FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 2014 Today is the 70 th anniversary of D-Day. CITY COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE The briefing I provided last week on the topic of governing generated some positive discussion and the need to provide more information about the work we do. This week, I report on City Council s Rules of Order, Procedure (Las Cruces Municipal Code Sec. 2-27). This code explains the protocol used by City Council for electing a Mayor Pro-Tem, setting meeting dates, voting/quorum requirements, general procedure of council and public participation. Section (14), Legislation, is an area that has been asked about. This section provides a useful explanation of how resolutions and ordinances are to be handled and presented to City Council. This section explains how a city councilor should propose legislation, and how it gets reviewed by City staff to ensure legal sufficiency, financial/budgetary review and other compliance requirements within existing codes and ordinances. Rather than repeat the specifics, a link is provided for a direct look at this code provision. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS LCMC SEC. 2-27 DOWNTOWN PLAZA CONTRACT Progress continues with the development of a contract for the purchase or real estate and component parts of the downtown plaza. The City and Las Cruces Community Partners are working on the finishing touches of an agreement that will need to be presented to the Tax Increment Development District (TIDD) board of directors for approval. The City will also need to present a financial authorization proposal to the TIDD board that will allow staff to pursue funding for this real estate contract. The next regular TIDD Board meeting is in July and since we want to move this proposal forward sooner than that, we will be working to establish a special TIDD Board meeting before the end of June. FALSE ALARM UPDATE By Jaime Montoya, Police Chief Background: In early 2011, the Las Cruces Police and Fire Departments noticed a continuing increase in the number of false alarms calls. That year, both departments responded to 8,800 alarm calls. Of these, 99.8% were false alarms. This resulted in a waste of police, fire and dispatch resources that were already stretched thin by fiscal challenges. A joint police and fire project was initiated in an attempt to reduce the number of false alarms. This problem was not unique to Las Cruces, so we looked at many other communities to draw on their experiences. After much research and meetings with the alarm industry and the public, and with input from City Council, an ordinance was developed that we thought would work in our community. 1
This new ordinance (LCMC Chapter 4) was presented to council, approved and went into effect in January 2013. The ordinance required all alarms to be registered with the city - and alarm sites with repeat false alarms would be fined. No fines were assessed under this new ordinance until December 2013. The alarm monitoring companies were also required to make two-attempts to contact alarm holders in an attempt to verify if the alarm is accidental prior to contacting public safety. Results: In 2013, we saw a 25% reduction in the number reported alarms (compared to 2011 numbers) and so far in 2014 we are seeing a 38.7% decrease and more than 2,000 of the estimated 10,000 alarm sites have been registered. A hearing officer was appointed and in April 2014, the first set of hearings were held from alarm holders wishing to appeal their fines. We have not yet purchased a software package to automate the administration process, so it is currently being done manually by the Alarm Administrator, Jason Rivera. It is anticipated that we will continue to see a reduction in alarm calls as additional homes and business are registered and the process becomes automated. 2
POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE By Brian Denmark, ACM/COO The City continues to address various entities that utilize City facilities to ensure compliance to all city rules and regulations associated with facility use policy and adherence to state constitutional provisions pertaining to Anti-Donation. Negotiations are nearly complete with the Las Cruces Police Athletic League (PAL). Staff is working collectively with PAL to continue the long-term relationship in using a City facility for the purposes of providing at-risk children in the city the opportunity to be successful in life. PAL has utilized a City facility for many years and with the latest agreement expired, it is important to ensure a new agreement is in compliance with all polices and provisions that govern an entity using City facilities and services. Such a relationship will be no different than other agreements the City has with sports leagues and associations, in that PAL may continue to use the Sammy Burke Youth Boxing Center in compliance with the City s facility use policy. This may lead to