Taos Real Estate

Mayor Bobby F. Duran received formal acknowledgements/honors for his 29 years of public service on behalf of Taos, New Mexico. Included among these were a presentation from the Taos News, and one from the staff at the Town of Taos, thanking the Mayor for his years of service. The Mayor’s Town reception will be this Friday, December 19th from 12 noon to 1 p.m. at the Taos Volunteer Fire Dept., Camino de la Placitas. The public is invited.

First public hearing; approved; Town of Taos Fire Code adoption of updates to include requirements based on the International Fire Code (IFC) 2006 updates. This is in line with the requirements the State is instituting, and with the use of the International Building Code (IBC) by the Town of Taos Buildings Dept. It is believed this fire code is also more ‘user friendly’ for understanding by the general public.

Final public hearing (outreach has occurred over the last three months) for input on two new proposed three way stop signs (speed humps not logistically possible in areas; for safety/traffic reasons stop signs being considered); locations at the junctions of Hill Dr. and Herdner Rd., and Chamisa Rd. and Sunshine Rd. Eric Gladstone, a Herdner Rd. area resident, indicated concerns about placement of the proposed signs given area traffic flow, and represented that he had spoken with neighbors of the same disposition. Recommendation for approval with treatment of these signs as a six month pilot program that can be mitigated should results warrant changes.

Public hearing about dedicated agreement from Aug. 2006 between David Sperry and Town of Taos – Sperry wasn’t present, so Town Legal Counsel asked that the public hearing be continued to the regular meeting Jan. 22, 2009. There may have been confusion about the rescheduling of this meeting over the last few days of weather.

Approval to fund $24,994.98, the remainder of the contract for the fiscal year, with Taos Local Television for the taping of Council meetings for cablecast on Channel 22. Audio quality and daily programming content (the last not being anything the Town controls) were expressed concerns. Programming is open public access based, and not controlled by the Town or Taos Local Television, unless federal standards are crossed for such content that would prohibit it (i.e. it is pornographic, incites violence, etc).

Approval of Pediatric Clinic Lease Agreement, allowing construction and operation of the pediatric clinic, next to Holy Cross Hospital. This must be in place to bid out for construction of the facility and for the State to forward funds (to encumber approved funds). Agreement allows hospital to ‘pay rent’ in in-kind services to the public including pediatric care, rather than cash to the Town, which owns the land on which the clinic is being built.

Town Manager items:

Stray Hearts Animal Shelter assessment – Mike Arms, Animal Center Education Services (ACES) is recommended to work with the shelter on a comprehensive assessment of how to improve services on a variety of fronts; ACES has offered their two-day seminar on a complimentary basis with regard to their consulting fees, if their travel expenses can be underwritten. This seminar will also provide a forum for local advocate input. ACES approach/research is based on national work in this area, including the successes of the Rancho Santa Fe, California shelter experience -- the Helen Woodward Animal Center. Assistant Town Manager Abigail Adame can provide an overview of what ACES is proposed, aadame@taosgov.com.

Arts and Cultural District -- application deadline to State is in early January, 2009. The listed District representatives will rapidly evolve/expand for community input/participation soon after this application is in. Right now, the concern is to meet the application’s requirements and deadline. If you want to serve/help, right after the application is submitted, the opportunity will be there. Questions? Connect with mspriggs@taosgov.com.

Alexander-Gusdorf Eco Park Update – Finalizing agreement for remaining engineering to complete Town’s infrastructure connection basics; Sites Southwest conceptual plan, including new drainage mandates through the property, will be ready for legislative presentation in January; costs have increased for this project due to drainage issues (drainage alone anticipated to be between $1.5 to $4 million right now – number becoming more specific as further work is completed) to an anticipated total of $7 million. Phasing the project, and pursuing construction through State loans, rather than waiting for 100% State appropriations, are all being actively pursued by the Town.

Council Member Rudy Abeyta approved as Mayor Pro Tem January through June, 2009.

Mayor Duran read a statement as retiring Mayor, providing his perspectives on the healthy, conservative status of the Finances of the Town of Taos during his tenure, and expressing concerns about the future financial status of the Town of Taos given the many expenditures the Town is now undertaking, and in the face of the nation’s economic recession. His statement was fundamentally a caution to ‘go slowly’ and a request for the Town to be fiscally conservative as it moves forward with its many undertakings. A copy of the Mayor’s entire statement is available – just email this office – and it should appear in its entirety in the “My Turn” section of the Taos News next week.

