Town Council Meeting Highlights – 3/27/08
1) Town of Taos Special Council Meeting, this Thursday, 4 pm. March 27, Council Chambers (agenda attached).
2) Highlights of today’s Joint Town of Taos /Taos County Meeting
Next meeting (tentative) 9 a.m., April 30th, Town of Taos Council Chambers – Agenda to be focused on Landfill/Recycling and Regional Transit District issues.
a) Presentation and discussion about North Central Regional Transportation District (NCRTD – the new “blue buses”).
Briefly, this RTD is now legally “enabled” by the State of New Mexico to have the ability to raise ongoing operational monies through a proposed gross receipts tax addition in a four county area – including Taos. Their state supplied/Los Alamos GRT start up funds will be running out and they must find a way to continue operation – through taxation, fares, local matching amounts from government entities, potential federal funds, etc.
They have proposed to place a 3/16th of one percent tax increase on this November’s general election ballot (it is represented that this is in addition to local government’s ‘cap’ on potential GRT increases – it doesn’t impact this local ability). It is estimated, depending on income, that the proposed NCRTD increase would work out to be between $25 and $75 per year per Taoseño. This tax increase would expand what is offered in a public transportation context to Taos County constituents as soon as October of 2009, but it would be through an RTD four-county Board composition in which Taos County’s votes would be in the minority (votes are weighted – Taos, with lower population numbers, doesn’t have the vote that Santa Fe or other areas have).
In essence, Taos County would not necessarily control the amount of future GRT increases going to this RTD (once “in” as a member, and once voting for the initial GRT tax, Taos County could be required by other Counties’ votes to increase taxation -- and GRT increases could be authorized up to ½ of a percent), nor, directly, the service provided. Of course attempts would be made to implement what Taos County would request, but the larger board would make the ultimate service decisions. In addition, to remove Taos County from the RTD Board, the entire four-county entity would have to allow it by a 2/3rds vote of its members.
The current bottom line for a local decision is should Taos County membership continue forward in this NCRTD, given these limitations/constraints/lack of overall control, should Town of Taos and other local government stakeholders join, or should the Taos County stakeholders drop out of this RTD prior to any vote and preserve its ability to establish a local RTD in the Enchanted Circle area and improve its control of what actually happens? This would of course delay expanded transportation action, but would a local RTD be more effective in meeting the Enchanted Circle’s precise needs, and for a lower tax amount – or is this not true? Decisions have not been made how to move forward. To date, local Enchanted Circle stakeholders have had a handful of their own meetings on a potential Enchanted Circle RTD.
See attached detailed expansion proposal as presented at the meeting by NCRTD, including its estimated cost (estimates don’t include administrative costs, or required matching funds/federal funds/other funds which would have to be leveraged to keep this entity up and running at its proposed level).
Discussions on the global RTD/transportation issue will continue at the next scheduled Town/County Joint Meeting, tentatively April 30th. Taos County entities need to soon decide how they wish to proceed given time constraints with membership in the NCRTD/procedural election deadlines with placing an item on the November ballot.
b) Landfill and Recycling: Wholly Rags, Rivers and Birds, and others attended the meeting and requested immediate action be taken on landfill issues having to do with Taos County’s improved control of commercial landfill use, and fees, combined with a renewed/expanded recycling effort – presenting that both go hand in hand. Discussions will continue along these lines in a more in depth fashion at the next Town/County meeting. Both the Town and County have furthered recent efforts to assist on the recycling front in a variety of ways, including recent assistance for equipment/bins. More to come.
***Out of the recent Landfill Board Meeting, there will also be a tour of the Taos Regional Landfill for commissioners, media, and limited members of the public this April 9th – meet at 9 a.m. at Quail Ridge Inn parking lot and RSVP to Public Works to see if there is room, 751-2047. Regular Landfill Meeting to follow back at Quail Ridge Inn after the tour. Additional tours, more able to be completely open to the public, will be scheduled this year on an ongoing basis – reason for limits for this specific tour have to do with bus size/number limits. So, if you want a tour of the landfill – but can’t get on this one, make sure to let Public Works know and the Town will put you on the ‘first contact’ list for a future tour.
c) Spay/Neuter Project: Joint Town/County clinic scheduled for April 25-27. Promotion will occur in the community – call 751-2039 if you live in the Town of Taos and want further details.
d) Town/County work on Ranchitos, Chamisa, Este Es and Los Pandos Roads. Departments reported out about funding, progress, plans, timing – work to address the issues with each of these roadways during 2008 is underway. If you’re interested in more details, return an email about the specifics you’d like.
3) Taos Marketing Clips
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DENVER POST Circ./Aud.: 254,058 Denver, CO 03/20/2008 "Snowboarders finally get welcome at Taos ski resort " |
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ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS Circ./Aud.: 253,834 Denver, CO 03/20/2008 "Taos Ski Valley" |
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ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS Circ./Aud.: 253,834 Denver, CO 03/20/2008 "'Slders only' finally falls at Taos " |
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ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL Circ./Aud.: 105,966 Albuquerque, NM 03/20/2008 "BOARDERS REJOICE: PURISTS LAMENT" |
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ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL Circ./Aud.: 105,966 Albuquerque, NM 03/20/2008 "NOW ON BOARD" |
Cathy Connelly, Public Relations Coordinator
Town of Taos
400 Camino de la Placita
Taos, NM 87571
505-751-2001 office
505-779-1013 cell
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What a crazy Saturday. Thanks for the nchanted Circle page. Best Real estate board information I've found. My site is http://www.gregorygarver.com if you're interested.