The Las Cruces City Council will meet via video conference at 1 p.m. Monday, June 7, 2021 for a regularly scheduled meeting.
City Council will consider adoption of a Resolution declaring extreme drought conditions within the Las Cruces city limits. The proposed Resolution would restrict the use of fireworks in the City for 30 days.
New Mexico laws allow a municipality to conduct a public hearing to determine if fireworks restrictions should be imposed because of extreme or severe drought conditions. The findings of the governing body shall be based on current drought indices published by the National Weather Service and any other relevant information supplied by the U.S. Forest Service.
Further, Las Cruces Municipal Code Sec.11-148 states “If extreme or severe drought conditions exist or potentially exist, the City Council may hold a hearing and pass a resolution to issue a Proclamation that would impose fireworks restrictions within the City limits.”
As of Thursday, June 3, there was .32 inch of rain recorded at Las Cruces International Airport since January 1. The Las Cruces airport is where the National Weather Service has an automated weather station in operation.
The Las Cruces Fire Department proposes limiting the use of otherwise permissible fireworks, including cone fountains, crackling devices, cylindrical fountains, flitter sparklers, ground spinner, illuminating torches, toy smoking devices and wheels, to areas within the City limits that are paved or barren, or areas that have a readily accessible source of water.
Prohibited fireworks in Las Cruces would include the sale and use of missile-type rockets, helicopters, aerial spinners, stick-type rockets, ground audible devices such as chasers, and firecrackers.
Additionally, at Monday’s meeting, the Council will consider a Resolution approving a new Development Impact Fee allocation for City water and wastewater services. If adopted by City Council the previously adopted water and wastewater fees, enacted in June 1995, would be rescinded.
At an April 12 work session, there was informal Council consensus to split water and wastewater impact fees 50-50 between the developer and new customer. Currently, water and wastewater development impact fees are divided three ways: to the builder, new-home customer by the developer, and to rate base customers.
The proposed allocations of water and wastewater Development Impact Fees between builder, customer, and rate base was initially presented to the public for its input from January 14 through Jan. 29, 2021. However, no public comments were received by the City, and the only response was offered by the Capital Improvements Advisory Committee at its January regular meeting.
Also Monday, City Council will consider adoption of a Resolution to amend Chapter 24, the Procurement Code, of the Las Cruces Municipal Code. The proposed changes are expected to improve and facilitate the procurement process for City staff and vendors by being more clear and easier to use.
The proposed changes consist of, but are not limited to, format changes to Chapter 24, adding more definitions, revising authorized exemptions, modifying the process utilized by the City’s Selection Advisory Committee, and revising the chapter’s contingency section. The proposed changes were reviewed by City Council at its March 22 work session.
The agenda for Monday’s Council meeting can be found online at https://lascruces.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Org=Cal&Id=213.
Monday’s City Council meeting will be televised live on CLC-TV, Comcast Cable channel 20. The meeting will also be available online at clctv.com and at YouTube.com/clctv20.