Officials approve new fee structure

The Tucumcari City Commission spent a chunk of its meeting Thursday on Tucumcari Convention Center matters, including the facility’s first fee increases since 2015.

Commissioners approved a new fee structure, as recommended by the city’s lodgers tax advisory board, for the convention center effective Jan. 1. Most rental fees for the facility rose at a rate of 4% compounded annually since 2015.

As an example, a commercial entity renting the entire convention center will pay $1,025, versus the previous fee of $800. A nonprofit organization renting the entire facility would pay $750, versus the previous $600.

Smaller rooms within the convention center saw similar increases.

The impetus to raise convention center fees came from lodgers tax board Chairman Matt Bednorz, who said the facility had less-expensive fees than smaller convention centers in the region, including in Santa Rosa and Clovis.

The only significant change made by commissioners was a fee for bartenders. Bednorz and the lodgers tax board had recommended a fee of $50 an hour for two bartenders. City Manager Mark Martinez, noting the current minimum wage, recommended $25 an hour.

Mayor Pro Tem Todd Duplantis, remarking “the convention center is a business, not a charity,” said he wanted to keep it $50 because the state’s minimum wage will increase in 2022.

Commissioners concurred on a level of $30 an hour to give the convention center a small profit.

Martinez said people who already have booked the convention center for events will be “grandfathered in” at its previous rates.

He said those fees likely will need to be re-evaluated annually to ensure they are keeping up with costs.

Also, commissioners approved up to $155,000 in lodgers tax executive funds to change the convention center’s floors to polished concrete except for the main room, which will use carpet tiles to replace original carpeting. Martinez said he had hoped to have that work done by mid-December, but early January looked more likely.

Commissioners also approved the use of about $38,000 in lodgers tax executive funds for repairs to the north side of the convention center. Martinez said it wasn’t caused by a roof leak, but by poor drainage that caused water to seep into the foundation, through a wall and onto floors.

Other action

Commissioners took these actions:

• Approved the temporary appointment of Christopher Maestas, recently elected as a municipal judge, to that position until his elected term officially takes effect in January.

Maestas will take his seat in mid-December after he completes the required training. His appointment will require him to have two swearing-in ceremonies – one on Dec. 13 and the other on Dec. 30.

The previous municipal judge, Noreen Hendrickson, was appointed magistrate judge by the governor earlier this summer.

• Approved the use of lodgers tax funds so Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce director Scott Crotzer can attend the American Bus Association Conference on Dec. 8-11 in Grapevine, Texas, and pitch Tucumcari to tour-bus companies.

The price of the conference wasn’t discussed Thursday, but it was revealed during an earlier lodgers tax board meeting the registration fee would be at least $1,700 for one delegate.

Crotzer said only two New Mexico cities – Gallup and Roswell – are participating in the conference. It allows a delegate to make a brief pitch to about 75 bus companies there. He said a Gallup official told him the conference is one of the city’s most beneficial for tourism. Gallup also uses its lodgers tax funds to cover the conference’s fees, he said.

Local tourism officials were spurred to woo more tour buses after a luxury bus with 30 guests stopped in Tucumcari earlier this fall. Crotzer said Tucumcari so “blew them away,” the bus stopped here again on its return trip home. Each tour bus that stays overnight generates an estimated $5,000 in revenue.

• Approved $6,000 in lodger tax executive funds to Carlos Medina to shoot additional footage, mostly along the Route 66 corridor, for a travelogue documentary. The commission earlier approved $15,000 in lodgers funds to Medina to produce “Aventuras Encantandas,” or “Enchanted Adventures.”

• Approved an amended contract with Parkhill engineering for rehabilitating a water tank on 11th Street. The city will incur no additional cost; the amendment adds time to complete the project.

• Approved a contract with the New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department’s capital outlay bureau for $58,114 to replace ceiling tiles in the Tucumcari Senior Center.

• Approved a resolution of first-quarter financial reports to the state’s Department of Finance and Administration. Finance director Rachelle Arias said the report originally stated a $417,000 deficit. State officials directed her to include federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, which gave the city a $155,000 surplus.

• Approved the reappointment of Lila Doughty to the Lodgers Tax Advisory Board.

• Approved the appointment of David Brenner to the Planning and Zoning Board.

• During his city manager’s report, Martinez said an informal meeting was held with stakeholders, including New Mexico Game and Fish and water rights attorneys, about refilling Tucumcari Lake to turn it into a wildlife refuge. Martinez said his first priority is to continue to provide ample drinking water for Tucumcari residents.

Work session

During a work session Thursday, several city commissioners discussed license fees and possible changes to the city’s cannabis ordinance that was approved several weeks ago.

Martinez warned commissioners they may have to amend the ordinance if it runs afoul of forthcoming state regulations about recreational cannabis. The state is scheduled to have regulations in place by Jan. 1, with legal marijuana sales as early as April 1.

City Clerk Anjelica Gray said the city already has received one business application for recreational marijuana. The state still has to approve such applications before such sales can begin.

Regarding when Tucumcari can issue cannabis licenses, city attorney Randall Van Vleck advised a first-come, first-serve approach.

Martinez also recommended the city issue zoning verification letters to cannabis applicants to inform them their proposed business sites conform with the ordinance.

Regarding cannabis license fees, Commissioner Ralph Moya suggested a top level of $2,500. Van Vleck said such a fee likely can stand legal scrutiny due to the extra work required for administration and regulation of such stores, as long as the fee is not “unreasonable.” Van Vleck said a simple ordinance outlining a schedule of fees can be added to the ordinance.

Comments

Some comments from the public and commissioners:

• Crotzer said a Christmas lighting ceremony at Tucumcari Railroad Plaza will occur Nov. 27. He said 13,000 decorative lights likely would be strung there.

• Yvette Kent, a Tucumcari graduate who has said she wants to establish a hookah lounge and recreational marijuana shop in Tucumcari, said the city’s business climate will improve when legal marijuana sales begin next year and added she would “like a little more support” from the city in launching her business.

• Duplantis urged the city to send the New Mexico Department of Transportation a letter to address chronic storm drainage issues along U.S. 54 downtown.

• Moya said the city was down to one ambulance again because of repair issues with the city’s fleet. One day, the city borrowed an ambulance from House. Martinez said delivery of a new ambulance was delayed because needed parts were on backorder. He said the ambulance could arrive as soon as this week.

• Moya also said the city “needs to take a stand” on the cleanup of neglected properties. He cited a partially collapsed building on Second and Main streets and a closed KFC restaurant on South First Street.

• Moya asked Martinez whether he would advertise to hire a community services director. Martinez replied the city needs another work session to clarify the position’s job description.