zero.
Our active transportation team within
public works consists of myself, Vanessa
Morales Romero. I'm currently the
interim engineering and surveying
manager.
Oscar Cadetto is our main point of
contact. So, anything active
transportation goes to him, and he
routes it all to the rest of us.
He's an engineer with public works. And
then we also have Jeremy Varela. He's an
associate engineer with public works,
and he also sits on many of the meetings
that we have.
Natasha Bailey, who is not here today,
is a engineer with public works as well.
She's the project manager for our safe
streets for all grant.
And just to go over some of the
coordinate coordination efforts that we
have, um parks and rec and community
development, we work with them monthly.
We have monthly sitting meetings with
them where we go over, you know, our
different projects and how they align.
We also have quarterly meetings with Las
Cruces Public Schools and the DOT.
Um any DOT projects within city limits,
they provide those to us and we review
those.
As well as the county and NMSU, um and
the DOT, those are all stakeholders in
many of our major projects providing
input and so we align a lot of
revisions.
Some of the roles we play in some
different uh meetings, groups,
committees that we have going on, um the
newly started bicycle and pedestrian
pedestrian friendly community meetings
is a partnership between uh the city and
Velo Las Cruces. We're holding those
monthly right now where myself, Oscar,
and Jeremy all all attend those.
Oscar Guerrero also sits on BPT, which
is part of the MPO, the bicycle and
pedestrian advisory committee.
Jeremy Bedolla attends all monthly
meetings for safe routes to schools.
And then we also have
just regular public engagement meetings,
whether they be
project specific or district meetings,
um
we are also there to address any
questions from residents.
And then um Oscar Guerrero also sits on
the DRC
um with community development. He's a
voting member.
And then we also provide design review
for CIP projects to ensure they align
with our new code and elevate
recommendations.
And finally, just to give uh brief uh
overview of our Safe Streets for All and
where we're at right now.
We have chosen a consultant that is
Toole Design. We held our first
stakeholder meeting on April 2nd.
Our next steps are to
identify opportunities and events for
pub- public engagement and come up with
a public engagement plan. Um
right now that consists of nine more or
nine public engagement opportunities,
and we'll be holding three more
stakeholder meetings.
Um they're also in the process of
putting together all the data to compile
our high injury network, which will be
used All of this information will be
used to develop our safety action plan,
which um we'll go over later in the
presentation as well.
And with that, I'll turn it over to
Brent for the remainder of the
presentation.
Thank you. Good afternoon, Mayor and
Council. My name is Brent Crowther. I am
with the firm uh Kimley-Horn and
Associates, and I'm
uh have the opportunity here to talk to
you about Vision Zero and integration
with the Safe Streets and Roads for All
and the Safety Action Plan.
First, what is Vision Zero?
Vision Zero Vision Zero is a high-level
goal. It's a strategy. It's a It's a
framing. It's a It's a vision to
eliminate fatalities and serious
injuries. Uh the the principle
acknowledges it not not even one death
on our our streets is is is is
acceptable. The overall framework, the
vision, is to eliminate all fatalities
and serious injuries.
Over the last uh
14 or 15 years, uh you can see
fatalities on across the United States
remain fairly consistent throughout the
first part of the the 2010s decade.
And
with a little uh increase there about
mid-decade, and then we had COVID uh in
2020 and our fatalities and serious
injuries took a large increase.
Therefore, uh
at the national level, uh the Safe
Streets and Roads for All program was
established to help reverse this trend.
You can see since 2021,
our fatalities have remained elevated
above the pre-COVID levels, but there is
good news that we have seen them to
start to come down over the last couple
of years.
In response to the elevated uh
number of fatalities and serious
injuries, uh New Mexico's uh DOT adopted
uh their version of Vision Zero and
branded as Target Zero New Mexico.
The purpose is to emphasize the the
importance of safety, the the messaging
of safety throughout many of the
initiatives that New Mexico uh DOT is is
taking on through their safety programs,
through their traffic programs, through
their planning, just really to increase
the emphasis and the message that
everybody has a role to improve safety.
Some of the implementing framework of
Vision Zero is first completing what's
referred to as a strategic highway
safety plan. Every state in the nation
completes a strategic highway safety
plan on a on a road annual on a update
basis of every 4 years.
The strategic highway safety plan can be
thought of as the long-range safety
plan. It provides what is a long-term
vision for how we reduce fatalities and
serious injuries on on the on the
state's roadways.
The second implementing framework of the
Vision Zero is what we call the highway
safety plan. It's distinct from the
strategic highway safety plan, which is
mandated mandated by the Federal Highway
Administration. The highway safety plan
is a requirement of the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, and it
focuses on the behavior focused
strategies.
Such as enforcement
alcohol reduction, etc. And it provides
grant funding to those those
enforcements and education agencies to
reduce behavior focused uh
crashes and serious injuries.
As part of the highway safety plan, they
it is it is required to establish safety
targets. And you can see here in 2017 to
they projected that there would be 415
fatalities in New Mexico. And when they
extrapolated the trend line, they
brought that up and projected actually
in 2025 there would be 470
fatalities. However, they did not view
that as an acceptable target, and so
there was a decision to reduce even
though the trend line was increasing to
470 they established a target to reduce
that to 450 in the 2020 to 2020 to 2024
period, and then reducing by five
fatalities each subsequent year. The
good news is the 2025 data is showing
that around 444
fatalities in New Mexico, so it's it has
come down from what their target or what
their projection was five years ago.
Here in Las Cruces,
you can see this is a number of
fatalities and serious injury crashes
that there was an increase in during
COVID and it's remained uh slightly
elevated up through 2024.
Some of the the locations where those
crashes are occurring, you can see here
on this map and part of the the purpose
of the upcoming safety action plan is to
really dig down into these details and
identify those key corridors where
crashes are occurring and more
importantly where they are occurring
with more frequency than on similar
corridors. So it'll compare arterial to
arterial, uh collector street to a
collector street and a local street to a
local street.
This data here is purely based on the
density of crashes and this is not
adjusted for traffic volume which would
be looked at within the the safety
action plan.
This is a similar map for injury crashes
and you can see again focused on some of
the the major corridors and the safety
action plan would again deep dive into
where which corridors which roadways are
are where are crashes occurring with
more frequency than we would expect
based on similar facilities and similar
traffic volumes.
When we look at some of the data in Las
Cruces, you can see
uh that 22% of fatal of of alcohol
involved crashes resulted in a in a a
fatality.
Whereas only 11% of alcohol involved
crashes represent resulted in a serious
injury. You can see similar data drug
involved 30% of drug involved crashes
resulted in a fatality and no serious
injuries.
You can see pedestrian involved crashes
almost half of the crashes that involved
a pedestrian resulted in a fatality. And
you can see those that did also for for
bicycle involved, motorcycle involved
and heavy vehicle.
So the question is how do we
reduce and eliminate serious fatalities
and serious injuries? First,
establishing that that the goal, the
desire, the vision to do so. And that's
what the purpose of Vision Zero is.
It's
it sets the why of of what we want to
do. Why do we want to reduce fatalities
and serious injuries?
We then
begin determine some of the the actions
and strategies to do that. And those are
largely involved what we call around
what we call the safe system approach,
which I will address here in in a few
more minutes.
Building on that safe system approach,
some of those key strategies,
we developed the safety action plan. And
this is a the endeavor that this city is
uh just beginning. The safety action
plan identifies the specific projects
and strategies to reduce fatalities and
serious injuries. The safety action plan
is the implementing framework and can be
customized and focused on what works
best in Las Cruces.
