Tucumcari may target derelict motel

With a projected carryover of more than $11 million in the general fund early in the current fiscal year, Tucumcari city commissioners discussed spending some of that money on beautification - specifically targeting a derelict motel on the city's east side.

Commissioners also discussed adding five part-time positions to various city departments.

The commission had tentatively scheduled a special meeting for 4:30 p.m. Aug. 29 to approve the fiscal-year 2025 budget that would include the additional hires, but it was canceled.

The commission for months had delayed approval of several large purchases - including vehicles for the police department - because of uncertainty over finances.

The city fell behind reconciling its accounts after its finance director resigned last fall and the position wasn't filled until months later. The city earlier this year hired a Las Cruces accounting firm to help bring its books up to date.

During a work session last Tuesday, city manager Paula Chacon reported fiscal-year 2024 ended in late June with a projected cash carryover of $11.1 million in its general fund.

Chacon said she wants to keep $3.2 million in reserve in case of emergencies. She said the city still would have almost $8 million available to spend.

After the work session, Chacon noted the city had underspent between $2 million and $3 million in the general fund in each of the past two fiscal years.

"I have been very conservative because I didn't know where we were at," she said. "If I'd known, I would have spent more."

Commissioner CJ Oglesby asked about possibly using some or all cannabis sales-tax revenue for beautification. The city has budgeted about $160,000 a year in such revenue.

Commissioners in particular raised their ire on the closed and neglected Tucumcari Inn motel, which is choked with brush and weeds. It is among the first properties seen by westbound Route 66 tourists after the Mountain Road intersection.

Chacon said nuisance notices have been sent to the owner, with no response.

According to county assessor records, the motel is owned by Jai Shri Krishna Hospitality LLC of Suwanee, Georgia.

The motel closed not long after two homicides occurred there in 2011. Muziwokuthula S. Madonda of South Africa, eventually was convicted of four killings, including the two in Tucumcari.

Even if the city placed a lien on the property after cleanup, there is no guarantee it would recover that money, she said.

City Clerk Angelica Gray said the city could seize the motel, clean it and sell it. Gray said she regularly takes calls from those interested in buying property in the area.

Mayor Mike Cherry asked Chacon to consult with Municipal Judge Jerry Mares on the situation before beginning the process to take the property.

During budget discussions, Chacon and finance director Hallie Ferguson said totals weren't quite complete on FY2023 and FY2024. Numbers in the sanitation department needed to be verified, and former city commissioner and future assistant city manager Renee Hayoz noted possible transposed numbers in special revenue.

Chacon felt confident enough to implement $1.50-an-hour raises for employees in the next pay period. Chacon said in previous meetings she would consider another 50-cent raise in December if finances continued to look favorable.

Chacon noted with the raises, pay for police and EMTs is competitive to other areas when overtime is considered.

She said the city has 19 vacant positions, or more than 20% of the workforce.

After discussions with Cherry and city commissioners Oglesby and Jonathan Brito, Ferguson was instructed to add part-time positions to the FY2025 budget:

- Public library;

- Groundskeeper for the recreation center;

- A mechanic for the city shop;

- Tucumcari Historical Museum;

- Parks department, possibly to expand hours at the tree dump site.

Chacon also reported a complication in a forthcoming audit report for FY2023. She said the city's contracted auditor, Axiom CPAs in Albuquerque, recently was acquired by CLA, and officials there gave no definitive answer on when the report would be finished.

Chacon said she would call Axiom daily until she received answers. She also planned to consult with the New Mexico Office of the State Auditor on the matter.

The lack of a completed audit could endanger the city receiving capital outlay funds during the 2025 legislative session.

Action items

- Commissioners approved an application for a state Fire Protection Grant for up to $600,000 to buy a new pumper truck.

Fire Chief Casey Mackey said the city's current firetrucks are 2013 and 1999 models. He said he would be informed within two months whether the city receives the grant. He said a new truck would improve residents' fire insurance rating.

- Commissioners approved adopting a stipend program for the city's volunteer firefighters. Mackey said the city would apply for a grant from the state fire marshal's office for the program. He said stipends would help with training and aid in the recruitment and retention of firefighters.

- Commissioners approved a resolution in support of the state Firefighter Recruitment Fund. The city will receive a total of $393,750 over a three-year period to help pay for three firefighter positions.

- Commissioners approved a fiscal-year 2024 audit contract with TKM of Albuquerque for $54,548.

Comments

During public comments, former city commission candidate Tommy Snapp alleged Mayor Pro Tem Jerry Lopez, Cherry and Oglesby had been "frequently" meeting behind closed doors at a South Second Street property owned by former mayor Ralph Moya, which would be a violation of the Open Meetings Act.

Cherry and Oglesby denied such meetings ever took place. Lopez was absent from Tuesday's meeting.

When asked after Tuesday's meeting whether he had been meeting with Lopez and Oglesby as Snapp described, Cherry replied: "No ... hell no," adding he had been at Moya's property just one time.

Oglesby said he was mystified by Snapp's allegations and wasn't aware of ever being on Moya's property.

When contacted by phone before Tuesday's meeting and asked where he had heard of the alleged open-meeting violations, Snapp refused to comment.

Snapp also posted his remarks to the commission on his Facebook account.

Snapp again urged Lopez to resign, saying he was "corrupt" and "self-serving" and that he was protecting his Tucumcari Police officer son.

- During commissioner comments, Brito said South 11th Street needed weed trimming, especially for Tucumcari cross-country runners. Chacon said parts of the street are in county jurisdiction, but she would follow up on the request.

- Cherry asked that crosswalks be painted or repainted in front of Tucumcari schools.

- A scheduled work session with the manager of Monarch Properties, which runs the Quay Apartments and Chaparral Apartments, was postponed. Oglesby asked that Police Chief Patti Lopez be present at the meeting, rescheduled for Sept. 12.

- During her manager's report, Chacon thanked department heads for "thinking outside of box" to improve the city.

- Chacon also announced the first meeting of the city's Route 66 centennial commission would be at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 28.

Paws & Claws report

Kathi McClelland, president of Paws & Claws Animal Rescue of Quay County, reported of a new dog-training program with the Clayton prison that aims to reduce dog populations at local kennels.

Paws & Claws has taken 10 dogs to Northeast New Mexico Correctional Facility where they can be trained by inmates and made more adoptable. The program also boosts inmate morale. Emily Priddy of Tucumcari Dog Training is overseeing the inmates' training.

McClelland said she enjoyed seeing the large, tattooed inmates become "lovey-dovey and melting over these dogs."

She said Paws & Claws was scheduled to take eight or nine more dogs to the prison. Thirty inmates have been approved for the program. McClelland said three dogs already have been pre-adopted.

"This first round of dogs will be adopted quickly," she added.

McClelland said the Clayton warden ran a similar program at the Hobbs prison. The prison in Santa Rosa also has a dog-training program.

"It's a win-win for both us and the inmates," she said.

McClelland, noting that feeding, spaying or neutering and vaccinating the dogs for the program was expensive, asked for money from the city's budget for Paws & Claws.

"This is an expensive endeavor," she said.

The shelter recently received a $6,000 annual subsidy from the county.