in-kind services provided by PAL. There is the opportunity for local boxers and other PAL members to participate in the Parks and Recreation Department s youth services programing to enhance education and recreation opportunities to the youth. PAL representatives are excited about this opportunity to give back to the community while continuing their respective objective of supporting at-risk children. Staff is in the final stages of a draft agreement with PAL to go into effect this July to ensure a continuation of youth services. CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION PREVIEW FOR MONDAY, JUNE 9 These are non-action items where more in-depth discussion will take place compared to items discussed in regular City Council meetings. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION AGENDA. El Paso Electric Franchise Agreement The City of Las Cruces and El Paso Electric Company work together to allow electric power to be distributed through public rights of way to serve residential, commercial and industrial customers within city limits. A franchise agreement is the formal document that establishes the respective responsibilities of each entity, including provisions for emergency work and repairs. The franchise agreement also contains provisions for the electric company to pay the city for the use of the public space. Various franchise agreements have been in place between the agencies for decades. The current proposal is for a 15-year period of time, but includes an annual review and meeting between the parties. This work session will be the opportunity for the City and El Paso Electric to review and summarize the proposed franchise agreement before it is scheduled for City Council vote later this summer. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS EL PASO ELECTRIC S PRESENTATION 3
Metro Verde Special Assessment District Proposal The developer of the Metro Verde subdivision has approached the City with a proposal to consider a Voluntary Special Assessment District (SAD) in the Sierra Norte area north of US-70/N. Main Street. This item has been added to the work session agenda to give Public Works and Financial Services staff the opportunity to explain the proposal s components and the mechanisms that provide for the secured financing of such a program. This SAD is comprehensive and includes the design and construction of major public arterials, including Sonoma Ranch Boulevard, portions of Engler Road, Peachtree Hills Road, and Arroyo Road. It will also include required utility and drainage upgrades to support the overall development. The City would finance the construction through a low interest loan and the developer would pay back all of the cost plus an administrative charge for managing the district. There would also be liens filed on the property to ensure payment in the event programmed triggered repayments are not made at either the point of sale, development, or a point in time to be determined. Convention and Visitors Bureau Office Location The Las Cruces Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) has been operating out of a building at the corner of Water Street and Las Cruces Avenue in downtown Las Cruces for many years. As part of a land transaction a few years ago, the City sold the building housing the CVB as part of a transaction for the City to acquire the old Bank of the Rio Grande to be used for the new Museum of Nature and Science. As a result, the CVB has been leasing office space while we assess alternatives for their future office location. This work session item is intended to discuss alternatives and approaches for consideration for the new offices. THE WEEK AHEAD STANDARD, NON-STANDARD, OPERATIONAL AND JOINT BOARD AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS Courtesy of the Public Information Office MONDAY JUNE 9, 2014 1 5 p.m. City Council Work Session - City Hall, 700 N. Main St., Council Chambers 5 5:30 p.m. City Council Agenda Setting Meeting - 700 N. Main St., Council Chambers TUESDAY JUNE 10, 2014 No Scheduled Meetings WEDNESDAY JUNE 11, 2014 9 11 a.m. Development Review Committee - City Hall, 700 N. Main St., room 1158 9 11 a.m. Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority Board of Directors Meeting - 130 W. Lohman Ave., conference room 4
1 3 p.m. MPO Policy Committee Meeting - City Hall, 700 N. Main St., Council Chambers THURSDAY JUNE 12, 2014 9 11 a.m. Senior Programs Advisory Board Meeting - Munson Center, 975 S. Mesquite St. 2 4 p.m. Extra-Territorial Development Review Committee - City Hall, 700 N. Main St., room 1158 3 5 p.m. Las Cruces Utilities Board of Commissioners Meeting - Utilities Center, 680 N. Motel Blvd., room 225 FRIDAY JUNE 13, 2014 No Scheduled Meetings SATURDAY JUNE 14, 2014 5 7 p.m. Sage Café Open House 6121 Reynolds Dr. Meeting dates for boards and committees are gathered from the public meetings calendar in Outlook. Meetings may be cancelled or scheduled after this notice is issued. 5