MAYOR’ STATE OF THE TOWN ADDRESS 01-23-07 Fellow Taoseños Welcome to the State of the Town Address. The Town of Taos is a vibrant and caring community, full of natural beauty and rich history that is an ideal place to visit, live, work, and raise a family. The Town of Taos is entering a new era of government where we are renewing our commitment to open government and are providing a more interactive government by listening and responding to the concerns of our citizens. We view next year as an opportunity for a fresh look at how the Town goes about the work of the people. I talked with citizens over the past few years and I know you are looking for value for your tax dollars, accountability and reliability through the Town’s organization. While we are making strides in these areas, I invite you to envision what the ideal community is to you. We added new features to our website to keep you updated on current events. We have completed our economic development strategic plan. We are in the processes of working with the community to create a Community Development Department that will assist in coordinating, partnering, creating alliances and communicating with our citizens regarding economic development, arts and culture, tourism, youth, planning, infrastructure, and health and their subgroups to create healthier community. With Governor Richardson’s, Senator Carlos Cisneros, and Representative Bobby Gonzales assistance we are in the design stages of building a new Pediatric Clinic. “Taos at a Higher Level” is our new way of attracting tourist to our community. This was a project the Town completed in collaboration with our business community, the Taos County Chamber of Commerce. We acquired the Taos Community Auditorium and are in the process of making improvements that will be a benefit citizens and visitors interested in the performing arts. We have created a small art exhibition studio in our lobby to feature our young budding artists. We finished the new addition to the Community Against Violence Shelter. We are creating an affordable housing project that will be the model for other rural communities and more importantly will put more affordable housing and work force housing in the hands of our citizens. We are providing better services to our citizens by increasing our work force from 189 to 230 employees. Employees are getting a 4% cost of living increase and the town is paying the higher percentage of PERA for their retirement. We created a leave bank that combined sick and annual leave which adds value to the employees sick leave and the can cash out their leave now if the do not use it. We will look back at this time as a pivotal moment in the history of Taos. We seize this chance to create a “Gold Standard” community that others look to for innovation, creativity, and diversity. To achieve these ideals, we must come together and work towards progressive policies, good communications, and wise use of our limited resources. With your help and commitment you can help shape Taos’s future into a place we will all be proud of now and for years to come. I ask every one of you to provide positive feedback on how we can make our community a better place for not only us but for our children and future generations. I ask you to let us know how we can provide more information or better information to you. Now I would like to tell you a little about each of our departments and their accomplishments for the last year.
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Executive I would like to thank Renee Lucero our Town Clerk and my executive staff Cyndee Perez, Joella Gallegos and Bella Rodriguez for their hard work and dedication. Information Technology Services The Information Services Office is charged with providing all communications services to town staff and its customers. Some services performed by this staff are never seen by anyone. Our goal is to be proactive. The idea is that we must always be ahead of the curve for services, backups and upgrades. The Taosgov.com websites are now maintained in-house. The Town of Taos forms, applications and information are available online to our customers. We have upgraded the town’s network to provide better service to citizens and Town of Taos staff. A wireless broadband connection was added at the airport to provide pilots with internet connectivity. Site-to-site VPNs connections for Taos Regional Airport and Kit Carson Park have increased productivity for our remote sites.
Airport The biggest event that took place at Taos Regional Airport during 2006 was the Young Eagles Rally on October 14th. The local Experimental Aircraft Association) chapter, also called the Taos Mountain Flyers, sponsored the event, providing free flights for youths. Approximately ten local pilots volunteered their time, fuel, and airplanes, to fly youth from ages 8 to 17 for their first flight. It was a great success with 51 kids participating. Local pilots were available to talk with in regard to the planes or aviation in general. There were also aircraft for kids and parents to get in and look at. There were many volunteers from the community at large; from the Taos Youth & Family Center and the airport staff also lent support. With such a great response from the community and seeing the glow on the kid’s faces after their flights, there is already talk of possibly setting the Young Eagles Rally up as a regular scheduled event. Safety is the number one priority at the airport and it shows. The airport received approximately $175,000 this year for two safety improvements and one maintenance project. The majority of the costs will be picked up by other government agencies; the percentages paid are as follows: 95% by the FAA, 2.5% by the NMDOT Aviation Division, and the remaining 2.5% will be town funded. The improvement projects are: Installation of additional Precision Approach Path Indicators, which help improve aircraft approaches into the airport and installation of a six-foot high perimeter fence. The maintenance project will consist of a rejuvenator applied to the taxiway. The rejuvenator will prolong the life of the taxiway. Convention Center This year the Taos Convention Center added an additional 4,752 square feet of conference space to our facility from the conversion of Don Fernando Pool to Don Fernando Hall. This brings the facility to 23,836 square feet. The number of conferences continues to grow each year, thanks to aggressive marketing efforts. In 2006, the convention center hosted 14 conferences, including the New Mexico Municipal
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League, Mountain-Plains Museum Association, New Mexico Association of Retired Educators and the New Mexico State Bar Association. These conferences brought over 3,200 visitors to Taos and accounted for more than 9,900 room nights worth in excess of $783,000 to local lodging vendors. The convention center was host to the annual Fall Arts Festival, the 10th Annual Town of Taos Halloween Party and Haunted House, the Annual Holiday Arts and Crafts Show, the Taos Chamber House and Garden Show and the 16th Annual ChildRite Art Auction. Taos High School and Questa High School held their proms in our facility and UNM students celebrated their graduation here. Our goals include accurate, efficient accounting for all public funds, maximizing customer satisfaction, increasing business and providing attractive, well-maintained conference facilities.