Some of the key elements of that safety
action plan. First,
leadership commitment. A
uh
a a resolution or a publicly stated goal
of what do we want to do? How much do we
want to reduce crashes? How much do we
want to reduce fatalities and serious
injuries?
The safety action plan is overseen by an
implementation group, a technical
advisory committee, other city
departments, law enforcement, emergency
services, etc.
The next element is a detailed analysis
of where it looks where crashes are
occurring, why are they occurring, and
what are the key contributing factors.
It's also important to solicit
engagement and collaboration from the
public to identify those perspectives
that may not be evident in the data.
We also identify what policy and process
changes, whether it's design guidelines,
uh policy changes, could help us to
better improve safety holistically
uh throughout the city.
We They identify what are those specific
projects that could be uh enhanced
crossings, it could be enhanced
lighting, pavement markings, signing,
striping, etc. The last part of the
safety action plan is reporting what is
our progress, identifying how are we
doing in relation to the goal that's
established within the safety action
plan.
I mentioned that first part that
leadership commitment. The safety action
plan has an element that that asks a
high-ranking official or governing body
such as a city council to to do one of
two things, to either establish a goal
to eventually reach
zero fatalities and serious injuries by
a specific date
or uh eliminating them by a specific
date. There is no mandate to adopt
Vision Zero specifically within the
safety action plan, but it asked
what do we want to do to eventually
achieve a serious and significant
reduction in safety in fatalities and
serious injuries.
The way we go about that now
implementing we once we have that safety
action plan is to identify those
high-risk areas based on that safety
analysis, identify the projects and
strategies that are in needed
to address safety at those locations,
identifying how will they be phased, how
will they be funded through capital
improvement programs, grant programs,
maintenance programs, etc.
We want to focus on cost-effective
solutions.
I'll show there share those in a minute,
but focusing on those low-cost effective
strategies that have the highest
potential to improve safety. And we
identify what other funding sources
even outside of the city, whether it's
additional grant programs, etc. And then
certainly soliciting the community
engagement throughout the process.
I want to talk more about that
organizing framework of of how we
identify those specific strategies. It's
really a focus on
a paradigm shift from what we've done in
the past rather than just
focusing on where crashes have occurred,
but being more holistic and strategic
across the the entire roadway network.
Really looking at how do we improve uh
not only uh
safe roads, you can see here at the
bottom of the pie chart, but how do we
reduce speeds, how do we improve
emergency services,
how do we take advantage of improvements
in vehicle safety, and how do we help
road users
uh take responsibility to improve their
own safety. One of the key foundational
elements of of the safe system approach
is reducing what we call kinetic energy.
Uh when a vehicle collides with a
pedestrian, that's a high kinetic energy
on a vulnerable vulnerable user. There
are strategies we can do, speed
management, uh traffic circles,
roundabouts, etc. to reduce the the
speed of the collision or separating
users, uh sidewalk, shared use paths,
etc.
You can see here at this chart when a
pedestrian uh is hit by a vehicle going
at 50 mph, 75% of the time that
pedestrian will will uh not survive.
When we reduce speeds to 23 mph, only
10% of the time that results in a
fatality. So, that is a benefit of of
the safe safe system approach in really
focusing on speed management and helping
us to reduce that kinetic energy. We
identify how to do that within the
safety action plan. It could be
enforcement, it could be uh roadway
modifications, it could be education.
I mentioned those proven safety
countermeasures we also want to focus
on. Federal Highway Administration
identifies 28 of these that are low cost
that have demonstrated effectiveness.
And some of them are are low expe- low
cost and can be widely widely deployed
such as a larger stop signs or back
plates around the behind
back plates at intersections to reduce
the sun glare.
Implementing a a network of enhanced
crossings with pedestrian hybrid beacons
or rectangular rectangular rapid
flashing beacons, etc.
I want to show some examples of some
some other similar cities that have
adopted uh safety action plans and some
of the impact. And
first is Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2019
committed to eliminating fatalities and
serious injuries. And they completed
their safety action plan in in 2021 with
a goal to eliminate fatalities and
serious injuries by 2040. The most
recent data shows a 7% decrease in fatal
crashes.
El Paso adopted uh a Vision Zero goal in
2022, completed a safety action plan in
2023,
and the most recent data shows a 15.7
decrease in fatal crashes in 2024
with an additional 25% decrease in 2025.
Midland, Texas adopted a resolution in
2024 to eliminate traffic fatalities and
serious injuries by 2050, completed
their safety action plan in 2024,
and the 2025 data shows a 4.9%
reduction in crash severity.
Some of the benefits of Vision Zero
it really reframes traffic deaths as
preventable. It it it it sets up vision
of why we want to do it, and it helps
people recognize that we can make a
difference.
Second, it helps to focus resources on a
on a limited set of high-injury
corridors as identified in the safety
action plan, helping to prioritize
resources where they can provide the
most benefit.
Third is prioritizing safety over speed.
It will help us to determine what is the
right posted speed limit or the right
design speed on a corridor when it's uh
maintained or or it goes under
uh significant improvements.
The Vision Zero and Safe System approach
recognizes that even moderate changes
can have major benefits.
And lastly, the the the documenting of a
goal is aligned with the national goal
uh to reduce fatalities and serious
injuries. Helps to to
send the message to in grant
applications, in pursuing other funding,
that the city is committed to improving
safety for all users.
Some of the the the potential concerns
of a Vision Zero can be viewed as uh as
unrealistic. We recognize it it is very
difficult to see zero fatalities and
serious injuries.
Uh we often use messaging like that in
in other areas, like we want to
eliminate uh
disease. We want to eliminate uh we want
to make sure that every child receives
an education. We know that there will be
uh those who we don't achieve that goal,
but we set the the vision a Vision Zero
to reduce and eliminate all fatalities
and serious injuries.
Second is a perceived impact on on
congestion.
Uh
Speed management is a is an important
part of improving safety, but that
doesn't necessarily mean we lead to
congested roadways. Uh
we can even out the the speed on a
corridor, for example, to 30 or 35 and
reduce those outliers that cause uh that
have a higher likelihood of being
involved in a crash.
Uh
Third is it can uh receive pushback as
being perceived as anti-car.
Uh In contrast, Vision Zero identifies a
role for everyone.
Uh
vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians.
Yes, bicycles and pedestrians are
vulnerable road users, and you can see
when they're involved in a in a crash,
half of them result in a fatality,
whereas those involved in a vehicle
crash has a much likely more higher
likelihood of survivability.
Last is implied increase of improvement
costs.
Uh Vision Zero sets out vision, but it
really is a safety action plan that's
going to be completed that identifies
what's going to be done, what projects,
and how that's uh going to be cost.
It's not the Vision Zero that that that
identifies a cost, it's the action plan
of how we want to implement Vision Zero
where you determine those costs. Lastly
is a potential impact on on maintenance.
Uh recognizing that to maintain a high
quality of pavement marking, striping,
signing, uh does have a cost.
Again, that that's an outcome of the
safety action plan to focus those needs
and identify what can be done to reduce
fatalities and serious injuries.
So, just to summarize, the Vision Zero
does provide that structured vision, uh
that goal, the why
uh for a community to reduce the most
severe and preventable traffic uh
fatalities and serious injuries within
their city.
And with that, I'm happy to answer any
questions you may have.
Uh thank you. Thank you for your
presentation. I'll
Questions, Councilman Matichich.
