The real question is: Can we afford it? The Truth or Consequences city commission hasn't even looked at the city's finances. This project wasn't in the July budget and wasn't on the Infrastructure Capital Improvements Projects turned into the state in September. Shouldn't we be addressing the water crisis instead?
Today's intelligence: a few more reasons to be thankful
Four capital improvement projects, financed by $820,000 in legislative funds, were approved. The commission agreed the county would act as fiscal agent if county museums are successful in convincing the legislature to approve a specialty auto license plate. The canvassing board accepted the Nov 7 elections results.
Today's intelligence: Dogs are coming down with a hitherto-unknown respiratory illness in several U.S. states, including nearby Colorado.
The city almost didn't have water. The city's water and wastewater director gave a blow-by-blow of the crisis. It revealed the utter decrepitude of the system caused by long neglect.
Today's intelligence: New Mexico adopts clean car standards to support the availability and use in the state of zero-emission vehicles.
What kind of driver are you? Do you text and pass on curves and expect others to change their driving for your whims? Or are you observant of the road and all that happens on and near it? Think about it the next time you venture out on the highway.
Like a hermit crab, the city police station inhabited a vacated funeral parlor over 10 years ago and will now transition to a larger abandoned building, the National Guard armory.
Today's intelligence: Congressman Gabe Vasquez helps to secure federal funding for a renewable energy transmission project that will create jobs for southern New Mexicans.
Today's intelligence: New Mexico's Legislative Finance Committee recognizes need to provide technical assistance to local communities in danger of losing state-allocated capital funds due to their inability to promptly start or complete their proposed major infrastructure projects.
The current city commission should take note of low citizen engagement and make needed communication changes.
Two items on the Nov. 15 agenda match: The waterline failures have created a state of disaster and we're too broke to fix it, according to the latest financial report. A third item, issuing $4.5 million in bonds to renovate the old armory into a police station doesn't match.