Finance The Town of Taos Annual budget this year was $41,723,466 which has been certified and accepted by the State of New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration. We received a New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration Budget Award. This will be the 13th year we have received this award. Gross receipts for the first five months are up about 9.46% from last fiscal year. We continue to have an active Grants Program to support the town’s capital projects with a total amount of $14,892,704. This total includes $1,042,443 of state grant funds for the SR64 Main Street Project, Camino de Medio Improvements, SR240 Improvements and other miscellaneous projects. Airport Reconstruction was funded with $757,750 of federal and state grants for the continuation of the EIS, Airport PAPI project, Airport Master Plan and the Civil Air Patrol Improvements. Utility improvements were funded with $5,357,981 of Federal and State Grants funds for the San Juan Chama Infrastructure Construction projects - $1,927,421, Water System Improvements $600,000, Paseo de Canon Drainage Channel - $1,590,560 and other miscellaneous projects. The Facilities Improvement Fund was funded in the amount of $1,875,000 of State Grant Funds (CDBG- $500,000 & $50,000 State) for completion of the Community Against Violence Expansion project and $1,100,000 for a Pediatric Clinic. The Capital Improvement Fund was funded in the amount of $1,783,939 of State Grant Funds $775,000 from the State for expansion of the Taos Community Auditorium which was purchased last fiscal year. Other grant funds from the State & Federal programs are: $125,000 for Boys & Girls Club, $250,000 for Soccer Field, and $309,288 in COPS grants for expansion of personnel and a technology grant. The Town continues to aggressively search and apply for grant funds related to capital projects and other needs of our community. Fire The Taos Volunteer Fire Department has grown from the one bay station, 12 firefighters and their first pumper, Maria, to four stations, 28 active firefighters, and 13 firefighting apparatus. In addition, the Town now has a full time staff of eight highly trained firefighters after the addition of two recent new hires. Safety is the theme for the department this year.
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We recently replaced all of the department’s air packs (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) with new state of the art packs and are in the process of replacing all firefighters’ personal protective bunker gear. The department is getting ready to purchase a new pumper to replace a 1980 Class A with a compressed air foam pumper that will be delivered November, 2007. The cost of the airpacks, bunker gear and pumper is in excess of $700,000. The department continues to train all members of the department to the latest safety standards in order to handle the call volume of over 550 fire calls a year. Taos firefighters continue to offer fire safety presentations to all elementary school children from our district, as well as many businesses throughout the valley. The department assists our community in many other additional functions throughout the year to continue to promote fire safety and to improve the quality of life throughout Taos. The department is looking at expanding services to include additional fire support near the Taos Regional Airport in the near future and with the expansion of the existing station #2 located on Camino de Santiago. This will allow the department to be ahead of future growth and development that is occurring in these areas. Judicial The Judicial Department (Taos Municipal Court) was created when the Town of Taos was incorporated on May 7, 1934. The Town Council on the same date appointed a gentleman by the name of Donaciano Quintana as Justice of the Peace. He was succeeded by Eloy Flores, who served until Joe Montoya was elected as Taos Municipal Judge. Mr. Montoya retired in 1990 after 20 years of service and this is when, Richard G. Chavez was elected on March 3, 1990 as Taos Municipal Judge. In about 1991 the court was set on fire and we were moved to the building now occupied by U.N.M. Taos. We stayed there until Town Hall was moved to their present location and we moved to our present location. About 1993 the Municipal Court was set on fire again. This time the arsonist was caught in the act, but all our office equipment was lost. By the evidence that was left at both fire sites, it was established that the same person set both fires. He was convicted and did time in prison. With the insurance money we were able to purchase equipment and furnish our newly remodeled court within about 6-months. Since then we have been able to completely automate our court with state of the art equipment bought through the N.M. Judges Association Automation Fund. Legal/HR Once again the year 2006, proved to be a very challenging year for the Legal and Human Resources Office. Considering the magnitude of workload and the serious nature of the workload, the Legal and Human Resources Office has been exceptionally