Don't want to fight. Okay. Uh
a few questions and then just a few
thoughts that I share. I I just want to
say, have you are you familiar with our
police department and their traffic
stops and what they're doing when people
don't have registrations,
they don't have licenses, they don't
have insurance, and and they're
speeding.
Will that Will that help your program
reach these goals?
Are you talking about to understand that
data to collab- cooperate with law
enforcement?
Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Uh part of the development of the safety
action plan does it bring all
stakeholders together.
Uh we've been working on a on a project
in the different state, and law
enforcement has been our committee, and
the the corridors that are identified
within the safety action plan have been
referred to law enforcement, then they
can help prioritize enforcement on those
those corridors where they're seeing a
higher frequency of crashes.
And then another collaboration effort, I
believe it was uh slides 11, maybe if
you could bring it back to 11.
Um
Uh maybe the one where showed the
alcohol, how uh
I think it was 30-something percent
alcohol,
and then uh 22% alcohol and 37%
uh drugs. Is that Will there be a
collaborative effort, and can the
council help like with our with our
judges
and uh sentencing and
and making sure you know, for some
reason I I have a a friend,
and I think he's been stopped, I don't
know, 17 times
um in in Doña Ana County. Can Can that
be addressed as well?
Yeah, the safety action plan will
identify It brings all those
stakeholders together, and and the
committee I'll I'll defer to
to determine
to answer who is on their committee
already, if if you'd like to address
that.
Yes, again, this is Kyle Aaron. Uh
Mayor Counselor Matice, um that
committee hasn't been fully established
yet. The safety action plan is part of
the Safe Streets for All analysis, which
is just getting started, and so we will
identify those other members. I will
include fire
uh
as part of their response to crashes is
a big is a big issue. Uh enforcement,
education,
um engagement, all of those are key
elements that come in into play as you
implement the safety action plan. But
that's all forthcoming in the next
phases of what we're going to be doing.
No, I I think that's good. I mean, when
you look at the percentages
and if we could adjust or address those
two pretty we don't have to wait till
2050.
Yeah, absolutely. I just want to be
clear that this is 22% of crashes that
involved alcohol resulted in a fatality.
Yeah.
So, it
a death.
Yeah. And a death, exactly. It's not 22%
of all crashes, but it's
But I mean, that's what it led to a
fatality, a death. So, someone got
killed.
All right. And
that's that's the important part. I
mean, there's a lot of pedestrian uh I
call them close shaves.
And I'm sure we have reports where, you
know, people call up and say the the guy
like at the hospital.
I have
district two and it's Memorial Medical
Center is 25 mph.
And no one does 25 mph there. No one.
So, if you could help with that, I mean,
they do 45, 55, 65.
And I see a lot of people in the
crosswalk.
And that may be another opportunity to
where I don't know how expensive this
gets for city and we have to be careful
cuz our budget's not overflowing.
You know, it's a little tight. And and
so,
there'll be grants available for maybe
flashing lights,
uh signal lights that we could slow down
and that crosswalk would be probably
more important than just uh right now
just painted lines.
Is is that possible?
Th- Those are the types of strategies
that we're looking at. Yes, uh enhanced
crossings is a is a a low-cost systemic
measure where you can establish the
criteria within the safety action plan
of when you would do that, where they're
needed, and and where they would be
prioritized. That's all outcomes of the
safety action plan that that is just
getting underway.
I I have a quick
strategy implementation.
The pine The pine tree on Tualatin
is blocking the flashing light that says
slow down to 25.
If you could just maybe
chop those limbs,
Mayor Council
that might be a strategy that would work
and slow down that traffic. So, that's
just a suggestion to help with this
program.
Mayor Council member Tualatin, we will
take note of that.
Okay. Thank you, both. Thank you.
Councilor Harris.
Um
thank you, and and thanks for the
presentation. Um
during the campaign season, somebody
asked me like, "What's one thing that
gets you fired up that you want to see
change in the city?" And I said,
"Traffic." Um cuz this is
absolutely an area where we have like
virtually 100% control over how our our
traffic management and engineering is
done in the city. I know there's some
state highways and stuff, maybe we have
a little less say, but um for the most
part like
we can just decide this, I think. Um so,
yeah, I I really liked that
there's a big focus on controlling speed
cuz that's
that's the squared term in the kinetic
energy equation.
Um
and you know, there's there's no reason
I think for any corridor inside the city
proper to be
more than 35 mph, um and we've been
eliminating some of those.
Um
you know, I'm also totally on board with
design changes to to slow um
traffic and kind of even it out. I think
that the point I I think you made about
evening out flows increases
throughput anyway. Um
I I read a thing last year that actually
replacing signalization in a lot of
cases with stop signs actually increases
throughput because it's a little more
predictable. Um I don't know if that's
appropriate in all cases. That would
That was probably very
specific case study.
Um but you know, this this stuff helps
drivers as well.
Um and I think I think to another slide
that you had that point in there. Um
that's an important point to make
because
you can you can go as fast as you want
on the highway, but if there's an
accident on there, it's almost always
serious enough to close it
and then increase your commute time from
5 minutes to an hour.
Um
so, you know, that's
making safer streets safer streets for
everybody, you know, helps everybody.
Um
and
I guess uh a couple specific things to
mention and and to note. Um
one is I think on those maps um there's
no surprises there.
I think everybody
everyone looking at these maps can kind
of
can kind of get that that's that's not
surprising at all. Um and I think it's
good that we're mapping this stuff and I
would be very interested to see
either as part of our safety action plan
or just just something that we could
start doing um
a type of crash analysis studio. Um
those that kind of group that's that's
been floated in the space
um to take a look at each crash that
happens and you know, with all of our
stakeholders, with police, with fire,
with members of the community um
to really think about why that crash
happened. Um
you know, we know that there's the
hotspots here and
rather than just say there's a hotspot
here, we should do something about it
like looking at all those individual
crashes and what led to them. Um, and
what led to the outcomes, too, I think
is is very important. Um, you know,
there was a tragic crash on in District
3 on Lohman and McDonald's. That was
like an accident, right? That was a
medical emergency, complete accident,
but there was other extenuating
circumstances around it around the area
and the built environment that led to
some of the outcome.
Um,
so I think that's that's definitely
worth looking into. Um,
and also since you mentioned cross
cutting,
that's another issue that I've seen a
lot um,
on Telshor, also,
where people are cutting across the
street where it is not safe to do so
away from the intersections. Um,
and you know, we're it's
one thing to put signage and striping
and
flashing lights and tell people what to
do, but when we build our streets and we
build our structures in the community,
the
we send different messages sometimes.
Um, so looking at that, I think it's
very important. And then from a
budgetary point of view,
I think Kyle, this came up when we were
talking last week. Um,
a lot of the in a lot of cases like it's
cheaper, actually, to do some of these
things. So,
instead of making a road two lanes wide
or making the lanes, you know, 12 ft
wide, we make them 10 ft wide and
everyone can still get down there. It
sends a signal that you should drive
slower. Um,
you still have 20, 30 ft of road for
emergency vehicles and stuff to pass and
that's perfectly fine. But, we also have
4 ft, you know, you got 4 ft less right
of way they have to keep paved and
maintained.
So, yeah, we're
doing this stuff I think can also have
positive budgetary impacts. It doesn't
It doesn't just cost money.
So, yeah, that's it. That was more of
comments than questions, but thank you.
I'll go back to Councillor McClerk.
I think Councillor Corin was
Are you sure? Okay.
