[{"_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",6124556,"mediaKeyId","2682035-7b2c4f3cb8929b829638cb953a8762a9","parentId",2682035,"title","Votes at a glance: Las Cruces council approves liquor license, grant application and CIP amendments on March 17","audioSeconds",114,"startMs",3367000,"endMs",3481000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2682035-7b2c4f3cb8929b829638cb953a8762a9&start=3367&end=3481","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2682035-7b2c4f3cb8929b829638cb953a8762a9/thumbnail_3367000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6124556/Las-Cruces/Doña-Ana-County/New-Mexico/Votes-at-a-glance-Las-Cruces-council-approves-liquor-license-grant-application-and-CIP-amendments-on-March-17","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6124556-706b44fea8e0dbb17268ca9027b2c300/orig.mp4?Expires=1771196367&Signature=UTlBcGmCEq3GZBxt9vsKAfQpoy3sFamDcOr5pdzvzpydKKVqpDmH6MMIaq3UiQJ12r0ok9mje~E1xXKIWpy-QhDUDDUrPjX-zzbRvzuC-1Wy00g4IC-RIhn5gsjXd~~H2NiU-riFD2zc9YHL2H7vUSEX29NOxQOyg1wiR55YXf03uq65H3A-SQTEzpFZtY1mpn3iqE5vTa7JcIpiT0Ez28z6Iiwj3q0aqEVzZbR5pSRRLK0GAARn3J0lLW9d5bq3G4VmR8KS7X-CQmo8Ncg9I4QMh2hB3ehKDKLU7iqFIrtP8aw-nO9fO8h9teoyS6DWERA1j3meQK-O1sq0sPv-~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Las Cruces, NM","date","2025-03-18T09:49:01Z","article","The Las Cruces City Council recorded votes and approved several routine and project items on March 17. Key outcomes:

• Resolution 205-106 – Chachi's LLC liquor license (restaurant, beer/wine/spirits, on-premises consumption). After a brief staff report noting a religious institution within 300 feet of the proposed premises, the council voted to approve the license. Roll call: Councilor McClure — Yes; Councilor Matisse — Yes; Councilor Graham — Yes; Councilor Grama — Yes; Councilor Flores — Yes; Councilor Bencomo — Absent; Mayor Eric Enriquez — Yes. Outcome: approved.

• Resolution 25-107 – Authorize submission of application to New Mexico Department of Transportation Municipal Arterial Program (MAP) for intersection improvements at East Lohman Avenue and South Walnut Street. The proposed project would continue signal and operational improvements along the Lohman corridor; the staff presentation described a total application amount of $400,000 with NMDOT providing 75% and the city match of $100,000 (25%). Council approved submission by roll call: McClure — Yes; Matisse — Yes; Graham — Yes; Grant/Curran — Yes; Flores — Yes; Bencomo — Absent; Mayor — Yes. Outcome: approved (application submission authorized).

• Resolution 25-108 – Amendments to FY2025–2030 Capital Improvement Program (airport, gateway signage, fire station repairs, radio communications, drainage, transit chargers and runway/blast-pad work). Staff described project-specific adjustments, including a $157,000 increase for airport striping/maintenance, $250,000 for gateway entry signs, $20,000 to complete Fire Station 2 bay remodel, $45,000 for Fire Station 6 roof repairs, $320,000 for transit facility chargers, and other balance updates (public-safety radio system balance and drainage project balances noted). The council voted by roll call to adopt the CIP amendments: McClure — Yes; Matisse — Yes; Graham — Yes; Curran — Yes; Flores — Yes; Bencomo — Absent; Mayor — Yes. Outcome: approved.

• Resolution 25-109 – Metropolitan Redevelopment Area designations (see separate article for details). The council approved the designations by the same recorded roll call; outcome: approved.

Other formal items recorded during the meeting: acceptance of the meeting agenda (voice motion), and multiple board and commission appointments (all voted and recorded as approvals). No contested no votes were recorded on the listed items.

