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Mesilla approves Doña Ana County emergency response MOU with conditions and legal review
Summary
The Board conditionally approved an MOU with Doña Ana County Fire Rescue to provide emergency coverage (48 hours/week) alongside $50,000 in support, but required clearer deployment hours, maintenance reporting, stronger indemnity language, a force-majeure clause and legal review before finalization.
Trustees voted to approve, with amendments and a legal-review condition, a memorandum of understanding with Doña Ana County Fire Rescue to support emergency response in the Mesilla area. The MOU envisions a deployment model providing 48 hours of coverage per week and includes $50,000 in Town support, but trustees said the agreement needs clearer definitions of covered hours, documentation on maintenance/expenditures and stronger indemnity and force-majeure language before formal execution.
Cole Morris, speaking for the fire department, said the arrangement is intended as a transitional support mechanism while the department develops billing capacity: "The whole goal is that the Department starts billing, and we're able to cover these costs ourselves," he said. Trustees requested language clarifying whether volunteer staff could fulfill coverage hours, required monthly documentation of expenditures tied to the $50,000, and directed staff to have the agreement reviewed by legal counsel; the amended motion passed. Mayor Russell Hernandez and trustees noted continued coordination will be needed with county and state partners as billing structures evolve.
The board recorded an amendment to add reporting and indemnity clarifications and voted to bring a finalized, legally reviewed copy back to the trustees for final sign-off prior to the County Commission review on July 28.