I'm I'm just curious at a at certain
point I heard
um
the data on some of the streets and I'm
just curious how you are working with
the MPO.
This data comes directly from the MPO.
They collect all of the data. They share
it with MSU and UNM who corrects and
adjust the data for outliers that
maybe a report was written down a little
bit incorrectly or
or or it was listed at an intersection,
but it's actually in a parking lot. So,
they kind of correlate and correct the
data and give it back to us. Part of the
the next strategy with the safety action
plan and the safe streets for all is to
further look into that data and to see
exactly what's happening and where and
the whys and create a heat map as well
as the safety action plan of this is
This is where you should be prioritizing
your efforts.
And for my brief time on the MPO I would
I would say that if you aren't already
attending those meetings I would like to
have somebody as a representative there.
It It is helpful to have that sort of
larger conversation with the county
then, too. And I think we were looking
at an hour-long presentation that was
really valuable, you know, things that
we kind of know
anecdotally, you know, Telshor is a
beast at certain hours of the day.
They had data on that was actually
really helpful and I I say this more as
to give people a sense of the data that
you guys can work with is already
happening and being crunched at this
point. But, I'd like to see that we work
in those spaces, too, because it's not
just the city, it is the county as well.
Thank you.
Thank you. Council Curran.
Thank you. I was actually going to say
something similar, but also I I just had
a couple quick follow-ups. MPO does have
a lot of good data that already exists
that people can look at in their safety
plan,
um, including a really cool in-depth
breakdown of of a lot of those crashes
that are alluded to. So, thank you for
this presentation. I really appreciate
you bringing this forward. I think this
came from MPO I mean, we were
really horrified when that 470 number
appeared on the screen and we were like,
wait, we're going to agree to a goal
that's 20 deaths more than our
existing number. And it really brought I
think that if if if a board of pretty
boring elected people talking about
maybe stuff that is really boring to
people can get mad, that was one of the
most mad meetings I've ever experienced
was the MPO when they showed that that
data point of like, yeah, sure, it's
going to go up, however much.
And we have to accept that as the
federally mandated goal-setting process
or whatever. So, I appreciate you
providing some of that context and also
I acknowledge like there are a million
externalities that
aren't necessarily within our domains of
control. I think we might have also had
a reduction in fatal crashes similar to
the places that adopted Vision Zero if
you actually look at that.
So, I don't imagine that this is the
answer to to all of those externalities
that we can sometimes control and
sometimes not and
um,
so I guess I one would direct folks who
are really interested in this to check
out the MPO's safety reports for
for the last few years. They're really
in-depth and powerful. Um, the second
part that I would ask is or point out is
this is almost
I mean, if if If wanted to put this map
of on the socioeconomic status of our
city, you would see on the place where
that the places that are the hottest,
you would see
it's very similar, right? My district
doesn't doesn't have
any lights up. It also has streets that
were designed in the last 25 years.
Um intersections that we have a
roundabout. When people come to complain
to me about the roundabout, I always say
like, "I'm so glad you're alive to
complain about that roundabout to me
because I know that that's saving
people's lives." Um but I say this to
point out like this is also a variable
of our history. Um
we have 80% of our streets were probably
built before we thought about vulnerable
road users, right? Like or 85%. I can't
even imagine the percentage of our
streets that are from a different time
and of thinking. And so now we're
reckoning with that history of
design that wasn't thinking about
pedestrians or cyclists. And so
um I I guess I am curious what our ask
what what you all are sort of looking
for here today. I
would like us to start right away with
any low-hanging fruit of things that
like in the safety action plan, we know
that things like
reducing the speed wherever we can
um can make a difference. We know that
markings perhaps changed markings. I
would I would hope that we can take
action before we even go through this
process of of establishing things to do
the low-hanging fruit as much as we can.
Updating paint, making sure that I I I I
I I I I I I have faith that we are now
designing things better um and thinking
about that in our planning, but
um
at those are bigger things. Speed speed
reduction in terms of cameras, uh other
traffic-related things that we that we
might have conversations about, I hope
we can do that sooner. Um
I it sounds like we would be on track to
have a goal in the
distant future where some of us might
not even be around anymore um
depending on how we drive, probably less
or more proportionally.
But, [clears throat]
I think that
I hope that we can set a goal, but I
also hope that we can just start doing
the things that we know are already
called out in this in this idea
framework. Um and I'm curious what you
are looking for from us in this
discussion. Like if anything, I would
say yes, I would like us to go to this
just because it will give us something
to focus on, not because I think it can
solve all of our problems. I know that
it doesn't and I understand I think we
understand the
multitude of factors that go into this,
but I would like us to
um take a step like establishing moving
forward on the safety action plan, going
toward Vision Zero, um resolving to
reduce fatalities as much as we can. So,
whatever other things you'd like from
us, please speak now. I hope.
Mayor Counselor Ken Werdick, I can offer
you at this moment is that the Safe
Streets for All process has started. So,
that's collecting all the data and it
will produce a heat map with better
maps, better data, but it'll also
produce the safety action plan along
with prioritation of how to implement
that. So, that'll be forthcoming. Um
there isn't anything specifically we're
asking of you today.
Thank you.
All right, thank you. Uh Counselor Ben
Como, did you have anything?
I did, thank you, Mayor. I appreciate um
calling on me. Thank you for the
presentation as well. I agree with a lot
of what my colleagues have already said,
especially Counselor Corinth. Thank you
for always bringing in that equity lens
over the map. I think that's really
important and that is something we
should talk about a lot more. Um I
wanted to ask you about
as we move forward with all of these
plans, thinking about the reporting of
it all, you know, a few months ago, um,
our police chief sent council some
reporting of like pedestrian accidents
and fatalities, and you know, part of
the reporting talks about, you know,
whether it's the total crashes,
non-injury, injury, fatal, and then
there's one column that talks about
pedestrian error. And that always just
makes me deeply uncomfortable, to be
honest with you, right? Like it feels
very victim-blamey,
and so I'm wondering how like as we go
through this, how do we reframe some of
that, you know, like moving away from
um, who was at fault to what made this
crash
predictable and preventable, right? So,
like, for example, pedestrian was at
fault because they failed to use the
crosswalk.
Reframing that to, well, the nearest
safe crossing walk was, you know, this
many feet away. So, I I also just really
want to engage in a conversation about
reporting and how we can do that in a
way that informs us a little bit better.
Thank you for that that question. I That
is one of the key tenants of the safe
system approach, recognizing that there
are are multiple layers, multiple facets
that all can contribute to improving
safety and reducing fatalities and
serious injuries. Uh, one of them is
safe road users, and you mentioned
pedestrian specifically, so it is
important to understand uh,
what behaviors they are
choosing to engage with that is leading
to the the crash or the fatality or
serious injury. And like you said,
understanding what's causing them to
make that decision, is it crosswalks
spaced at 5,000 ft, so they don't have a
choice to do that.
The bottom uh
piece of this pie here, safe roads,
does that and it says, "If we
If we have a high frequency of of
pedestrian fatalities, we need to
identify
what's causing them to make that choice
and then what infrastructure can we do
to help them make a different choice?"
And so it's not just victim blaming, but
understanding the process through their
decision-making so that they're not
forced to make bad decisions. Another
example is putting a raised median in a
roadway.
