Chief: New vehicle policy would be 'hardship'

The Tucumcari City Commission approved a first reading to an update to its personnel policy, but not without hearing about its possible repercussions to the police force.

During a work session last Tuesday, Police Chief Patti Lopez said the policy contains a measure that requires employees to reside within 10 miles of the city to take home city vehicles.

Lopez said her department already has lost an officer who resides in Logan 25 miles away, and another Logan officer said he would quit if the policy took effect.

“The minute it goes into effect, it will cause extreme hardship” to the police department, she said.

She said the departure of the second officer from Logan would reduce her department to seven officers.

She urged the commission to “grandfather” a longstanding allowance for existing TPD officers to take department vehicles home who reside more than 10 miles from the city.

Mayor Mike Cherry admitted having such an exemption isn’t fair, but conceded the commission can override the policy “under special circumstances.”

The commission did not take action on Lopez’s proposal because it wasn’t on the agenda.

Cherry said he would be agreeable if the residency requirement did not take effect for six months — long enough for TPD to hire a new officer or allowing the second Logan officer consider whether he wants to move to Tucumcari.

Commissioner Renee Hayoz was not in favor of an exemption, though she admitted: “This one’s tough.”

City manager Paula Chacon noted other area law enforcement agencies have more-relaxed mileage policy. She said the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office has a 50-mile rule.

Cherry noted it’s not just Tucumcari that is struggling to hire new officers.

“It’s not just the (lack of) pay,” he said of the lack of law-enforcement applicants. “Nobody respects them anymore.”

During the work session, City Clerk Angelica Gray said the city has the option of not letting the new personnel policy take effect until the new fiscal year on July 1. The second reading on the ordinance is scheduled for May 9.

Lopez comments

Late in the regular meeting, two commissioners came to the defense of Mayor Pro Tem Jerry Lopez after Chacon earlier accused him of harassment, conflict of interest and a hostile work environment through a letter from her attorney.

The letter, written by Logan attorney Warren Frost, stated Lopez made repeated demands to Chacon to fire Police Chief Lopez (no relation). Jerry Lopez’s son is on the police force.

In the same letter, Chacon rescinded her offer to resign.

Commissioner CJ Oglesby voiced support for Jerry Lopez, saying he is “passionate” about the city and “the guy means well … his heart’s in it.”

Oglesby, saying the dispute between Lopez and Chacon “may be a misunderstanding,” expressed a desire “to move forward.”

“I think we learned a lot from this mixup,” Oglesby added.

Cherry said: “Commissioner Oglesby, I agree with you entirely about Commissioner Lopez.”

Lopez in his first public comments about the situation, thanked Oglesby for his support and added: “I am passionate about this community. Maybe it was kind of out of context, but hopefully moving forward, we continue to work for the betterment of Tucumcari.”

During public comments of the meeting, Tommy Snapp demanded Lopez resign immediately for “putting the city at harm” and that he violated the code of ethics.

Other comments

During public comments, Robert Moore Jr., co-owner of the closed Relax Inn motel he wants to reopen, claimed again he is being “harassed” by code enforcement officers.

Moore said he received a criminal complaint and a possible $80 fine due to parking old vehicles in front of his property for decorative purposes. He noted in previous meetings that old vehicles parked at other properties along the city’s Route 66 corridor had not drawn such citations.

Moore said said his 1947 and 1949 pickup trucks in front of the motel should be exempt. City code states “an antique motor vehicle for collection purposes” that’s more than 25 years old isn’t subject to the ordinance.

He said he would contest the charge, and he’s collecting signatures from Route 66 business owners urging him to not remove the vehicles.

Later in the meeting, Hayoz denied that code enforcers were writing citations under the direction of commissioners. Hayoz said she had heard such a claim was made in writing from a code officer.

At that point, Moore presented a copy of his citation from code officer Maria Carmen Gonzalez that contained a handwritten note: “City commissioners have all agreed that the vehicles parked in front of the Relax Inn motel need to be moved from that location & that the property is still in need of better cleaning.”

Chacon asked Moore to bring her the citation, and she instructed an aide to make a copy of it for her use.

— During commissioner comments, Oglesby said the recreation center is closed for renovations, but it will be “immaculate” when it reopens, including new plaster and a new gymnasium floor.

Chacon said during her manager’s report that contrary to rumors, the center won’t be closed all summer.

— Responding to a question from Hayoz, Chacon said she, the police chief and Quay County Paws & Claws President Kathi McClelland were working on revisions to the animal control ordinance. Chacon said those possible changes would be discussed during the commission’s next meeting.

During public comments, Haley Place said he recently wrestled a pitbull that tried to attack a Japanese tourist and urged the city to toughen its penalties for loose dogs.

— In response to another question from Hayoz, Chacon said she has started a process — including possible criminal charges — to address bounced checks and delinquent accounts for city water service.

Chacon said she wasn’t sure how many unpaid water bills there were, but admitted they totaled in the thousands of dollars.

— Cherry said an accounting firm hired to reconcile the city’s financial accounts ought to begin its work as soon as possible. He said that is “the highest priority” due to approaching budget deadlines.

— Rawhide Days organizer Alan Daugherty noted the city was seeking to book comedians the same weekend as the festival on June 14-16. He suggested merging the festival’s proposed beer garden with that event in the convention center.

Manager’s report

Items from Chacon’s report:

— She said repairs on streetlights would continue this week, including on South First Street. Chacon said funds from the New Mexico Department of Transportation for street light repairs were running low, but work would resume with the new fiscal year in July.

— Chacon said renovations were continuing for the municipal swimming pool, and she soon would advertise to hire lifeguards there. The pool is slate to reopen for the first time since 2019.

— Chacon said the city has been granted an extension through June 2025 to spend its state recreation grant funds.

— She said she met with the governor’s staff about possibly obtaining state funds to repair infrastructure on the city’s west side.

Other action

The commission largely followed the city’s lodgers tax advisory board recommendations on nearly $160,000 in funding assistance for events or entities.

The events or entities and their lodgers funds allocated:

— Mesalands Community College spring concert, no allocation;

— Mesalands Dinosaur Museum’s three billboards, $17,000;

— Mesalands Iron Pour, no allocation;

— Mesalands intercollegiate fall rodeo, $13,500;

— Mesalands fall concert, no allocation;

— Fired Up festival, $10,200;

— Ratter Reunion, $10,000;

— Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce, $31,000;

— Tucumcari Recreation Center tractor and mower for Little League ballfields, $35,800;

— Tourism magazine ads, $40,000.

The commission rebuffed a public-comment request from Kristine Olsen, representing the chamber, for more funding than what the lodgers tax board recommended.

The commission tabled approval of a $1,887.29 request for the B’s Crew softball tournament on June 14-15. Commissioners wanted clarity on how many out-of-town teams would participate.

The commission also approved a $7,262.09 expenditure of lodgers tax funds to order 5,000 copies of updated visitors guides and $21,550 for a wayfinding sign plan. The latter expense uses leftover funds from the 2023 fiscal year.