By Lynn Janes

The Silver City Town Council held a regular meeting August 12, 2024. Attendance to the meeting included Mayor Ken Ladner, Mayor Pro Tem Guadalupe Cano, Rudy Bencomo, Nicholas Prince, and Stan Snider.

The town of Silver City did a proclamation for the 150th year anniversary for Saint Vincent De Paul Catholic Church. Ladner read the proclamation, and it said the church had been dedicated to the service of God and humanity and to honor their commitment to the community. Originally services had been held at a warehouse at someone's private home. In 1874 they began the construction of the church, which has been a benefit to the community.

Father Oliver Obele and Marcus Quintero attended to receive the proclamation. Quintero thanked the city for the recognition. "Not every day a church or parish celebrates 150 years. I am excited that we will have a three-day event." He invited everyone to attend and said it starts September 27, 2024, by doing community outreach and going to the gospel mission to cook for those in need. On September 28, 2024, they will have a celebration at the church. Dr. Don Montoya has done extensive research and will be sharing it with everyone in attendance. That night will be a banquet at the Flame Convention Center. The next day on Sunday they will have a picnic after mass. Father Oliver thanked everyone and said, "I am very grateful, and God bless you."

Council comments

Snider said he had been downtown twice recently and both times he had seen police presence. One time a foot patrol and the other a police car patrolling downtown. He thanked them for the extra patrols.

Prince agreed with Snider and said that presence had increased. "We are still in the back-to-school season so be careful." He said he had requests for speed bumps.

Bencomo had attended a New Mexico Department of Transportation meeting that had been about the safety lighting project that would be started soon. It will run along highway 180 to Santa Clara. This project will include lighting, speed signs and stripping. It will start at the intersection of Delk Drive. One resident attending had concern that they would be putting in a median fence and the person doing the presentation said it would not happen in this project. Bencomo had attended the Chamber luncheon recently and Lt. Governor Howie Morales spoke and Bencomo said, "We are lucky to have him." He had worked hard to obtain the funding to build the recreation center. Recently the Silver City Daily Press had written about some unattended deaths. Commissioner Alicia Edwards had expressed concern. The Las Cruces fire department has a program that the firefighters contact seniors that have been homebound and check on them regularly. Bencomo said he had not spoken to the fire chief yet but maybe it could be something for them to adopt. Many seniors do not have anyone to look out for them.

Cano said she had attended the chamber luncheon that Morales had spoken at also. He will be focusing on infrastructure for mental health. They have talked about expanding Tu Casa and other projects that will be beneficial. She attended the open house at Hidalgo Medical Services, and they spoke to the need of more recruitment for health care practitioners.

Cano wanted to remind and let people know that the city has a Facebook page that they should sign up on and follow to keep up with any announcements.

The Gila River Festival will be taking place September 26 – 29, 2024. Cano said it would be the 19th year. A few years the event had not happened for various reasons. They will be having a panel of speakers to look at the next 100 years of the Gila River. She said she would be part of that panel and speaking.

Cano wanted to acknowledge the passing of Ascension "Chon" Manzano. He had been the police chief in Bayard for many years and asked that everyone keep the family in their prayers.

Ladner thanked the police chief because of staff shortages he had been doing midnight patrols. He thanked everyone in code enforcement. He remembered when they did not have code enforcement. He said they had been working hard to make Silver City look better.

In the coming week Ladner said they will be having the New Mexico Municipal League annual meeting in Clovis. Cano, a board member of the league, will be attending along with Snider and Prince.

The council approved the minutes from the July 23, 2024, and July 30, 2024, meetings

Public input

Delfina Jimenez addressed the council but specifically Prince. She had watched the video of a past meeting and in her perception, he had attacked the Silver City Police Department. She said he had not actually just attacked the police department but the spouses, companions, brother, sisters, aunts, uncles, mothers, fathers, grandparents and sometimes great-grandparents. "You attacked the community and me." Jimenez said she had a son-in-law and a grandson that serve on the police force. They put their lives on the line 24/7 for the community. "We as a community defend and support our law enforcement and pray for them to come home safely." She had heard him say some kids had seen a body that had been a hit and run. She offered her condolences to that family. "It is not normal for anyone to see a dead body" She continued with rebuttals to the comments he had made in that council meeting. She said he needed to slow down when he talked. She added in the end, "I don't think you have a law enforcement badge, and I think your talk is cheap."

Rebecca Margolis attended with her husband and said this would be the first time for her to attend a council meeting. The had lived here eight years and love the town. Their residence is on 7th Street. She has made an observation of the increased engine revving and racing in the area at all times of the night. It starts around 10pm and continues through the night. They have always had noise issues but in the past few months it had become very bad. She had called dispatch and did not receive any answers or remedies. Noise control does appear in the municipal code, and she gave the code numbers to the council. It speaks to decimals. She spoke to some of the officers, and they don't have anything to measure that or know how to use. "How can you enforce that code without the equipment to do it?" She had been encouraged to record the noise by Ladner, Chief Portillo and Snider. She had one and played it for the council. It had been recorded 10:30 to 11:00 pm. It very clearly showed the excess of the noise problem and speed racing. She pointed out how dangerous street racing could be. She had done research and Triple A had said it had become a country-wide problem.

Paula Geisler said she lives downtown on Bullard Street and Kelly Street. They have been having a problem with a lot of speeding downtown. "It is insane and dangerous." She suggested speedbumps. The problem happens both in the day and night and has been a real safety issue.

Alex Brown, town manager, didn't have anything to report.

New business

The town had received two applicants for the two positions open with the municipal library community advisory board. Both had been recommended by the library director. The council approved the mayor's appointment of Jessica Salaiz and Mary Jemin.

The council approved ordinance 1330. Jacqui Olea, community development director, joined the meeting by phone and said this ordinance would help communicate with the owners of businesses. They would have all business owners' names and contacts. Bencomo thanked them for highlighting the changes to make it easier to read.

The council approved the notice of intent to adopt ordinance 1331. Jim Reynolds, town attorney, said this brings the no smoking in public places ordinance in line with the state statues. The old ordinance did not follow the same definitions and now it aligns with the state. He gave them some examples.

The council approved the notice of intent to adopt ordinance 1332. Olea said this updates the affordable housing ordinance 1170.

The council approved the reappointment positions for the labor management relations board. Brown explained that the town chooses someone, and the union chooses someone and then they come together to choose the other. The town had asked that Tony Garcia be reappointed, the union asked that Terry Fortenberry be reappointed and the two together asked for A.J. Tow

Meeting adjourned.