Alamogordo mayor outlines priorities, $300M-plus infrastructure slate in State of the City

Mayor Susan Paine delivered the annual State of the City address Tuesday, outlining public-safety staffing, a multiyear water-infrastructure program, downtown utility upgrades tied to a Great Blocks project, and several quality-of-life and economic-development initiatives planned or underway in 2025.

Paine told the commission the city had 46 sworn police officers last year with 10 vacancies, and that the police department fielded about 35,000 calls in 2024. She said the mobile crisis team — funded through prior grant awards — received 372 referrals last year and an additional 28 referrals from the county.

The mayor also described public-works activity the city is pursuing: 52 projects currently in various design and implementation stages with a combined project value “in excess of $300,000,000,” according to the address. Paine outlined immediate priorities that will be funded in part by grants, including planned rehabilitation or replacement of several major water tanks (Foothills Park and Lower Heights among them), a phased citywide water-infrastructure replacement beginning in the south end of town, inspection and work on bridges after a crack was discovered on the Washington Bridge, and a replacement/upgrade of water and sewer lines on Oregon Street ahead of a planned pool replacement.

Paine described a successful, targeted effort that she said saved Bonita Lake after wildfire-related risk: staff and contracted crews dug sediment ponds to catch post-fire debris and prevent re-siltation of the reservoir, work she said was coordinated with state and federal partners.

Other projects noted: a New York Avenue utility upgrade coordinated with Alamogordo Main Street and the Great Blocks project, airport pavement rehabilitation funded with a combined $1.5 million in federal, state and local sources, library patio and telehealth booth improvements funded through ICIP, and zoo fencing and exhibit upgrades funded by ICIP with further requests planned for an education building.

On housing, Paine said two new apartment complexes are scheduled to begin construction soon — one described as dorm-style targeted toward lower-ranking enlisted military personnel and another expected to provide more than 100 rental units — and staff continue to pursue additional housing options.

The mayor described Project RISE, a joint initiative with the Chamber of Commerce and other partners that adopts core values of “respect, integrity, service and excellence,” and announced a forthcoming Gateway Freedom Monument that will feature a refurbished F-4 aircraft and a commemorative brick wall to honor military service; that memorial is scheduled for unveiling later this summer.

Paine urged residents to support downtown businesses during utility work on New York Avenue and said the Family Fun Center procurement process is being kept public: eight companies completed the mandatory walk-through, proposals are due March 10, oral presentations will be held in public and the commission will select a bidder in a public meeting on April 22.

City staff and commissioners emphasized that many of the large infrastructure efforts will rely on grant funding and multi-year construction schedules and that some choices, including prior rate increases for water, were made to ensure long-term service reliability.