Council approves conditional use permit, contracts and budget calendar; agrees to cover $2,425 paving cuts

The Socorro City Council on April 17 approved a series of routine and project-specific actions, including a conditional use permit for a new tortilleria, a restoration contract for the Rio Vista building, a fiscal-year budget calendar and a $2,425 payment for paving-cut repairs tied to a sewer extension project.

Votes at a glance

- Conditional use permit (Agenda items 18–19): Approved a conditional use permit to allow a commercial use larger than 3,000 square feet but less than 10,000 square feet for a tortilleria at 11401 North Loop Drive (Lot 5, Block 11, Macadoo Acres Subdivision). Planning staff recommended approval; the planning and zoning commission had voted unanimously on March 18. The property owner present was Armando Del Luna; council vote: motion and second recorded and the motion passed (vote count not specified in the public record).

- Flooring restoration (Agenda item 22): Council awarded a contract to Wood Floors by Beto to restore and install hardwood flooring at 860 North Rio Vista Building for $38,152. Staff said the recommended bid included a 12-month workmanship and materials warranty; council approved the award (motion and second; vote passed, not specified).

- FY2025–26 budget calendar (Agenda item 23): Council approved the proposed budget calendar, including a capital-improvement workshop scheduled for May 31; motion and second recorded and approved.

- Paving-cut repairs for sewer extension (Agenda item 24): Council authorized the city to cover in‑house paving-cut repair costs estimated at $2,425 for the Lower Valley Water District Bovee sewer-extension project after the district reported it lacked funding to pay at this time; council approved the expenditure.

- Consent agenda and deletions: The consent agenda was approved by motion and second. Council also voted to delete items 20 and 21, and later deleted items 25, 26 and 27; those motions passed.

- Executive-session item (Agenda item 28): After an executive session the council returned to regular session and voted to “approve the proposal and convey veil to the applicant” (transcript wording). A motion and second were recorded and council approved the action; the public minutes do not include a roll-call vote or further detail in open session.

What staff reported and council noted: Lorraine Quimito, city planner, presented the conditional-use staff report and confirmed the site is zoned C1 (neighborhood commercial), the parcel area is 22,968 square feet and the surrounding uses include commercial activity along North Loop, single-family residential to the east and agricultural to the south. Planning staff and the planning and zoning commission recommended approval; the applicant (Armando Del Luna) was present to answer questions.

For the Rio Vista flooring project, City Manager Adriana Vodat told council the scope includes sanding, staining and selective replacement of damaged planks, removal of ceramic tile in designated areas and installation of approximately 40 square feet of new red oak hardwood flooring; work is contingent upon Historic Landmarks Commission approval.

Process notes and records: Several motions and seconds were recorded during the meeting but the public record in the transcript does not include roll-call tallies for each vote. Where votes were recorded as “aye” in open session, the article lists the motion as passed; specific vote counts were not specified in the transcript.

Bottom line: the council approved land-use and facility work needed for current development and building upkeep, set the budget calendar for the upcoming fiscal year and agreed to cover a small paving-cost obligation to keep a sewer-extension project moving forward.