Commission hears 2017 project report

Tension between District 1 Commissioner Ralph Moya and City Manager Jared Langenegger Thursday resulted in the Tucumcari City Commission suspending its “Items from Commissioners” segment and adjourning on a 3-2 vote.

The vote came at the end of a meeting in which Moya and Langenegger quarreled about two incidents in which Langenegger said the city would not pay to correct situations Moya had brought to the commission’s attention.

Distict 2 Commissioner Amy Gutierrez called for the suspension of “Items from Commissioners,” in which commissioners usually make general comments, when Mayor Ruth Ann Litchfield called on her first to speak.

Gutierrez said that because of the “contention” that had occurred earlier in the meeting, she would like to move to suspend the comments and go directly to adjournment, the next item on the agenda.

Litchfield called for a roll call vote.

District 4 Commissioner Robert Lumpkin voted “no, saying, ” I don’t want to interfere with someone’s ability to speak, even though I may not agree with the contention.”

Duplantis and Gutierrez voted to adjourn.

Moya then voted “no.”

“We shouldn’t have open meetings and then fail to follow the rules,” he said. “If the commission chooses to oppress opinions, I’m not the one who will shut up.”

He said he intends to continue to bring citizen complaints to a public forum.

Litchfield then voted to go directly to adjournment.

The first dispute between Moya and Langenegger involved trees on North College Avenue that Langenegger admitted needed trimming on parts that impeded traffic.

Langenegger said tree trimming is the responsibility of the private property owner, even when an easement is involved. An easement, by definition, only gives right to use property for a specific purpose.

Moya, however, insisted that easements are city property, and that the city should trim the trees.

That led to another dispute in which Langenegger said the city would not pay to replace a fence that had been struck by a city trash truck.

The age and lack of maintenance had left the fence in poor condition before it was struck by the truck, Langenegger said, and the impact of the collision was not enough to cause the damage that was reported.

“We’re not going to repair that fence,” he said.

“We can’t continue to try to wangle ourselves out of responsibility,” Moya responded. “The city has to take responsibility.’

Langenegger then asked if the city should take responsibility because the property owner is a member of Moya’s family.

Moya responded to Langenegger, “The commission rules the city and you manage it under our authority.”

The rest of the meeting went smoothly as the commission:

• Heard a report on 2017 projects for Tucumcari Main Street from Gail Houser, MainStreet director. The city used more than $40,000 in New Mexico Main Street services in 2017, he said. Houser said six business have received advice on becoming more successful and profitable. Three store fronts on Main Street have improved facades, and a fourth, the old Crescent Creamery building, is preparing for façade improvements. Work continues the Great Blocks program, currently working with a $70,000 planning grant from New Mexico Main Street, and with the state’s Metropolitan Redevelopment Act, with $70,000 in planning grant funds, to develop street and landscaping improvements. Houser also brought drawings of ideas to develop unoccupied lanes between buildings downtown.

• Renewed a $46,000 contract with M&M Golf to manage the Tucumcari Municipal Golf Course. The commission also authorized the city to seek bids for golf course maintenance. Langenegger said a city employee has been maintaining the golf course, but it is awkward that the employee takes orders from M&M Golf but is on the city payroll. In addition, he said, that employee would do work at other city parks.

• Approved changes in the city’s contract with the Paws and Claws Animal Rescue, a non-profit animal welfare organization, to pay Paws and Claws $45 to house every animal sent to Paws and Claws facilities. Langenegger explained that the flat rate of $1,000 a month was not covering the animal welfare group’s costs, because the city’s population of loose pets is too large. Paws and Claws is preparing to move into new, larger quarters on city-owned land.

• Approved the purchase of a sewer line “jetter,” a device that helps to clean out sewer pipes, for $53,521 in local funds. The current device for cleaning sewer lines has needed too many repairs, and the city has had to borrow equipment from Clovis, Mark Martinez, a city Community Development project manager, said.

• Approved a contract with the New Mexico Environment Department’s Drinking Water Bureau in which the bureau pays the Tucumcari Wastewater Treatment Plant’s testing laboratory $15,630 per year. Janet Garcia, who heads the laboratory, said the city’s lab conducts drinking water tests for 24 municipalities in the state.

n Approved a contract with Caprock Fire Extinguishers, Inc., LLC, for $6,000 to inspect and maintain 126 fire extinguishers for the city.