The Las Cruces City Council unanimously adopted an Ordinance during its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Nov. 2, 2020, that approved a Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) project for LaSen, Inc., of Las Cruces. The action from the seven-member Council allocates $400,000 in local LEDA funding from the City of Las Cruces.
The Council’s approval will also enable LaSen, Inc. to receive as much as $750,000 in LEDA funds from the State of New Mexico. The City and State funding will be used for land, building, and infrastructure costs. The company anticipates a major expansion into a new 37,000 square-foot headquarters and operations center that will be built off of west Amador Avenue.
LaSen, Inc. specializes in aerial inspection and mapping services of gas pipelines. The company has been in Las Cruces for 30 years.
In exchange for the City’s and State’s allocations, LaSen will create 79 full-time positions by Dec. 31, 2026, with an average annual salary of $61,000 per employee. The company’s total annual payroll will be more than $4,855,000 at full employment.
For its investment, the City will enter into a Project Participation Agreement with LaSen, Inc. which is subject to LEDA requirements and the adopted LEDA Plan of the City. The City will also enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the State to serve as the fiscal agent for the administration of the state’s investment in the project.
An economic impact analysis performed by the State indicated a positive return on investment on the LEDA incentive in the first year.
City Council also adopted a Resolution approving the Citizen Participation Plan required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as part of the preparation for the 2021 to 2025 Consolidated Plan and Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice for the City of Las Cruces.
Additionally, Council passed a Resolution approving a contract for lobbying services with Lawrence J. Horan, LTD., of Albuquerque. Horan serves as the City-hired lobbyist to the New Mexico Legislature.