Votes were recorded in roll-call format as shown above; in most votes Councilor Bencomo was absent and all present members voted yes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Las Cruces Council Meeting - March 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the March 17 Las Cruces City Council meeting the council approved a restaurant liquor license, authorized submission of a NMDOT MAP grant application, and adopted several capital improvement program amendments; roll-call votes were recorded for each item.","taxTitle","Las Cruces, Doña Ana County, New Mexico","taxId",2725,"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},6124561,"City Council designates four additional Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas to target infill investment",511,6540000,7051000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2682035-7b2c4f3cb8929b829638cb953a8762a9&start=6540&end=7051","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2682035-7b2c4f3cb8929b829638cb953a8762a9/thumbnail_6540000.jpg","/articles/6124561/Las-Cruces/Doña-Ana-County/New-Mexico/City-Council-designates-four-additional-Metropolitan-Redevelopment-Areas-to-target-infill-investment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6124561-aff84be629dea29299a19db08d2dc41c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771196367&Signature=hNe0n9NLZiqi6Ep~mwKEDxXlH4k7XR~pXbDs8F1iMxhVi3BpvpDThmqKBBUuKHguIQ3XwKucSSArpxyAYZ0N8O1GAzdBounsMlC-Dc5WtMrKNRYmAGn1MVLchujGryVMgLfRKpDaGbq2quxILanyMAB1VPxFzVhxAUR2hR4AYgqolFEWF3M9CxSmH8P8ttgRs1qrI31iGYBlD1RSz81mgDYsN~2I31T7r99SICcv7dkXsxjwALBHXzcBQXJWnIsYjSJBVX2CJZc6p5U97IyvwnY4dkSPSP~iOoXt~Faeaf7wQNQ-UnYJfQ0Up-rsLANMQ5u77vjaZ1gJURBaVNT1Tg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Las Cruces City Council voted March 17 to adopt a resolution designating four new Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas (MRAs) intended to target blighted conditions and unlock tools for public–private redevelopment.

Interim Deputy Director Selena Morales summarized consultant findings and outreach that informed the recommendation. The four proposed designations were Amador/Proximo/South, Apodaca/Lift Up (spelled in presentation as Apa, Dhaka and Lift Up), East of Solano and Mesquite. The consultant’s report cited indicators including vacant parcels, a high share of older housing, deteriorating streets and sidewalk gaps.

Morales read selected data from the designation report: Amador/Proximo/South has 15 vacant parcels and 74% of housing built before 1980 with a median household income near $25,000; the Apodaca/Lift Up area has 40 vacant parcels and 69% of housing built before 1990; East of Solano shows “deteriorating streets, sidewalk gaps, and lacking ADA-compatible infrastructure”; and the Mesquite area has about 115 vacant parcels and 83% of housing built prior to 1990.

Councilor Grant moved to approve the resolution and a second was recorded. Councilors then voted by roll call; the motion passed with all present voting yes (Councilor Bencomo was recorded absent). Councilors said designating additional MRAs will not divert resources from other ongoing MRA projects and noted the city plans to stagger implementation (one MRA plan per year) and pursue grants and public–private partnerships to fund work.

Supporters emphasized the designation’s legal benefits under the state Metropolitan Redevelopment Code, including tools to contribute public resources to private redevelopment without violating the state anti‑donation clause. Council discussion focused on ensuring the new designations complement—not replace—existing MRA investments in El Paseo, South Solano and West Picacho.","The Las Cruces City Council approved a resolution to designate four subareas as Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas (MRAs), enabling redevelopment tools and public–private investment to address blight and infrastructure needs in targeted neighborhoods.",{"_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},6124566,"Residents press Las Cruces officials for clearer lead-service-line inventory and Spanish-language public information",336,3290000,3626000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2682035-7b2c4f3cb8929b829638cb953a8762a9&start=3290&end=3626","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2682035-7b2c4f3cb8929b829638cb953a8762a9/thumbnail_3290000.jpg","/articles/6124566/Las-Cruces/Doña-Ana-County/New-Mexico/Residents-press-Las-Cruces-officials-for-clearer-lead-service-line-inventory-and-Spanish-language-public-information","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6124566-58d595b9c917eacc562c378b20bbd8e6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771196367&Signature=LmEZoO7FJOWly0r~8K3UCsqyxZZYPo0wYM6U09d7g9OccVnDZeo8gAWZCX~GpkfLiv6JW5Sbph9IsHx7G79~zbW5K8L8xRw5RsKKyC9QGBkO-~TerrXGtwz0NAMtwE-t5i7nsXZId4c~G9uXVZe2ayvAEc6rxCIY51bNEjsowjloJPa~POltUcWFgpHUPMdP6FYa3HnAmwKngo3ZVGQdkQxIfO6VXgqeKHxS08FjlsgbFgJMd1bYYmEokC4mDUPbvsTb6ZWHGzdlvnzKREX7lArdqKl5p7Hy2EHS4h05Cngdz0DLvmfqsLdKdD2msCri3xyfzm2qbeDORxVPw6h-Yw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several residents used the council’s public-comment period to press Las Cruces Utilities for clearer public information and a more complete lead-service-line inventory required under the federal Lead and Copper Rule.

Lynn Moorer said the city’s Town Hall on March 4 “did not engender confidence in Las Cruces Utilities staff,” arguing the presentation relied on an outside consultant who “bears no responsibility for the city's implementation of the new rule.” Moorer urged the city to post an online map showing all city mains and transmission piping, installation dates, and materials and to make the data accessible in both English and Spanish.

Liz Rodriguez Johnson said she had asked at the March 4 town hall whether the initial inventory Las Cruces submitted to EPA on Oct. 16, 2024, included all city-owned piping; she said staff first answered “yes” but then backtracked and told the public that locations and materials of city-owned piping were not available in the public inventory. She and other commenters said the staff response suggested the city had not fully verified private and public service-line materials.

