[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6363284,"mediaKeyId","2166386-3ca5feef3057dd17f28dca9328661cde","parentId",2166386,"title","Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance reports midyear wins, urges county support for site readiness and workforce certifications","audioSeconds",1209,"startMs",7440000,"endMs",8649000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2166386-3ca5feef3057dd17f28dca9328661cde&start=7440&end=8649","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2166386-3ca5feef3057dd17f28dca9328661cde/thumbnail_7440000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6363284/Doña-Ana-County/New-Mexico/Mesilla-Valley-Economic-Development-Alliance-reports-midyear-wins-urges-county-support-for-site-readiness-and-workforce-certifications","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6363284-d4c5dde6c9be2e6cbdf9dd8bb1a1f379/orig.mp4?Expires=1776486139&Signature=fMZFQZvaBVOYIvcBeL56Fh1raoePwRP62YthQ1pFGUKc7QqnY129lcRzi9qimZf2lFQCOP1kmXYm41MDSFC-hlY4lM9fWnAe9mQIRvEbzm6Ghws7dBWA95GSd9fE6nkVk4d8hBP65syJIkq6SRVnMT6kFJhcOCr1KfXbubXSMyoTVUT7SlkNUSSkmNBUcCX9-euXc-~kZcHh-Q8jeo5QqAiNGuXJmvq9tdR7N0AzJYvlt~RdxkXl0xzfIS1Z17OvVlnzETgVUn4N8Ad1by6Ms0dN4C9D5GDJ4y6mMTMBPMEo-bxoy9eBTR~YBp3-ItcqZjZuqMRoMWLfVyy3erRGig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Dona Ana County, NM","date","2025-01-28T21:37:26Z","article","The Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance updated the County Commission on Jan. 28 about midyear activity including marketing, lead generation and workforce training designed to attract and retain employers to the region.

MVEDA staff told commissioners that the county’s $300,000 annual contract supports a broader program that leverages private membership and other funding sources to create what the alliance described as an approximately $1.1 million annual economic‑development effort. The alliance said its projects generate a large return on investment: using an economic impact model, staff described an average five‑year new tax base associated with completed projects and said the county investment has historically produced millions in predicted new tax revenue and hundreds of jobs.

The alliance highlighted three tools: a private Borderplex Closing Fund (a philanthropic incentive pool) that has raised roughly $1.5 million since inception and has about $450,000 remaining to help projects close; an \"automation up\" micro‑credential program that helps current employees gain certifications tied to advanced manufacturing and other targeted sectors (the program trained 69 people in the first year and is expanding); and efforts to attract developers and spec industrial buildings to reduce a regional shortage of industrial real estate.

Commissioners asked for clearer, visual process maps of how an interested company moves from initial outreach to site selection, permitting and incentive negotiations, and they urged MVEDA and county staff to coordinate on site readiness activities beyond Santa Teresa, including Chaparral and parts of the Vado area. Commissioner Reynolds, noting prior fiber and infrastructure initiatives and ribbon cuttings, asked for an update from Comcast and other ISPs on how earlier infrastructure commitments are being realized.