You can put a raised median that extends
for several hundred feet. You don't
doesn't mean you have to mark the
pedestrian crossings on that, but if a
pedestrian chooses to make
chooses to cross the road away from a
signalized intersection, they would at
least have a refuge or a place to wait
for the other traffic. It's not
legalizing the crossing, but it's giving
them the opportunity
to survive when they do make choices
like that. So it's all those different
layers helping us
uh
helping the driver or the pedestrian
make good decisions and then drive and
then designing the infrastructure to
reduce the impact of poor
decision-making. And that's done through
reducing speeds. It's It's another
example is roundabouts where reducing
the the kinetic energy of vehicles
instead of colliding into each other,
they may collide
side swipe. The speeds are less, the
result is less. They still collided, but
the result does not automatically lead
to a fatality or serious injury.
Yeah, thank you. I really I really
appreciate this core principle of this
because I think
as a city, we have to internalize this
shift away from
pedestrian error towards like shifting
responsibility to the planning, the
building, you know, the maintaining of
how we
move in our community. So, to me that
feels really important. And then I think
the other the last thing I wanted to
lift up today since you're not
necessarily asking
looking for any guidance today.
Um given the new GRT funding that you
know, we've really said
um
traffic calming is a big priority for
that funding. I want us to really think
about how we're going to
prioritize certain projects for traffic
calming. You know, for me this is one of
the biggest the most important pieces
because
it's one of the things I get the most
constituent um
concerns about. Like in my email, I get
calls about
traffic calming pretty consistently from
neighborhoods, from all over District 4
about this being a problem in their
community and you know, fearing walking
to the park, fearing you know, being in
just walking around their neighborhood.
And so,
I just really would love us to think
about how we incorporate the
conversation about how we're going to
distribute those funds as we plan out
this whole safety plan and active
transportation plan.
Again, Kyle Oren, uh mayor counselor Ben
Como. What I can tell you is that we've
addressed a plan in the future for the
safety action plan, but that does not
mean that a lot of these things we're
not doing right now and trying to do
more of. So, with the traffic calming,
we've implemented several new uh
locations where we're trying some
different things out. We intend to do a
lot more of that. Um the designs, uh the
stripings, the all of these other
things, more enforcement, we've been
uh cooperating with uh PD to time our
pilot programs with their enforcement
programs to try to drive home the
message of, you know, we need to address
these speeds. Um so, a lot All these
things that we're talking about we're
trying to do more of right now. We're
not waiting to start it.
Thank you both so much. Thank you,
Mayor.
All right, thank you, uh Mayor Pro Tem.
Uh Mayor Counselors,
Brent, uh Kyle, Vanessa, thank you very
much for putting this presentation
together.
It uh is I I think very thorough and I
love the aspirational goal.
Um
So, one I I do have a request. I think
on slide 12 or around and I might have
seen it on your on your data bank, but
what I'd like to see is um a ratio, a
per capita ratio. So, in 2000, for
example, as I've mentioned before, we
were a city of
74,000. Now, we're upwards around
120,000,
right? Um maybe 240, 260
with the county. So, as you look at at
whole numbers, um
and n- you know, no lives lost is
acceptable, but you might you might see
an increase in 25 or 2026
because of the the population as a whole
is driving that, right? And so, I just
want just would recommend a little bit
more of science to it and I think I saw
it somewhere, but but when you present
and read out, I I would love to see that
as well.
And thanks for for the uh it's a good
work. I know Kyle, you and your team
have a lot on your plate and appreciate
the focus.
Thank you, Mayor.
Okay. Seeing no others. Thank you, Kyle.
Appreciate you all. Thanks.
Next on the agenda is City of Las Cruces
Register of Cultural
Properties.
Caitlin.
Good afternoon, mayor, councilors,
staff, and members of the public. My
name is Caitlin Beasley. I'm the
Historic Preservation Specialist with
the City of Las Cruces out of the
Community Development Department.
I'm here today to present on our city's
register of cultural properties.
Um the inaugural nominees for the city
register will come before you next month
um and are currently available online
for reading.
But today I'm just going to be
introducing the register and discussing
the process for nominating properties.
The City of Las Cruces Register of
Cultural Properties was established via
ordinance between 2019 and 2021. Um
there is a local designation process
that is required as part of becoming a
Certified Local Government or a CLG. We
are a CLG. We achieved CLG status in
2021.
And so the process for designating and
identifying historic properties is
included in that designation.
Um our ordinance is Chapter 35 Section 2
Subsection D of our Development Code.
Some of the things that are established
as part of that ordinance and and
required as part of CLG status, are
establishing and enforcing a historic
preservation ordinance that includes a
process for designating historic
properties at the local level,
designating historic properties at the
local level,
maintaining a qualified body to review
alterations or demolition applications
for designated properties.
One of the first questions that people
often have when we talk about a historic
register is what is it? What purpose
does it serve?
Um
a historic register uh of historic
buildings is essentially an official
list or a database of properties that
have been evaluated as worthy of
preservation or designation for their
historic or architectural significance.
Some of you may be familiar with the
National Film Registry. It's kind of the
same thing, but it's for film. Um so
other historic registers exist around
the country.
Um this one will just be located for Las
Cruces.
Um
the first one people are primarily
familiar with is the National Register
of Historic Places. Uh that register,
frequently called the National Register,
was established in 1966 as part of the
National Historic Preservation Act. The
photo on this slide um shows Lyndon B.
Johnson, then president, signing the
bill into law in October of 1966.
Standing beside him is former first
lady, Lady Bird Johnson, who was an
advocate for the bill and for
preservation initiatives around the
country.
The state of New Mexico also has their
own cultural register, um which is
called the State Register of Cultural
Properties. That one was established by
law in 1969.
Uh and then of course we have our local
register, which as I mentioned was
established in 2021.
Now, a historic register can serve many
purposes.
Primarily, formal designation of
buildings that are deemed worthy of
preservation or historically significant
assists in the administration of
historic preservation priorities. These
include maintaining an inventory of
properties and documenting properties
for posterity. A register will help with
both of those.
It also helps to boost recognition of
individual property significance. It
also increases public awareness of
preservation and preservation
objectives. It affords various
protections against improper alteration
to historic properties or demolition of
historic properties.
And it reinforces local ordinances, as
well as encouraging designation through
economic or other incentives for
listing.
The photo on this slide is a photo from
the Armijo House, which is now uh owned
and operated by the Chamber of Commerce.
Um it is on the State Register of
Cultural Properties, as well as the
National Register of Historic Places.
And that photo is of both of those
plaques.
Another question people frequently ask
is what kind of properties can be
designated historic.
The types of properties that are
eligible for designation include
buildings, which are primarily defined
by human occupation or for sheltering
human activity.
Structures, such as gazebos or linear
resources, such as roads or acequias.
Sites or the location of significant
events. These might include battlefields
or public parks.
Objects, such as signs, sculpture, or
monuments. And districts, which can be
uh um related collection of all of the
above properties.
The City of Las Cruces Cruces currently
has three historic districts that are
listed at the state and the national
level. Those are the Mesquite Street
Original Townsite Historic District, the
Alameda Depot Historic District, and the
Mesilla Park Historic District.
As part of the designation process,
properties have to be identified under
certain criteria.
Eligible properties are designated using
the following criteria, which is done at
the national, the local, and the state
levels.
Um criterion A is for significant
events, such as important periods of
construction or development during a
city or a municipality or a state's um
history. This can include period of
development, period of construction, um
or it can be in uh specific events, such
as um a specific day,
um or a specific week, that sort of
thing.
Uh criterion B uh is related to
significant persons. These may be people
that are familiar at the or are are
famous at the local level, at the
national level, or at the state level.