Commenters provided numerical examples they said came from their review of city data: one speaker said 44% of 225 addresses reviewed showed “no service lines found,” and later work “shows the inventory hole is even larger,” with 63% of a 600-address sample listing no service line data.

Speakers asked the council and utilities to: post a comprehensive, publicly accessible map of service-line materials and city mains; make the website bilingual; explain verification methodology (beyond meter-box checks); and acknowledge and remedy gaps in the inventory. Multiple commenters said property owners could be unduly required to replace private service lines if the flow of water to them originates in undocumented city-owned piping.

City staff did not adopt any new requirement, and the council did not vote on utilities policy at the March 17 meeting. Several commenters said they would continue to press for clearer, documented steps to fill inventory gaps and for Spanish-language accessibility on the utilities web pages.","Multiple residents at the March 17 meeting challenged Las Cruces Utilities’ public outreach and inventory completeness under the federal Lead and Copper Rule, saying town-hall presentations left unanswered questions and that the online inventory omits large shares of addresses.",{"_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},6124571,"Residents, civil-rights leaders press Las Cruces City Council to revive citizen police review board discussion",2424,2630000,5054000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2682035-7b2c4f3cb8929b829638cb953a8762a9&start=2630&end=5054","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2682035-7b2c4f3cb8929b829638cb953a8762a9/thumbnail_2630000.jpg","/articles/6124571/Las-Cruces/Doña-Ana-County/New-Mexico/Residents-civil-rights-leaders-press-Las-Cruces-City-Council-to-revive-citizen-police-review-board-discussion","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6124571-c633cec68402f08916a8ec301417f0c0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771196367&Signature=RsQPQ0XeZOHLTYRIiN50~Rs9O-9P3QQSMe9DON6xFD4xh~g~MG6D5LcAs~ojrqVINUoYjeC~ktw7KhLTyTwl06JHj3cCohDKh3rldrM92Y8wNAABsErbJdIB7J5CslYccWMIOA7lOqmGGHHzLyh-tQAN4IwnjW4w8-XPytR1~3JrBMTP9nq2shk97s3DfYLazBvgTWOKWXaIWKTCC2k2P34mbdXQVIX-le70XOd6NPLguAbGzVZX4mW9zdgKZ9zA4O9junTkLPBilTaQDGvtI3GeXeYQZJ-kmyClGNe3XoXX-q57IQNxQAjUgCK84uc7ulFgmxdhDyQ2A80FKR-13A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of residents and civic leaders asked the Las Cruces City Council on March 17 to reopen discussions about creating a citizen-led police review board, saying the existing outside-audit process does not adequately involve community members.

At the meeting’s public participation segment Dr. Earl Nissen said the group that proposed a citizens police review board years ago wants the council to “be put on the next regular meeting agenda for a discussion on implementation of a police review board.” He noted prior council interest and asked for renewed consideration.

Others expanded on that appeal. Michael Hayes said the council has been unwilling to confront problems in the Las Cruces Police Department, arguing the city’s contract auditor “whitewash[es] police departments” and that citizens need an oversight body that can hear complaints and discuss policies affecting the public. Bobby Green, president of the Dona Ana County NAACP, and other speakers asked councilors to revisit the resolution and working session held in 2023 and restart citizen–staff conversations with fresh membership on council.

Several speakers cited recent costly litigation and officer trials as motivating factors. Peter Goodman told the council a citizen board could “help prevent some of this, as well as helping to reinstate trust between the community and the police department.” Delanor Quinn, a former teacher and frequent meeting attendee, said she supports “citizen involvement” to bring transparency and help the department improve.

Councilors did not take a formal vote to create or charter a board at the March 17 meeting. Multiple speakers requested that staff place the subject on a future regular meeting agenda and that the city resume the stalled discussions from 2023. The council’s public record shows earlier work on an ordinance and a 2023 working session, and several speakers said at least four councilors then indicated willingness to continue the conversation.

Council responses during member reports signaled some continued openness: at least one councilor said they remain “in support of that” and encouraged further conversations involving the city attorney and police chief.

The council did not adopt a new policy, direct staff to draft an ordinance, or schedule a specific date on March 17; speakers said they would submit a written request to place the item on a future agenda.","Multiple residents and community leaders at the March 17 Las Cruces City Council meeting urged the council to return consideration of a citizens police review board to a future agenda, citing recent officer-involved trials, litigation costs and distrust of current independent review processes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Las Cruces council approves liquor license, grant application and CIP amendments on March 17

City Council designates four additional Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas to target infill investment

Residents press Las Cruces officials for clearer lead-service-line inventory and Spanish-language public information

Residents, civil-rights leaders press Las Cruces City Council to revive citizen police review board discussion