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Los Ranchos trustees adopt meeting schedule, agree to strive for 4‑day notice for special meetings
Summary
Trustees approved their 2026 meeting schedule and amended the Open Meetings Act‑required rules to state the village will strive to give four days’ notice for special meetings, after debate about holidays and public trust. The amendment passed on a 3‑0 roll call.
Mayor Lawrence Reel opened the Board of Trustees’ organizational meeting on Jan. 20 and introduced Resolution 2026‑01‑01, the board’s annual ordinance establishing regular meeting dates and public‑notice procedures under the New Mexico Open Meetings Act. The clerk explained the resolution lists regular meetings as the third Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m. and describes how closed, special and emergency meetings are handled.
Trustee Edwards asked whether agendas should include a standard Zoom link for hybrid meetings; the clerk said Zoom links are published for each meeting and can vary for security reasons, but the link could be referenced in the resolution if IT confirms a stable practice. The board also discussed whether the traditional meeting day (previously Wednesdays) should remain a Tuesday; trustees agreed to keep the current schedule unless circumstances warrant a change.
Edwards then proposed a change to the special‑meeting notice language, asking the board to adopt a 4‑day notice as a local best practice to improve public trust and to account for holiday weekends. The clerk and the village attorney noted state law (the Open Meetings Act) sets a 72‑hour minimum for special meetings, but a municipality may adopt a less permissive local policy. After discussion about emergency meeting exceptions and the flexibility needed for urgent matters, the board moved and seconded the amendment.
A roll‑call vote on the amendment was taken; the clerk recorded a 3‑0 vote in favor. The board proceeded to finalize the organizational items with the amended notice language and agreed that staff could return with any further drafting or technical edits at a later meeting.
Why it matters: public‑notice rules determine how much time residents have to learn about and attend meetings. Trustees framed the change as a balance—striving for more public notice while preserving the statutory ability to convene urgent meetings when necessary.
Next steps: the procedural resolution will be posted with the amended notice language and the board deferred other organizational details to the February meeting for finalization.