Approval of new beer and wine license for Gutiz restaurant, located at 812 B Paseo del Pueblo Norte.

Approval of transfer of full liquor license to the new Lambert’s owners, the Taos Restaurant Group, located at 309 Paseo del Pueblo Sur.

Draft of Bicycle Facilities Master Plan approved to move forward; presented by Town Long Range Planner Matthew Foster, mfoster@taosgov.com. Plan is aimed at Taos becoming truly “bicycle friendly”, and includes reasons why this plan must be in place before various, detailed funding sources for enabling the implementation of such a plan can be tapped. Plan includes things such as parking and ride facilities, storage, shared roadways for various modes of transportation (including bicycles), etc. Some immediate undertakings that could be targeted: retrofit of Albright; signs on loop ride; inventory roadways for other retrofits; safe routes to school (grant anticipated in March, 09); education and enforcement policies; presentation to Taos County Jan. 9; etc. Get the entire proposal from Matthew Foster, email above.

Budget Adjustment Requests (BARs) were OKed for the Finance Dept. by the Council. These include items such as the acceptance of grants from the State (yes, Council must vote ‘yes’ to receive funds such as these); and move Town funds between line items within the budget when items change during the year and funds from one area need to be moved to another.

Council Member Cordova (to be Mayor January 1, 2009) emphasized his intent to ‘buy local’ – in this case referring to a budget item adjustment request enabling the purchase of two police replacement units. Discussion followed about how local purchases could be better enabled under the State procurement code (lowest bid requirements; and/or registered with the State’s approved procurement vendor list – which once an entity is registered, allows a municipality to purchase ‘locally’ from listed vendors over simply having to take the absolute ‘lowest price’). The Town’s Executive Department was asked to meet with the Finance and Legal Departments to improve how the Town might do this moving forward, including this purchase of vehicles.

Matthew Spriggs, Community & Economic Development Director, OKed to travel to IEDC Certified Ec Dev Conference in February, 2009.

Town of Taos Employee Holiday Schedule for 2009 approved (We’ll send this out in early 09 so you public knows these dates ahead of time).

Out of state travel approved (out of state travel must always go before the Council for approval) for Canine Handler Special Response course – Town of Taos Chief of Police Daron Syling indicated that these funds exist within his current budget (the purchase of this police dog has been enabled through a $14,000 anonymous donation from a member of the Taos community).

Award made to the Rocky Mtn. Youth Corps. (Council Member Quintana abstaining; she works for them) out of an RFP for $30,000 for the Learning Lab Program. Only one response to this RFP was received.

Signature changes approved on Town accounts given the retirement of Mayor Duran.

Citizens Forum: Chris Baker, publisher, Taos News – presentation to Mayor Bobby F. Duran

Annie Oandason, Transportation Planner, Northern Pueblos Regional Planning Organization – presentation on services provided through the RPO

Dr. Doug Scott, Taos Coalition to End Homelessness – presentation on future transitional homeless shelter for families (for which the organization now has the funds to move forward), asking the Town for future assistance as they progress. Next step for the group is a request for a conditional use permit for the property in question – an item that is going to the Town of Taos Planning & Zoning Commission.

Taos Mountain Balloon Rally, Leslie Bahan – thank you for past assistance; looking for assistance during coming year to continue to expand these activities.

Presentation by Council Member Gene Sanchez under Citizens Forum of a Music from Angel Fire framed art poster to hang in the lobby of the newly renovated TCA when it opens in spring 09.

R.G. Wells – presentation about a variety of issues including Chicago police, and police generally, and cautioning that all need to be ‘watched’ for ‘bad apples’; also comments directed to the Town’s new Mayor asking for openness and communication.

Eric Gladstone – comments on ability for R.G. Wells to speak as he might about issues – because often these comments have ‘elements of truth that should be paid attention to’.

Input from Council/Mayor about making comments that are part of the Citizen Forum focused on suggestions about how to make things better; focused on solutions or specific issues; not unfounded accusations or negative, unfounded commentary; not making harmful comments that are too generic and/or misplaced.

Executive Session – Threatening legal action -- C. Martinez v. Syling et al.

Cathy Connelly

Public Relations Director

Town of Taos

400 Camino de la Placita

Taos, NM 87571

575-751-2001

cconnelly@taosgov.com

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