The Las Cruces City Council will meet at 1 p.m. Monday, Sept. 20, 2021 in Council Chambers at City Hall, 700 N. Main St. for a regularly scheduled meeting.
City Council will consider a Resolution to approve a contract with BYD Coach and Bus, a Los Angeles, California limited liability company, to purchase five battery electric powered transit buses, with options to purchase seven more buses during a five-year period, for RoadRUNNER Transit. The proposed contract is not to exceed $4,1145,774, plus gross receipts tax.
RoadRUNNER Transit has established a goal of having 20 percent of its buses be battery electric buses in the first stage of transitioning its fixed route fleet. The Elevate Las Cruces Plan calls for converting RoadRUNNER Transit’s fleet to cleaner energy fuels, such as compressed natural gas or renewable energy such as battery electric buses.
City Council will also consider adoption of an Ordinance authorizing a $400,000 repayment to the New Mexico Economic Development Department for a Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) project to 420 Valley, a limited liability company, for the termination of the project participation agreement.
In 2019, City Council authorized the City to act as the fiscal agent for 420 Valley LLC. The City received $400,000 from the New Mexico Economic Development Department for the project. In addition, the City provided local matching funds of $150,000. However, none of the funds have been used.
The purpose of the funding was to support 420 Valley, LLC, who had plans to establish a hemp processing facility in Las Cruces. As a stipulation of the LEDA agreement, 420 Valley, LLC had to hire 55 full-time employees by Dec. 31, 2023.
However, 420 Valley, LLC has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and will not be able to meet its 2023 hiring goal, which cancels the LEDA agreement.
Additionally, the Council will consider a Resolution to adopt the East Lohman Development Plan at Monday’s meeting. The proposed Resolution is on the Consent Agenda.
The City of Las Cruces contracted with Sites Southwest in the summer of 2020 to prepare a land development master plan for approximately 509 acres that is roughly centered on the intersection of east Lohman Avenue and south Sonoma Ranch Boulevard. The planning area includes approximately 140 acres of City-owned land located south of Lohman Avenue and west of Sonoma Ranch Boulevard.
Adoption of the plan will allow the City’s Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council to utilize the plan to provide guidance related to the subdivision, zoning, development, infrastructure investment, and any financial assistance for the planning area. The East Lohman Development Plan includes a conceptual site plan with health service, mixed commercial and hospitality, missing middle housing, detached housing, and open space land use areas.
Overall, the site plan promotes and creates a neighborhood center that values healthy lifestyles and living, provides diverse and attainable housing, and incorporates the existing open spaces and appropriate green infrastructure into the site.
The agenda for Monday’s Council meeting is available online at https://lascruces.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Org=Cal&Id=220.
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.
Prior to Monday’s meeting, City Council will conduct a Closed Meeting at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall. The Council will meet in closed session to discuss pending litigation.