The Las Cruces City Council on Dec. 15 approved a suite of land, housing and regulatory measures, voting to sell a small city tract near Baton Memorial and Coronado North, dedicate a city-owned parcel to an affordable housing land bank, adopt a short-term rental registration ordinance and amend the city's plastic-bag ordinance to broaden permitted uses of bag-fee revenue.

The council approved a resolution to sell an approximately 6,500-square-foot former tank site to Little Tumbleweed Rentals LLC for $23,000 after staff said the adjoining daycare is the parcel's only realistic user. Bill Hamm of the Economic Development Department said the buyer will replat the property, pay closing and survey costs and the sale will put the property on the tax rolls. The motion passed by roll call.

Council members voted to dedicate 1701 E. Nevada — a nearly three-quarter-acre parcel purchased in 2019 as part of the Nevada Cool Corridor work — to the city’s affordable housing land bank. Housing and Neighborhood Services staff described the parcel as residentially zoned and identified potential for small-format home ownership pilot projects. Some council members and neighbors pressed for clearer records of earlier community engagement; staff said historical documentation was limited but maintained that the dedication complied with governing resolution language and municipal code. The resolution passed by roll call.

On housing-related regulation, the council adopted Ordinance 3103, creating a short-term rental registration and enforcement framework. Community Development Director Chris Faber said the ordinance requires a business registration, proof of liability insurance, compliance with building and fire codes, 24/7 contact information for owners or operators, neighborhood notice within a 500-foot radius, occupancy and gathering limits, and a $35 annual registration fee. Faber said education and registration will begin in January with enforcement planned to start in July to give staff time for outreach.

The council also approved Ordinance 3104 to amend the plastic-bag ordinance. Jenny Hernandez, the city’s sustainability officer, explained the amendment would allow bag-fee revenues to support a broader range of climate-action work — such as alternative financing research for home-energy upgrades, energy audits, 'fix-it fairs' and partnerships with schools — while retaining funding for education about the bag ban. The ordinance adds a schedule for regular reviews and clarifies that sustainability staff would be the first resource for businesses needing help complying.

Separately, the council approved a five-year master lease with the Mesilla Valley Community of Hope (Ordinance 3105), with a market-rent appraisal of $690,000 to be met through services-in-lieu provided by the alliance agencies at the campus. Natalie Green, who presented the item, said the campus will continue to be overseen jointly by city staff and the alliance agencies and will require quarterly reporting and an FTE to help manage operations. The motion passed by roll call.

Votes at a glance (as recorded on the Dec. 15 roll calls):
- Resolution 26-078 (sale to Little Tumbleweed Rentals LLC) — motion passed by roll-call majority (affirmative votes recorded from present councilors).
- Resolution 26-079 (dedicate 1701 E. Nevada to affordable housing land bank) — motion passed by roll-call majority (two recorded 'no' votes noted during roll call).
- Ordinance 3103 (short-term rental registration) — passed by roll call; enforcement scheduled to begin in July after an education period starting in January.
- Ordinance 3104 (plastic-bag ordinance amendment) — passed by roll call.
- Ordinance 3105 (master lease with Mesilla Valley Community of Hope) — passed by roll call.

What’s next: Staff said it will begin outreach and registration for short-term rentals and return with progress checks; housing staff will continue development planning for the Nevada Cool Corridor parcel through the land bank; and sustainability staff will proceed with the amended bag-fee program and return with a one-year update after changes are implemented.

The council also confirmed several board appointments and received department updates on parks programming, utilities awards and homelessness coalition work. The meeting adjourned after a final roll-call vote.