The Las Cruces City Council will meet at 1 p.m. Monday, May 23, 2022 in Council Chambers at City Hall, 700 N. Main St., for a work session.
City Council will be presented with a progress update on the development of a new Public Safety Impact Fee. On April 19, 2021, City Council extended the current Public Safety Impact Fee through June 30, 2022.
The extension has allowed the City time to hire a consultant, update the land use assumptions, review capital needs for public safety, and review and recommend a fee schedule. On April 25, 2022, Willdan Financial provided the first update on the draft analysis.
That update provided information on the progress of the firm and provided the council with an opportunity to review proposed updates to the land use assumptions, capital needs, and potential impact fee schedules. Several public meetings since the previous work session have been conducted.
Those public meetings have included information on the draft analysis of the land use assumptions, capital needs, and fee schedule. Two public hearings will be conducted in Council Chambers at City Hall, at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 21 and at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 25.
Monday’s work session aims to give City Council an opportunity to first provide feedback on the Land Use Assumptions that will be used for the remainder of the fee analysis. The work session also will provide an opportunity for City Council to ask specific questions regarding the capital improvement items for public safety that will be included in the impact fee update.
Only the capital items listed in the analysis can be funded by the impact fees. The third objective of this update is for the Council to guide the specifics of the fee structure to meet the community's public safety needs relative to new development.
Additionally at Monday’s work session, Program Director Karina Diaz, and Clinical Director Jess Spohn will present to City Council the mission, purpose, and culture of RI International at the Doña Ana Crisis Triage Center. The presentation will include data from the first 10 months of operations, community partnerships and outreach.
Triage Staff will present on challenges and ongoing efforts to establish the Crisis Triage Center as a reputable and safe option for individuals in crisis and assist in diversion from emergency departments and incarceration.
Diaz and Spohn will also speak about upcoming plans to integrate 988 legislation, which involves establishing a nationwide three-digit telephone number, 988, to assist people experiencing a mental health or suicidal crisis. Diaz and Spohn also want to openly discuss with City Council, ways in which they can increase their census and be able to become an integral part of the mental health and substance misuse needs of the community.
Also on Monday, the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will provide an update to City Council on activities, major incidents, and emergency management changes during the past 12 months. The OEM staff also will discuss strategic plans and activities including radio system interoperability, disaster sheltering, and integration of volunteer organizations into disaster response.
There will also be a refresher on New Mexico statutes regarding emergency management and the role of elected leadership during disasters.
The agenda for Monday’s City Council work session is available online at https://lascruces.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Org=Cal&Id=386.
Monday’s work session will be televised live on CLCTV, Comcast Cable channel 20, and is also available in high definition on Comcast Cable channel 928. The work session will also be accessible online at clctv.com and at YouTube.com/clctv20.
Prior to the work session, City Council will meet at 11 a.m. Monday, May 23, 2022, for a Closed Meeting to discuss pending litigation.
Immediately following the work session, a brief Agenda Setting Meeting will be in Council Chambers to determine the agenda for the June 6, 2022 City Council meeting.