Ending: MVEDA said it will continue to pursue private‑sector capital and state incentives, expand the certification program and work with county staff on site‑readiness strategies. Commissioners asked staff to bring a flowchart of the project‑management process to improve communications with prospective investors and the public.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of County Commissioners Regular Meeting - January 28, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance told commissioners on Jan. 28 that county funding helps leverage private dollars and programs that have supported job creation, training and site development; the alliance pushed for county collaboration on site readiness and workforce micro‑credentials.","taxTitle","Doña Ana County, New Mexico","taxId",2695,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6363289,"Residents press county on Memorial Medical Center lease, indigent care and outside contractor language",1475,1020000,2495000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2166386-3ca5feef3057dd17f28dca9328661cde&start=1020&end=2495","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2166386-3ca5feef3057dd17f28dca9328661cde/thumbnail_1020000.jpg","/articles/6363289/Doña-Ana-County/New-Mexico/Residents-press-county-on-Memorial-Medical-Center-lease-indigent-care-and-outside-contractor-language","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6363289-f35b138c94f27ea99aa61bc783f08ce3/orig.mp4?Expires=1776486139&Signature=B~DNrqz2z0qafIAVYv7a61ReoSJcNvNGnkm~1-QMkLK~qmhxkg4XQzy9hlIwmK7QzVC~6aOj1zwQ9aMsqEdiSpYVFPvfh1p3Yhszqb21WLrMMU~M0Miudz4rzxg2vIPm3xjloxL6d1pbrWiLF1KOEiUNT0QhDP7T899tdjBd8nBEM5SaoU~D~aEx668a9ToNxP4DzLAecDQB5AxhxEhVny~DWn8Q0XebJdq6Fe9BgrUSdtyLD55Mw~bK8RyThvxJJJwaYhrrWAjCt0bNYm8rnqRnjPqG764nuSpeJH4sWRO3twlvbSu9B1M8AUIKvn~MB6xfbMzvyR8MlAEwRfzWFw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several residents and outside commenters used the county’s public comment period on Jan. 28 to press for greater transparency and caution about the county’s dealings with Memorial Medical Center (MMC), the private operator of the local hospital.

Dr. Earl Nissen said he and a community volunteer had documented cases of patients being denied care, including a woman who, he said, was turned away for lacking insurance that could be obtained through a local agency. \"The answer that Memorial gave was to turn them away, which was inhumane,\" Nissen said. He and other speakers asked whether the county would ensure indigent‑care protections were clearly defined in any lease revisions.

Yoli Diaz, an advocate who said she has repeatedly raised indigent‑care issues with the county, said the Department of Justice announced an investigation into the hospital on July 16, 2024, and the city of Las Cruces opened its own inquiry and hired outside counsel. Diaz told commissioners the county had approved hiring NewPoint Healthcare Advisors to evaluate lease compliance but, she said, the contract had not been executed and therefore county review had not begun. She asked who requested the review, whether the public could see proposed lease changes and whether indigent‑care provisions would be clarified.

An attorney who identified that she had practiced law in Nebraska urged the commission to remove certain language from the NewPoint engagement letter. The attorney cited a clause in the contract proposal that said NewPoint would \"work with all parties to review their understanding of their obligations under the lease to achieve a common understanding of what the lease provides,\" and warned the language could allow MMC to shape its own compliance determination. She said the New Mexico attorney general’s forthcoming investigation would evaluate compliance against the plain language of the lease and the law, not a negotiated common understanding, and recommended striking the language.

Speakers noted the county was reported in national media coverage and that the state attorney general was investigating MMC; the city of Las Cruces had issued a notice of default on Aug. 30, 2024, and had hired counsel and a consultant. Several commenters asked the county for a more aggressive, transparent review of whether MMC had met lease obligations and whether county funding or lease‑amendment work should be paused until a complete independent review is finished.

County staff later told the commission in another agenda item that a contract with NewPoint had been approved in principle on Nov. 12, 2024, but, according to public comment, had not been executed at the time of the Jan. 28 meeting. No formal board action was taken at the Jan. 28 meeting in response to these public comments.

Ending: The commissioners did not vote on the lease or on whether to pause contractor work; public comment ended with residents urging clear standards for indigent care and for the county to prioritize completing an independent investigation and sharing findings with the public.

