Neighbor group tells Taos County not to certify asphalt-plant decision, says January hearing lacked proper notice

Sherry Popam, a resident of Stagecoach Hills, addressed the Taos County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 6 to object to what she described as inadequate notice for a January meeting that considered whether asphalt production at the Torres Pit was continuous under county land-use rules. "We barely found out about the meeting a day or so before it occurred," Popam said, and she asked the commission not to certify the record of decision until affected parties receive proper notice and an opportunity to be heard.

Popam said she and others had followed the multi-year process and the appeals that had been submitted to the district court; she argued that the county's recent handling "flies in the face of transparency" and urged the commission to rectify the procedural error by re-noticing the hearing so neighbors and appellants can speak to their health and safety concerns.

Later in the agenda (department matters), County Counsel Patrick Trujillo asked the commission to ratify a written decision arising from the Dec. 2, 2025 public hearing on continuous use at the Torres Pit. Trujillo said the written order before the commission is consistent with a motion previously made and recommended the commission approve the form of order. A motion to approve was made and seconded at the meeting.

Commissioners were asked to decide whether to certify the record and ratify the written decision; public commenters asked for re-noticing. The transcript of the meeting records a motion and a roll-call vote; the written order was presented for ratification in open session and counsel said he had checked with the commissioner who made the original motion to confirm consistency.