Commission cuts allowance for salary in half

On a 3-2 vote, the Tucumcari City Commission on Thursday cut the city's allowance for the salary of Patrick Vanderpool, executive director of the Greater Tucumcari Economic Development Corporation, nearly in half and shortened the contract between the city and the EDC to one year.

District 1 Commissioner Ralph Moya, District 2 Commissioner Paul Villanueva and District 4 Commissioner Christopher Arias voted to reduce the salary allowance. Mayor Ruth Ann Litchfield and Mayor Pro Tem Todd Duplantis voted against it.

Vanderpool had asked for $58,000 in salary, but the commission voted to reduce the salary portion to $30,000. Vanderpool also has asked for the city's agreement with EDC to continue for four years.

The commission acted after a discussion in which commissioners challenged what they considered a poor return on the city's investment in the EDC in recent years. Vanderpool countered by listing recent EDC actions designed to make the Tucumcari area more appealing to potential business owners and new residents.

"People are upset because they are not seeing physical things" resulting from the city's investment in the EDC, Litchfield said.

Vanderpool said the city's most recent effort, the Table Top Co-op, a food venture that also includes an apprentice farmer program, and development of Five-Mile Park, are the city's current best bets for creating and drawing new jobs for the area.

A program called Create Bridges, designed to encourage development of careers in the hospitality industry, has stalled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vanderpool said..

Recent leads developed through the New Mexico Partnership, which focuses on siting new businesses in New Mexico, have not panned out because Tucumcari's building spaces did not meet specifications of business owners, Vanderpool said.

Vanderpool also invited comparison between Tucumcari's economic development record and that of other rural areas in New Mexico, which also have seen little or no new investment.

Duplantis asked Vanderpool whether he was exploring business related to recreational marijuana use, which the New Mexico Legislature made legal this year. Vanderpool said he had not explored such opportunities to date.

Moya criticized the EDC for failing to communicate with the commission, and said several people he knew had tried to contact Vanderpool with ideas, but Vanderpool did not respond.

Vanderpool said he returns all phone calls and always is willing to discuss ideas with residents.

Arias and Moya said the EDC has not been updating the commission with regular reports. Vanderpool said with two commissioners sitting on the EDC's board, the commission should receive regular communication about the board's activities.

Arias originally moved to cut out the salary portion of the EDC's request, but Moya said Vanderpool should have received a warning before the commission cut him off completely.

"Without the salary," Vanderpool added, "you do not have a contract with the EDC."

At Moya's suggestion, Arias changed his motion to limit the salary portion to $30,000.

Tucumcari Senior Citizens Center Director Clara Rey fared much better at Thursday's commission meeting.

The commission approved a three-year contract with Rey that will raise her compensation from $39,000 a year for the fiscal year that begins July 1 and ends June 30, 2022, to $66,472 for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

Rey said whether or not she remains in the position, the increased pay will bring the position's compensation to full-time manager pay level.

The commission on Thursday also appointed members of the city's Lodger's Tax Board. Appointed were Matt Bednorz, representing general businesses; Al Patel, owner of the Desert Inn, and Dawn Federico, co-owner of the Blue Swallow motel, representing motel owners; and Harsh Seth, manager of the Super 8 Motel, representing businesses.

At a work session before Thursday's regular meeting, commissioners discussed aspects of how Tucumcari can prosper from newly legalized cannabis use for recreational purposes.

Among matters discussed were hours of operation for retail dispensaries, where smoking of marijuana would be allowed, possible nuisance regulation due to cannabis odors and the extent to which laboratory operations might appear in the city.

Duplantis said Tucumcari's plentiful water makes it a prime location for growing cannabis.

Also at the work session, Moya raised objections to a section of the city's nuisance orders that give the police chief and fire chief the authority to condemn buildings. Moya said neither has the expertise to make such decisions and proposed that section be changed to give only a licensed code enforcement officer that authority.

In other action Thursday, the commission:

- Accepted a contract with the New Mexico Aging & Long-Term Services Department in which the department will pay $103,062 to the Tucumcari Senior Citizens Center for operation of Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs for the fiscal year beginning July 1 and ending June 30, 2022. The Foster Grandparent program allows low-income seniors to provide services to help those younger than 21 years with physical, mental and emotional problems. The Senior Companion program provides opportunities for seniors to help older adults with health and functional problems.

- Approved a contract with CD Smith Engineering Albuquerque for a $46,350 to study the city's water system and suggest improvements for a preliminary engineering report as required by New Mexico statute.

- Approved an agreement with Souder Miller and Associates of Albuquerque to complete final inspection reports to be sent to the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer on the use of water from a city well at the Tucumcari Municipal Golf Course, including a site visit. The city has agreed to pay $6,000 for the study.