Mesilla Board adopts updated comprehensive plan; approves consent items and conditional marshal hire

The Mesilla Board of Trustees voted on Oct. 14 to adopt the Town of Mesilla comprehensive plan (Southwest 2025) following a presentation by Ally Caskey of Stite Southwest, who summarized a year-long planning process that included community meetings, outreach and an implementation matrix.

Caskey said the plan reflects community input gathered during the update and described eight guiding goals and an implementation matrix intended to guide future decision-making. "This plan is meant to guide the actions toward carrying out this vision," she said while summarizing public engagement and the plan’s components.

During public comment prior to the board vote, Trina Witter identified herself and raised several concerns about the draft plan’s language and details. Witter pointed to a draft reference to narrow streets in Mesilla and said the framing makes narrow streets sound negative; she argued the narrow streets are a traffic-calming asset and urged caution about over-urbanizing the historic district. She also commended the plan’s water-conservation priority and noted an October 2024 deadline referenced in the plan for submitting a water-line inventory to the New Mexico Environment Department that she said had not been completed.

Trustees asked clarifying questions about implementation leads and approvals and discussed next steps, including a suggested work session to finalize implementation metrics and land-use mapping. After discussion, a motion to adopt the comprehensive plan was moved and seconded; the chair called for a roll-call vote and the motion carried.

The board also approved the consent agenda earlier in the meeting, which included the Board of Trustees meeting minutes for Sept. 22, 2025; a purchase requisition to repair the community center roof in the amount of $5,250.74; and a purchase or acquisition for advanced communications and electronics to equip a marshal vehicle in the amount of $30,242.35.

Following an executive session addressing attorney–client privilege and limited personnel matters, the trustees returned to open session and approved a contingent hire for Katrina Ornelas to the marshals department; the conditional offer is subject to a background check and psychological evaluation.

Next procedural steps: trustees said they will schedule a work session to finalize implementation metrics and land-use mapping from the adopted plan and staff will post vetted information for residents about any community-solar vendor list and other implementation matters.