Um for Las Cruces, these individuals may
include individuals like Pat Garrett or
the Branigan family, um or even maybe
some people sitting in this room today.
Uh criterion C uh
buildings under listed under criterion C
include ones that are nominated for a
distinct style or a unique style or for
association with an important architect.
And criterion D um is the potential for
uh new information to be discovered.
These are usually relegated to uh
archaeological sites.
Sorry.
Archaeological sites. Um
an easy way to remember this, not that
there will be a test, but an easy way to
remember the different criteria are uh a
simple word association um that my one
of my professors taught me in grad
school, which is criterion A is awesome
events or amazing events, criterion B is
big names. Criterion C are cute
buildings or cuties, and D are we don't
know.
Now for our city register, we have some
additional criteria and additional um
standards that we have to follow.
Additional criteria include properties
that are added um if they are at risk
for demolition or alter- alteration or
for other qualities that are not
identified that we consider important.
Um another thing that we require at the
city level is owner consent. Um owner
consent is also required at the state
and the national level. Some
municipalities choose not to include
owner consent when nominating buildings,
including neighboring Mesilla. Mesilla
does not require owner consent, but we
do.
Now at the city register level, um
nominations can be produced by
individual property owners with
assistance from myself, or they can be
produced by um a subcommittee that we've
created off of the historic preservation
committee for lo- for the local
register.
Um the historic preservation uh
committee subcommittee dedicated to the
local register is made up of committed
locals and researchers and
preservationists who have worked towards
establishing a local register for a very
long time, uh and I wanted to recognize
their efforts and their contributions.
They've made a big impact on this so
far.
Here's the process for how a building is
registered or nominated um sorry,
designated as part of the nomination
process. An eligible property is either
identified um by application from a
property owner or an interested member
of the public or through recommendation.
Next, owner consent is required.
Um this is essential to finishing a
nomination because we can't uh
put forward a nomination if the property
owner does not consent.
Next, the nomination draft is produced
again either by the property owner or
another applicant or the local register
subcommittee.
A public meeting as part of the historic
preservation committee is uh
set aside for discussion of the property
nomination and at that meeting the
historic preservation committee will um
make a recommendation for city council
on how to move forward with a
nomination.
City council action is required. A
resolution granting or denying property
designation with a simple majority will
be your vote. And we'll have that
discussion again like I mentioned next
month.
What designation means at the local
level is a little different from what it
means at the national or the state
level.
Um properties that are designated
locally fall under local ordinances,
which generally involves some sort of
protective measures. Um this can mean
plan or design review for alterations or
review in advance of demolition permits.
This does not impact city-owned
properties um as much as it would
privately-owned properties because
city-owned properties including ones
that are already designated already fall
under design review and demolition
review per our ordinance.
The other benefit that designation
brings is public information. Buildings
that are nominated, properties that are
nominated, are included um on maybe
included publicly and will be made
available to the public. Uh and the
building may be elevated in the public
eye. So, those are some benefits as
well.
Um some property owners that I speak to,
they invest a lot of time and money and
energy into maintaining their property
and they want to ensure that future
owners can't undo that work or demo the
building. And so that what might be one
reason why people nominate their
building.
Um
regarding design review and plan review,
preservation objectives are not opposed
to historic buildings being altered. Um
we of course recognize that buildings
change over time and have to suit new
functions. Um design review is simply a
way to guide alterations and to give the
public an opportunity to comment on
those proposed alterations.
So next month, we're going to be
bringing the local register city
register nominations. Um these are the
inaugural nominees.
Uh and they include the Rio Grande
Theatre and the Phillips Chapel, which
are the two images at the top of the
slide. The Rio Grande Sorry, the
railroad depot, uh the Claire Bow
Williams property, and the Brannigan
Cultural Center at the bottom.
Um
those nominees will be discussed at this
month's Historic Preservation Committee
meeting on May 20th.
And uh nominations, like I mentioned,
are available online through the agenda
center, or I can make copies available
to people if they would like to read
them.
And that concludes my presentation. If
anyone has any questions, I'll be here.
All right, thank you.
Any questions?
No, I I just wanted to I just wanted to
thank you very much for a very complete
detailed
presentation. I
learned quite a lot today. Thank you.
Councilwoman McLure?
Just ditto. I I just want to thank you
for coming on and taking on some of this
challenging work with the community
getting their feedback, but also kind of
giving a vision to what this could look
like and how it could benefit so that we
don't lose more of our identity in the
future. So thank you.
Councilor Harris?
Um thanks. I I do have a question. Um
is there a timeline for eligibility for
a property? Like does it have to be
older than
X amount of years?
Mayor, Councillor Harris, that's a great
question. Um the general rule of thumb
is 50 years, but there's no actual rule.
Um buildings can be nominated that are
younger than 50 years. Um buildings of
course can be
nominated if they're older than that as
well. Um that's kind of just a general
rule of thumb.
Okay, thanks. Otherwise, yeah, great.
Very informative.
Councillor Curran.
I also want to thank you for bringing
this forward. We
I don't think we've ever had a class of
buildings. I don't know, maybe you can
tell us this. I don't remember us ever
saying there these are going on the
city's register. Do we have any existing
city register buildings?
Councillor, Mayor, um we do not
currently. Um so our inaugural nominees
will be the ones that I mentioned in the
last slide. Um
uh there have been attempts in the past,
but they've never made it to city
council.
Oh, awesome. I'm so excited that you
Thank you for getting this done. It's
very exciting, and I think it's I I want
to just comment on the monumental
tongue-in-cheek work that you must have
done to get these things
um
before us. So I'm very excited for this
to go through. I also just want to thank
you for calling out Clarabel Williams um
with her full name, as I know in Las
Cruces there are many monuments to
Clarabel Williams that don't
uh actually make it clear who the
Williams in the name are. So I I
appreciate that, and I look forward to
that um
consideration as part of our
as part of our conversation. So I would
love to hear more when you present to
city council about the properties that
are highlighted here, if that's
possible.
I think the community would love to hear
it, too. So thank you again for our
inaugural class. This is really
exciting. So thanks.
All right, Councillor Bencomo.
Nothing for me, Mayor. Thank you. And
thank you for the presentation.
Mayor Pro Tem.
Caitlin, thank you for the wonderful
presentation. One quick suggestion,
since some of us are
50 years
and above, rather than historical, I'd
like to be called vintage. So,
Can do.
Thank you. Thank you for the
presentation. That was a joke, people.
Vintage.
Okay, Lynn, thank you. Thank you for the
presentation, all the work you're doing,
and and again, partnering with the
committee to get some of these
nominations and working together with
the community is very important. So, I
thank you for that. I was looking for
the old post office here. Uh
and when you said we don't have any, I
thought maybe that was one that was
already
in existence or already registered.
Mayor, that one is on the state
register, and I think
Okay.
in the future, we'll definitely be
looking at that one to list on the local
level.
All right. Okay. Thank you.
Next is the 2026 uh GO bond. Cynthia.
Okay.
Good afternoon, Mayor and City Council.
My name is Cynthia Lemiña, capital
improvements program manager. And today
I have to uh a couple proposals for you
related to the next cycle of 2026
general obligation bonds.
I first to start with really touching
base as to what is a general obligation
bond or general generally called GO bond
GO bond, which is a voter approved
financial tool that allows the city to
fund large capital projects. So, this is
a great opportunity for us.
The bond is secured by property tax
capacity already in place as this will
be the third cycle that the city is
doing GO bonds.