","Multiple public commenters asked Doña Ana County commissioners on Jan. 28 to press for a transparent, independent review of Memorial Medical Center’s compliance with its county lease and to remove contract language that could allow the hospital to shape compliance findings.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6363294,"Doña Ana County outlines transitional supportive housing plan for people leaving jail; commissioners signal support to pursue funding",2391,3823000,6214000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2166386-3ca5feef3057dd17f28dca9328661cde&start=3823&end=6214","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2166386-3ca5feef3057dd17f28dca9328661cde/thumbnail_3823000.jpg","/articles/6363294/Doña-Ana-County/New-Mexico/Doña-Ana-County-outlines-transitional-supportive-housing-plan-for-people-leaving-jail-commissioners-signal-support-to-pursue-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6363294-bc36e69d3657b5cc2e7b270b6c649591/orig.mp4?Expires=1776486139&Signature=cyFIM6xP4S2GPIuMlmwDFO7kTZN5OaLBXwOQ7fSA~MT667R9jJWtrAzszzbpnLWleUXLKjTt0dFqTmR6zv~u-2~95pXybK5zW9YJYMnzFc69wjvIkDsOe8O4W9be-8gaqOxCy3SV44WrPI05sIl6091jENMvSYxl75WuAgr8FGI3-id0DT~uq0sX~ZCut0H4egCqiwFMHkiYxEJ8PjYesXnemMojOkrnTAOhP73MD~6b3NCRzTRsUgw4wuA5wZjIk1rAxMGw2l9eYCwshdlzZZPp1lW4Faj2xW1USryHUo1gX0QRSdD8Kxd5c1PFNriXRfAUS9VLLUbxGgDSodO65g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County Health and Human Services Director Jamie Michael presented a two‑phase plan on Jan. 28 for transitional supportive housing aimed at people leaving the county jail who lack stable housing and have behavioral‑health or substance‑use needs. Michael said the county already owns two modular buildings and two acres of land on Motel Boulevard that the department proposes to repurpose as Phase 1 congregate housing and outdoor living space.

Michael said the project responds to a documented need: county review of a 12‑month period showed 450 misdemeanor bookings where the arrestees listed no home address. She also cited diversion‑program data showing substantial housing need: of 69 people in Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) 30% had housing needs, 185 participants in the RISE reentry program had 35% with housing needs, and a competency diversion pilot showed about 44% needed housing support.

The county contracted Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute to help design the project. Meadows consultant José Lachica described the model as short‑term (six‑month) transitional housing with on‑site peer support and Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) services to stabilize people while they move to longer‑term housing. Nicole Martinez of Mesilla Valley Community of Hope said her organization can provide tenant and case management services and is running a RESET pilot that provides six months of rental assistance for people exiting incarceration; La Clinica de Familia said it can provide medical and behavioral health services, including ACT.

Facilities Director Robert Herrera presented cost and schedule estimates for Phase 1: the county has $900,000 on hand and used $300,000 to purchase the site; the county applied for an additional $750,000 from the state for landscaping, sidewalks and lighting, and staff requested a supplemental $1.3 million to prepare the property for the modular buildings, parking and furnishings. Herrera said the higher estimate reflects geotechnical findings showing clay soils that may require excavation or engineered foundation work; the county will seek engineers to refine costs.

County staff described Phase 1 as repurposing two modular buildings (each about 1,500 square feet and each able to house four residents) to provide eight beds with shared living areas and extensive outdoor space. Phase 2 would be a new two‑story building with additional units and space for on‑site services; a preliminary cost estimate for Phase 2 was about $7.4 million.

Commissioners asked for more detailed, final designs and for clearer program and operating budgets. Michael asked the commission to authorize staff to bring a budget revision and resolution to fund the $1.3 million Phase 1 needs; after discussion commissioners indicated general support and asked staff to return with a formal budget amendment in February or March. Commissioner Reynolds asked that the final site and building plans show deliberate use of outdoor areas and involvement of people with lived experience in final design.

Public commenters included Athena Huckaby, who said grassroots housing funds are in constant demand and praised the county plan; Angelica Calderon, executive director of a nearby children’s services nonprofit, asked for transparency and neighborhood safety measures because the project abuts the children's services site. A local psychiatric‑mental‑health nurse supported the trauma‑informed design described by Meadows.

Ending: No appropriation was adopted at the Jan. 28 meeting. County staff will return with a budget revision and resolution for Phase 1 financing and a refined design and project timeline; commissioners gave direction to staff to proceed with engineering, grant applications and partner contracts while returning for formal budget approval.

