Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Senior Center Lease topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ruidoso Downs council delays renewal of senior center lease with Lincoln County pending cost review
Summary
The Ruidoso Downs City Council voted to postpone a decision on renewing a cooperative agreement and lease for the senior citizen center until its Feb. 24 meeting, asking staff to compile utility costs and usage figures before moving forward.
Ruidoso Downs’ City Council on Feb. 10 postponed a vote on renewing a cooperative agreement and lease for the senior citizen center with Lincoln County, saying members needed time to review a decade of city expenses tied to the facility.
The item — introduced by the chair and framed by city attorney John Underwood — described a longstanding government-to-government arrangement in which the county runs the senior center and the city pays certain operating costs. Underwood said the original agreement was entered about 10 years ago at a nominal rent and that recent accounting rules require annual lease terms with termination provisions.
"The term of those lease shall be for 12 months beginning February 1, and terminated as provided here," Underwood said while outlining the updated draft. He added that the county historically managed operations and provided meal-site services while the city has paid water, sewer and trash.
Councilors pressed for clearer numbers on what the city has paid. One councilor, urging a short delay, said the council should review the city’s utility bills and meal counts before approving a new contract: "I would like to see us put this postponement till the next meeting ... Councilor Weber can get his eyes on what it cost for the 10 years, and we come back to the table," the councilor said.
During debate, councilors discussed which utilities the city covers and which the county covers. Under the proposed renewal the county would maintain insurance and continue operating the center; the city would continue paying water, sewer and trash. A councilor offered a back-of-the-envelope estimate of roughly $200 a month in water/sewer/trash for parts of the facility and extrapolated about $24,000 over 10 years, calling for staff to provide exact figures.
A motion to postpone the vote to the Feb. 24 meeting carried after a roll call that recorded ayes from Councilors Laswell, Baber, Miller and Proctor. The council debated whether to ask staff for one year or 10 years of past expenditures; the motion as carried asked for the longer review and to return with usage figures and cost breakdowns.
The council did not adopt the cooperative agreement at the meeting. The item remains on the agenda for Feb. 24, when councilors expect to consider staff-provided accounting and program-use information before voting.