It is a voter approved. They approve the
project. They It's not a tax increase.
Every project is presented as a separate
ballot question that will go to the
general elections in this coming
November.
And committee members decide what gets
built. Therefore, that's it's goes to
elections.
So, on how we use the GO bonds, this
past fall we had multiple community
meetings where we addressed the
opportunity to learn from community
members as to what capital projects,
what infrastructure projects the
community sees a need to. How can we
pri- prioritize a long list of projects
that we know we have pending given that
we had the new GO bond funding source,
but we also mentioned the existence of
GO bonds as an option to fund projects.
So, this is where we are right now. We
have identified a couple of projects
that we'd like to consider for the next
cycle of GO bonds. We have identified
for us cost cost estimates. So, then the
next thing is to work as a city to
identify those projects, refine those
projects,
move on with the ballot questions,
refine that project, work with community
members, and work with
city staff to make sure that we follow a
process.
If the projects get approved by council,
the next thing will be to actually go to
voters in the November elections.
If the options are proposed that we
propose are approved, then starting next
year, we will process the funds and
construction begins.
We will have 4 years to complete the
proposed projects.
Then tentatively in 2029, the new
planning begins for the next round of
projects.
I first want to start with a recap of
the first cycle of GO bonds that
happened in 2018.
So, there were four approved questions
and the four projects that were
completed within the cycle of this GO
bond.
We had 35.6 million.
The first project was for park and
and sport fields improvement, which this
included the Hadley Rec Center. It
included multiple park courts like the
Lions uh tennis fields.
It also included Unidad Park, Dot Parks,
and of course the East Mesa Rec Complex.
It had the new animal shelter. It had
fire station three.
And several trail improvements.
The second cycle was in 2022.
Here we also had four approved
questions. And all of these four
projects will be completed this year. We
had fire station nine where we used to
see the picture of uh the art that was
placed there.
Park improvements. It was uh La Llorona
Park. We also had a ribbon cutting where
we had restroom and enhanced amenities.
We continued projects in East Mesa Rec
Complex, which included basketball
courts.
And of course we had affordable housing
with Peach Tree Canyon phase one and
two.
Phase one will have will be having
everyone cutting this month. So, again,
all of the projects for this GO Bond
cycle will be completed this year.
So now, for the next cycle, this is our
new opportunity, an opportunity
to allocate 26 million. This will be the
uh GO Bond capacity, which is the money
that we have available for capital
projects.
The framework that we used to identify
the proposed projects is that we went
back to those community meetings and
identify projects from the top five
raised by community members.
We wanted to make sure that the projects
proposed deliver high impact investment
that serves residents across all age
groups and neighborhoods.
And lastly, we want to make sure that
those projects are positioned for
completion within the four years that
the GO Bond has to execute.
So, with that, this is the first option.
It will be to have one project, the
library expansion and renovation.
This is a project that has been in the
community conversation for a few years
years now.
It is was listed as a top project in the
last set of community meetings. This
will include phase one and phase two of
the project, which is the whole project.
The library uh during that time will
have uh
will be relocating during the
construction and will continue to
provide services
at interim locations.
Last year, the library staff presented
the schematic design of this project,
which is just the initial set of
drawings.
They have also have a adopted master
plan, and construction project documents
are underway. Meaning that for next year
the project will be ready for
construction.
The design and construction documents
have been fully funded by TED funds and
from capital alley funds from 2005 and a
portion of 2026.
So, if we allocate the total bond
capacity for this project, the library,
that will be the 26 million.
In addition, they have a remainder of
1.3 from this year's capital outlay and
the recently approved 2 million from a
GRT
uh funding for a total of 9.3, which
will allow the project to be completed.
This project also
will have
the opportunity to have one high-impact
project for the community in this next
cycle.
Option two has a different approach.
This will be to split the bond capacity
in two projects.
We will be phasing out the library in
two phases.
Phase one will include the new entrance,
atrium lobby, and first floor
renovations
with an allocation of 16 million with
the existing funding sources.
This means that phase two will have to
be uh
we'll have to keep an eye on the cost
and we could consider that as a second
phase for the next cycle of GO bonds.
Option two is multi-use gymnasium phase
one.
Community members and staff have
recognized the need for additional
enclosed space in our city.
Our current um facility Merced is
completely maxed out as thankfully we
have a lot of participants in all of
recreation leagues, including basketball
and volleyball.
So, for this approach, we would like to
do a foundation work in the identified
potential sites. It could be one or two
as we develop the need for that
facility. It will include the land
acquisition, site prep, and access
improvements, which will be if needed
and road to access the facility and it's
associated parking lot among other
things.
This project will have 10 million from
the gold bond capacity.
Recently, Council also approved 2
million for planning the site for the
new rec center. So, this will be applied
to that for a total of 12 million.
This option two will then advance to
community priorities.
Option three, we continue with phasing
out the library project with phase one.
Same numbers apply, same elements of
phase one.
But now the emphasis for sec- the second
project is general park improvements.
As we know, our parks are heavily used
by our community, but we also need to
enhance them and we need to make sure
that the amenities in in them are
upgraded and meet our standards.
This project will have an allocation of
10 million for the gold bond.
And the emphasis could be in limited
could be in um could be included the
Young Park.
We also have a multi-teller playground
uh replacements that we need to do. We
have several playground sets that are
over 20 years.
We also have the opportunity to remodel
sport fields and just enhance our parks
overall.
So, this third option will also continue
um
with past efforts in continuing to
improve our parks across the city.
Our next steps is after this work
session, we would like to continue
working with council to ensure that we
can move forward with preparing the
ballot questions, which is the language
that voters will see at the election.
At the July 20th City Council meeting,
we would like to present a resolution
with the exact bond questions
so we can meet the county deadline of
August 25th to submit with the submit
our documents in preparation of the
November 3rd election day.
At this work session, I would like for
us to continue the discussion and get
direction as to
what community project we would like to
move forward for the next cycle.
As a recap, this year we have an
opportunity to allocate 26 million for a
community-driven high-impact project.
Option one
is to get library expand expansion and
remodel project, which includes phase
one and phase two.
Option two is to introduce two projects,
library phase one
and a foundation work for a future
multi-use gymnasium.
Option three, again library phase one,
with an emphasis in continue park
improvements.
So with this, Mayor and Council, I would
like to
um
open up for discussion. Myself and staff
from the corresponding departments are
here to answer any specific questions
you might have.
All right, thank you, Cynthia. I
appreciate it. We'll get to that. I just
I just want to mention something. I'll
go first then. So,
uh one of the things that I'm extremely
proud of for the City of Las Cruces is
that when we go to the GO bonds, the
general obligation bonds, we have
fulfilled the commitment. When we put
the question on the ballot, we complete
things. As you can see in 2018
and what we've done with that from the
ball fields to the fire station to the
animal shelter and the trails.
Even through COVID,
the city was able
to fulfill the obligation.
And so for me,
that's important to gain the trust and
to make sure that we fill those
obligations. What I see on our options,
even though I want them all,
I would say option one is where I would
go so that we can fulfill the obligation
and do what's been long overdue and take
care of things and not split our funding
and get it through the finish line the
first time around. That that's that's
where I'm at and I just want to share
that based on not so much the project,
but the trust in what we can do. Now,
the project is important because it's
long overdue, but so is everything else
that we're trying to get back to in this
community. So, I just wanted to share
that on
on
I would I would be with option one.
Anyone else now?
Councilman McClaren.
