The Las Cruces City Council will meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 21, 2022 in Council Chambers at City Hall, 700 N. Main St.
The agenda for Monday’s meeting lists five items on the Consent Agenda, 13 items for Council discussion and consideration, and one proposed Ordinance the Council could take formal action on at a future meeting. The agenda for Monday’s City Council meeting is available online at https://lascruces.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Org=Cal&Id=366.
At Monday’s meeting, City Council will consider adoption of a Resolution declaring severe drought conditions in Las Cruces. The Resolution would restrict the sale and use of fireworks for 30 days, which would include the Fourth of July holiday.
New Mexico Statute states, “The governing body of a municipality may hold a hearing to determine if fireworks restrictions should be imposed within the boundaries of the incorporated municipality affected by 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, the Las Cruces Municipal Code (LCMC) 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."
If approved by City Council, the Resolution would prohibit the sale and use of fireworks within the city limits of missile-type rockets, helicopters, aerial spinners, stick-type rockets, and ground audible devices such as chases and firecrackers.
Permissible fireworks would be limited to cone fountains, crackling devices, cylindrical fountains, flitter sparklers, ground spinners, illuminating torches, toy smoking devices and wheels. Those fireworks could only be discharged in areas of Las Cruces that are paved or barren, or in areas within the city that have a readily accessible source of water.
Additionally, a Resolution supporting a Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program to humanely control Las Cruces’ feral cat population will be considered by City Council. TNR is a scientifically justifiable and humane method to control and reduce the feral and community cat populations.
Controlling and reducing the feral and community cat populations is desirable for reasons that include but are not limited to addressing humane treatment of domesticated animals, financial efficiency – as opposed to trap-and-euthanize, wildlife protection, and the concerns of residents who want options to repel feral or community cats from their property.
Through the registration process and execution of caregiving duties, standard care procedures and timelines according to nationally recognized TNR best practices will be communicated and employed.
The City’s Animal Control Unit (ACU), responding to complaints from the public regarding community/feral cats, will offer educational material at their offices and in the field and, if available, community/feral cat deterrents to residents as needed. Also, the ACU will work with the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley and/or designated nonprofit animal welfare organizations to compile and make publicly available useful, easy-to-understand information for the public, with materials and deterrents that may be funded by the City, individual donations, institutional donations, or grants, or by other means.
The ASCMV will have an implementation plan in accordance with the policy that addresses TNR best practices, caregiver registration, basic expectations and responsibilities for caregivers, educational information for the public, and mechanisms for TNR logistics – yet accounts for capacity at the ASCMV and its City partners – to be written and revisited annually or as needed and is incorporated by reference to the policy.
Monday’s meeting will be televised live on CLCTV, Comcast Cable channel 20, and in high definition on Comcast Cable channel 928. The meeting also will be available online at clctv.com and at YouTube.com/clctv20.