Town of Taos News Brief #39, April 14, 2008
1) Taos Spring Clean Up - 8 a.m. to 12 noon, this Saturday, April 19th is the Annual Town of Taos ‘Trek for Trash’ Clean Up, headed by Parks Division Supervisor Dennis Martinez. Town staff work with nonprofit groups, which receive a small grant contribution to assist, on this Town-wide trash clean up effort, and the public is welcome to participate – just contact Dennis Martinez at 751-2020, dmartinez@taosgov.com. As part of this clean up effort, Town residents are also encouraged to bring their trash, yard waste, old appliances, and other items to dispose of for free from 8 a.m. to 12 noon that day to the Town of Taos Public Works yard, 1030 Dea St. (near Walmart).
2) Revised Time Frame: A new policy has been approved by the Town of Taos for any organization asking for the Town to function as their fiscal agent for State appropriations, grants and other funding. Time frame promoted previously for application by organizations was May 2008 for the coming fiscal year – but now the time frame has been extended given one last revisit of policy by Council later this month. For a copy of the new application form and other guidelines, including a copy of the final policy resolution, contact Francella Garcia, Grants Administrator, Finance Department, 751-2029, fgarcia@taosgov.com at the very end of April. The policy will be advertised/communicated in a variety of ways, but this is a second ‘heads up’ for representatives of organizations requiring the Town as a fiscal agent participant anytime during 2008-09. Public application period for groups is now anticipated to be May through early June, 2008, with all fiscal agency requests going before the Town Council for public review and council approval during June 2008.
3) Town of Taos Human Resources Director Brenda Cordova has submitted her resignation today, April 14, 2008, with her last day at the Town to be May 2, 2008. Ms. Cordova has taken a contractual part-time position back with the U.S. Forest Service to provide them with human resources services. Ms. Cordova retired from U.S. Forest Service prior to joining the Town of Taos a few weeks ago. The Town is now recruiting for a new Director of Human Resources, Town Manager, and Town Attorney. Recent successful recruitments for senior positions have included the hiring of a new Assistant Town Manager (currently serving as Interim Town Manager) and Director of Planning, with recruitment of a Community & Economic Development Director in its final phase (three finalists have been recommended to the Town Council). Check the Town of Taos web site for current recruitment/job description information, http://www.taosgov.com.
4) Town/County Joint Meeting earlier today (ask for further information on any of these items for which you’re interested):
· Recycling – The Taos Recycling Community has requested a ‘place’ to store plastics and their baler so they can ‘get started’ with a volunteer/nonprofit-based plastics recycling program. Town and County are researching how they might accomplish this prior to supporters securing a ‘permanent’ location/facility. In addition, tomorrow night the Town of Taos Council will discuss a potential plastic bag ban ordinance. Lots of proposals submitted/discussed as to how to improve the underwriting of/participation in recycling programs from tightening up the County’s ‘punch card’ system at the landfill, to charging more for non-recyclable items at the landfill and increasing fines/enforcement of illegal dumping.
· Signalization of Albright St. and NM 68 at Taos County complex (the Super Save intersection) – NM Department of Transportation, the Town and the County all agree that this intersection currently needs work/signalization to improve its safety – even before construction of the expanded, 125,000 sq. ft. Taos County Offices/Judicial Complex, slated for completion around May 2010 (18 month build out). However, according to NMDOT, a complete permanent realignment/signalization effort is somewhere over $1M in cost; a temporary solution involving a signal, but no realignment is approximately $200-$300,000. Lengthy discussion about amount, what might be included, and who might pay for such an undertaking resulted at today’s meeting (State or County?; if costs are shared, how much each?). In addition, there is the State’s ‘signalization priority list’ which must be negotiated for a project ranking. The result of today’s meeting was the State’s commitment to treat this intersection as a priority and return to document exactly what, how much might be done, and what funds might be allocated in the short-term to help with the situation.
· North Central Regional Transportation District (NCRTD) – Today a second comprehensive presentation was made by the proponents of the NCRTD on the potential continued participation by Taos County in this ‘blue bus’ transit system. To date this transportation service has been paid for in four Counties during its two year start up by Los Alamos County Gross Receipts Taxes/State and Federal support, with a small contribution by riders. There are many issues about whether and/or how to continue Taos County regional transportation services, one being whether the County will continue its NCRTD participation and place an item on the November 2008 General Election ballot to increase local GRT by 3/16ths of a percent. Other NCRTD participation issues revolve around the inability of Taos County to readily drop out later without a vote of the very board they’re on, and similar abilities to out-vote Taos County on their own future services, and potential GRT increases up to ½ percent; required future matching funds; other technical issues that seem unresolved. Of course there is a need for increased, connecting, affordable public transportation in the area for the workforce and medical services, and an Enchanted Circle RTD is being explored separate from NCRTD. Taos County received recommendations/information from the joint meeting participants and will vote tomorrow at their regular Taos County Commission meeting on whether to be ‘in or out’ of NCRTD in for immediate future. If they drop out, their next opportunity to ‘join’, and have a no-cost ballot for Taos County residents to determine their acceptance of a GRT increase, would be during the General Election of 2010.
· Public Restrooms in the Old County Courthouse – Town and County are now actively focused on a short-term delay for the immediate two-public restroom construction in the County’s Old County Courthouse in order to try and negotiate a lease by the Town of the Courthouse and a total renovation that would include many more restrooms and improved access during phase one; and might include a historic/cultural/visitor center during phase two. Both government bodies committed to try and move this forward during May with an agreement and architectural review/plan. Given his interest in the issue, knowledge of the structure, and background as an architect, Town of Taos Council Member Gene Sanchez presented a preliminary plan at the meeting to explore the plan’s feasibility. NOTE: Public restrooms and a Taos Police Department field office are currently under construction just behind the Old County Courthouse and this project is NOT delayed (structure being manufactured off-site currently; to be moved on site and completed in May 2008). These manufactured restrooms are designed to be readily relocated to another Taos Historic District location when the Old County Courthouse public restrooms materialize.
5) NM Historic Preservation Conference in town this week. Welcome them!
6) Reminder #2: Public Relations Coordinator for the Town of Taos will be out of the area April 18th through 28th, 2008; no news briefs from the Town will be issued during this time period.
Cathy Connelly, Public Relations Coordinator
Town of Taos
400 Camino de la Placita
Taos, NM 87571
505-751-2001 office
Fax 575-751-2026
505-779-1013 cell
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