Let me just say that perhaps the bias is
because District 1 is the library, but
option one is really the only thing I
can believe in right now because of the
fact that we have kind of let it go and
it is the only I know we have satellite
libraries, I get it, but it is the only
library that a lot of people recognize
and see as a safe space for doing things
that enable democracy,
enable workforce development,
enable just a generation of people
understanding what literacy means for
their lives and there's nothing else I
can really say that that I know that a
lot of other people with purple shirts
in this room feel. Um but I think that's
I think mayor has it right that it's we
have to complete it. We have to do the
things that make it a visible difference
and this will do it. So, thank you.
Councilor Hurst.
Um yeah, I I concur. Um
we can we can get that project done and
it'll be be great and we can deliver on
it and then
in the next cycle we can pick another
project and get it done and and it'll be
great and deliver on it.
Councilor Matisse.
Well, district two is pretty close to
district one, so Um I again, I I favor
the option one, but I I just want on the
record that and I'm not a
a fan of robbing the Telshor fund. You
all know that.
But I also have a fan of youth programs.
I mean, these recreation programs we we
have to bring more recreational and
after-school programs to Las Cruces and
and I just want to thank the director of
library attending our after-school
programs and and trying to get that
initiative going, but I'll I'll favor
option one, but I just want on the
record that we've been robbing that fund
for so many years, let's just keep
robbing it and do something good with it
and and maybe we could earmark that if
we can get consensus
for the recreation and the gym act the
gym gymnastics. Thank you.
Councilor Corrie.
Thank you. Yep, I'm in agree agreement.
There's consensus it sounds like across
the board. I I do want to say having
been through several bond cycles and I'm
very excited and love many of the
facilities which are also in district
five. Um
but I do want to say that we have done a
really good job of as they say splitting
the baby not to use a horrifying
metaphor, but we have done a really good
job of getting things done as we as we
do that, but I think uh our community,
think what you said mayor really about
being accountable to our community and
having a very concrete
visible sign that we're investing in all
people,
um, investing in our literacy, investing
in our understanding, investing in
technology, investing in a future for
for a range of different folks is a
really powerful symbol. And so I I just
for the sake of um,
doing something different for the second
bond cycle, I really support us going
all in for the library. So, thank you
for considering it. And I do think I do
have hope and believe that we have a
range of other funding opportunities
that we can leverage
um,
to get those to to get recreation
facilities built as well. I have faith
that those might
be sooner rather than the next Geo bond
cycle. And I think I think we can figure
that out. Um, but I also support option
one. And thank you for the opportunity
to have this discussion. And and I would
also ask if I know the folks um, are
here to speak to to it even even though
there is consensus, I suspect they might
want to share their insight from the
community perspective, but I would like
I would love
Oh, I hope you didn't change your mind.
Uh, but I but I hope we can hear from
community folks as well. So, thank you.
Councilor Begg Como.
Thanks mayor. Um, and thank you Cynthia.
I think that option one is the right
option. I think it's an exciting option
one high impact project.
Um, we haven't done that before. And you
know, we've seen how difficult it is to
do things in phases. So,
I also think it's just being responsive
to what our community has very clearly
said they desire to see. So, I I but I
really also want to just appreciate
staff for providing the three options
because I think it shows additionally
the high need that we have in our
community for different kinds of
facilities that um
that make a community a community,
right? Like
like these third spaces are so deeply
valuable for so many people in our
community and um whether it's the
library or a rec facility or more park
improvements, all of those things are so
important and and at the end of the day,
I would just rather see us do get one
project done. And so I but I do want to
thank staff for lifting that up and
showing the community um
that we're being thoughtful with this
process. And honestly, just for the
community that's there, um just really
want to thank you for your advocacy
for so many years and and getting us
here.
Thanks, Mayor.
Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem.
Mayor, councilors, thank you.
And um
I just wanted to thank Carol and her
team for just creating a wonderful
culture and what they've created within
the
ecosystem.
Um
I wanted to thank also the Friends of
the Library and everyone who who is
involved um
Jen and her props, I think um
it helped, but it didn't sway me. I I
knew it was the right thing to do. So,
but but thank you. I appreciate that.
While we're looking at at at funding and
we have our our um financials to look
at,
there are also other priorities to to
consider as we move down the road
like um
having an all abilities, all access
park, uh programming for young adults
and for more mature adults. Those are
those are key, public safety. So,
there's so many so many projects out
there, but I feel good about the the
library and what it means to our
community and to see it come to
fruition. So, I I can't wait to
participate in the ribbon cutting.
I will have to go out and buy some
purple shirts. It's not in my wardrobe,
but I will I will get some purple soon.
Thank you, Mayor.
All right, Cynthia. I think
you got the consensus there. I think you
Yes, Mayor. Thank you. So, our next
step, like I mentioned, the city will
work together in refining and
identifying the appropriate ballot
language. We will work with
communications to identify
a plan so the city staff can be on the
same page and they will help us promote
or create the awareness of the upcoming
ballot questions.
We will then come back to you with the
actual resolution to adopt the
adopt the resolution with the questions
and move forward to elections.
Okay.
Okay, this time I don't know if Carol or
anyone from the library wanted to share
anything else or speak on the project or
anything.
Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor and Council.
Carol Brey, director of the Quality of
Life Department. This is a very proud
moment for us just to hear your
comments. We have worked very hard, as
you know, to get this project to this
point. We are almost at 50% with our
construction documents, meaning that by
the end of this calendar year, we should
have our entire design and construction
documents and be shovel ready. So, I
know our hard working friends here would
like to say something. I think they will
also help us get this over the finish
line. Thank you for your support and
this is going to be an amazing thing for
the city of Las Cruces. Thank you.
All right, thank you, Carol.
Okay, friends.
Anyone want to come up?
This is anticlimactic, but I worked on
this, so I'm going to do it.
Uh by the way, in this fiscal year
that's coming to an end over a 170,000
I might have to start you all over
again.
Oh, I'm sorry.
You state your name for the record.
I'm just excited. Uh Mayor, City
Council, I'm Jennifer Cry, just one of
the people in the crowd. And um
over 170,000 people have access to the
library in the fiscal year online and in
person. So, when we want something
that's going to have I am high impact,
you know that this is one.
You can do so many things at the
library. I checked out a book on how to
write poetry.
And I'm going to share with you today.
Now, I have two poems. One I
plagiarized, but I have no idea who to
give uh credit to for the majority of
this.
Roses are red,
violets are blue.
Funding is critical, we need you.
Roses are red,
milk duds are brown.
Renovate the library ere I'm in the
ground.
Then, how to write
how to write haiku.
Only three lines,
five syllables in the first line, seven
syllables in the second, and five
syllables in the third.
This was a struggle for me.
Council
has vision.
Library
renewed serves us.
Community
wins.
Thank you very much.
Mayor?
Thank you. Yes, Council
Roses are red, violets are blue, I'm
glad you're through.
I knew it came from you.
[laughter]
Yeah.
Um
Was there anything else that you
No.
Okay, well, we got to get it
across to the voters. That would be the
next thing.
And we'll need
everyone to to work on that. So, all
right. Well, thank you.
Thank you.
I think that's it for the agenda, so
I'll take a motion to adjourn.
Move to adjourn.
Second.
This is on the motion to adjourn the
meeting. Council Aguilar?
Yes.
Council Matiz?
Yes.
Council Harris?
Yes.
Council Bencomo?
Yes.
Council Carran?
Yes.
Council Moenius?
Yes.
Mayor?
Yes.
[applause]
Mhm.