The Las Cruces City Council will conduct a regularly scheduled meeting at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan.17, 2023, in Council Chambers at City Hall, 700 N. Main St.
The Council will consider adoption of a Resolution to establish the City of Las Cruces Small Business Store Front Repair Program. The City, through the Economic Development Department, is leveraging as much as $400,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to support the economic recovery of small businesses who have experienced property damage and direct economic disruption because of COVID-19.
Through the Small Business Storefront Repair Program, small businesses could apply for grants of as much as $2,500 to help repair storefront property damages that occurred on or after Jan. 1, 2021. Storefront Repair funds would help cover costs to repair current property damage or reimburse business owners for costs paid out of pocket for past damages.
Eligible property damages include broken windows, broken doors, broken locks and etching on windows. The grants would not cover the loss of stolen goods or graffiti.
If approved by City Council, grant applications will open Feb. 1, 2023. The City of Las Cruces will accept applications from small businesses on a continued basis until all funding has been spent.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, City Council will consider the adoption of a Resolution that would approve a housing trust fund loan agreement between the City and the Three Sisters Chelsea Investment Corp., a New Mexico limited liability limited partnership developer who plans to build the Three Sisters Apartments, a 70-unit affordable housing complex for families with children, at 130 N. Walnut St.
On Dec. 20, 2021, City Council approved Resolution 22-072 which committed a $2.4 million loan to support the project, which has also received Low Income Housing Tax Credit funding from the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority. Construction is expected to begin in February.
The allocations of City funding for affordable housing development comply with the State of New Mexico Affordable Housing Act (Act), the City's Affordable Housing Ordinance and support the goals and objectives of the City's adopted Affordable Housing Plan. With the award of funding, and to meet regulatory requirements of the Act, a Housing Trust Fund Loan Agreement, with a Mortgage and Security Agreement including a Note, and Restrictive Real Estate Covenants between the City and The Three Sisters CIC, LLLP are required to be executed with City Council approval.
The agenda for Tuesday’s City Council meeting is available online at https://lascruces.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Org=Cal&Id=499.
Tuesday’s meeting will be televised live on Comcast Cable channel 20, and in high definition on Comcast Cable channel 928. The meeting also will be available online at YouTube.com/clctv20 and at clctv.com.