","Doña Ana County Health and Human Services presented a plan Jan. 28 to repurpose two county‑owned modular buildings and build a second phase to create short‑term transitional supportive housing for people leaving the county detention center.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6363299,"Community groups and Comcast present digital‑equity needs assessment for southern Doña Ana County",4197,2729000,6926000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2166386-3ca5feef3057dd17f28dca9328661cde&start=2729&end=6926","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2166386-3ca5feef3057dd17f28dca9328661cde/thumbnail_2729000.jpg","/articles/6363299/Doña-Ana-County/New-Mexico/Community-groups-and-Comcast-present-digitalequity-needs-assessment-for-southern-Doña-Ana-County","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6363299-168ae12b9de0137c22962e2a0fc08326/orig.mp4?Expires=1776486139&Signature=VNJ8JaWALdDRZ-NKhE7NxemdTt0sY76DLgv0HVhJczoNLQyHBrCdFV63tmvrPVuIa0ZAHoGse9Qa-GVDPvEx1MJmTm1dvb-RzysOOUiNVtb1gL5yxUAlTs8KeypURgJsvvsGClkQnD0XGhraMIs0KiyavM3rlQa4Nzf3rlyN3NcQscPgNwR2kxTZkeq0kiTysrUllzUpZakjgwyuiYtEWi7PH~KPMIgIr4RNLeIcOmHpbPEmcH3zOp6nJNT9y7zhPADJQnzm2eW5vBkUOw~fA-kwdexXwNF9-3rOv5ll4glUCqCmstjLHuGZg-pzGIhq3RebnaLydaw-CHOeMw3V-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Maria Chaparro, founder of Mamacita Sibernéticas, told the Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 28 the group and partner Comcast surveyed residents in three southern Doña Ana County communities and documented specific barriers to home Internet access and digital skills. \"The majority of people say the cost of Internet is too expensive,\" Chaparro said, summarizing the survey findings. She said many residents rely on smartphones but lack technical support and Spanish-language training.

The presentation, supported by Kyle Beterwulf of Comcast, described community focus groups run in Chamberino, Chaparral (border area shared with Otero County) and Vado del Cerro. Chaparro said the assessment deliberately asked community members to define problems and propose solutions; common recommendations included community‑center digital navigation, locally scheduled classes in Spanish, incentives for participation and partnerships with schools and Dona Ana Community College.

Jamie Michael, Doña Ana County director of Health and Human Services, and several commissioners praised the report during discussion. Commissioner Sheldo Hernandez said the report “ties into our strategic plan” and urged county staff to use it for planning. Commissioner Gloria Gámedos suggested engaging youth as digital navigators and linking the work to a proposed county youth commission.

Nonprofit partners at the meeting, including Rosie Natividad of Insight Network, offered to convene multi‑stakeholder “Equity Action Labs” to translate the findings into an implementation plan for community centers, workforce development and grant applications. Chaparro said the team will pursue competitive state funding and called the report a blueprint for local digital‑navigation services.

No board vote was required; commissioners directed county staff to review the report, consider it in the county strategic plan, and bring grant and budget options back to the commission. Commissioner Reynolds and others asked staff to seek updates from Comcast and state broadband offices on prior infrastructure commitments for southern parts of the county.

Ending: Presenters urged county and city agencies, community colleges, Internet service providers and philanthropy to coordinate. Chaparro said, \"This report could and should be used for the implementation of digital navigation services,\" and commissioners asked staff to return with concrete next steps and funding options.

","Maria Chaparro, founder of Mamacita Sibernéticas, told the Doña Ana County Commission on Jan. 28 that a Comcast‑funded needs assessment of Chamberino, Chaparral and Vado found cost, lack of local public access and limited Spanish‑language digital training are the main barriers to digital inclusion.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance reports midyear wins, urges county support for site readiness and workforce certifications

Residents press county on Memorial Medical Center lease, indigent care and outside contractor language

Doña Ana County outlines transitional supportive housing plan for people leaving jail; commissioners signal support to pursue funding

Community groups and Comcast present digital‑equity needs assessment for southern Doña Ana County