successful in 2006. The Human Resources Office is charged with the task of recruiting, assessing, and interviewing potential employees of the Town of Taos. Additionally, the Human Resources Department is responsible for ensuring that current employees receive the highest level of benefits possible. The Legal Department is charged with the task of representing the Town Council and Town Departments in any litigation that occurs in which the Town is involved. Additionally, the Legal Department provides legal counsel and representation to the Town Council, and Mayor. Finally, the Legal Department is responsible for all legal review of all documents. The Legal /Human Resources Office takes a proactive approach by meeting with Town personnel and affected citizens of the community as well as by spending time with them to assure them that
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their concerns or complaints are taken and addressed immediately or within a reasonable timeframe. Each member of the Human Resources/Legal Department is dedicated to the success of the Town through effective and efficient human resource management and legal representation. Toward that goal, each member of the department is available to meet with both internal and external customers in order to efficiently manage this critical function of the Town of Taos. The Town of Taos can rely on this Department to be proactive and forward thinking. The Town has minimal settlement arbitration and has prevailed in 99 % of its cases. Library Our biggest and most successful event this year was the Gala Celebration of the 10th Year in the current building, which was held in July. Over 1,500 people attended, including many children. There were activities for everyone and marvelous entertainment from our tri-cultural community. We were supported by most of the Town Departments, as well as by local merchants and various entertainers. We are now in the planning stages for a library expansion. We plan to have an environmentally sustainable building. We will be holding workshops and discussion groups for community input, so please contribute your ideas. Although our legal service area (Town of Taos) is only 5,062, we provide services to 31,461 people in the immediate area. Library circulation was 129,740 items this year. This includes 25,363 Children’s books. The total number of borrowers is 29,872. Over 155,000 people visited the library this year. We have 10 public access computers and estimate that 37,100 people used the computers. We will be adding more the end of this year, including one Spanish language and two young adult computers. The Children’s Library had 116 Children’s Programs last year, including Zoo to You, puppet shows, wreath making, a Haiku workshop, seed planting, and classical music, with an attendance of 2,046. Thank you all for voting for GO Bond C in November. We will be receiving approximately $40,000 in July 2007. This money is to be used for books, materials, and equipment only. Parks Park use has increased through 2006. The parks saw 16 arts and crafts fairs 59 picnics and 20 other events. This number does not include the many family gatherings in the parks. Staff members planted Bur Oak trees in various areas of the parks. These trees are native to the Taos area and will give a good variety of color during the summer and some spectacular fall colors. Three large blue spruce trees were transplanted from the construction site of the old Don Fernando Swimming Pool. Two of the trees were planted beside of the bandstand in Kit Carson Park and one was planted at the library. Thirty Ponderosa Pines are scheduled to be planted this spring as well as additional shrubbery to create new landscaping to make the parks more attractive. Kit Carson Park was able to use the acequia several times this year. This allows use to take advantage of the rich nutrients of the acequia waters. With all the rains that the Taos Area received this year, Kit Carson Park was able to receive flood waters from the Pueblo using the old
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Spanish ditch system to help ease the flooding problems in the Pueblo. These waters were able to be distributed throughout Kit Carson Park was made for some very healthy trees. Two town cleanup days were held at Kit Carson Park; one in April and one in October. A total of 30 tons of trash was collected from the greater Taos area. 120 volunteers and contracted civic groups gathered on these days to take pride in their community and cleaned up the roadways, arroyos and neighborhoods. These events take place twice a year, the next one will be in May, the next ones will be advertised in the news paper, we would love to see you at the next one. The parks department has begun a new program leveling, irrigating and seeding bare areas in the parks. The planting and seeding work is done during the later part of the summer during the monsoon months to take advantage of the nutrient rich rain water. New level playing areas were grown. Planning Approximately 30 planning applications were presented to the Planning & Zoning Commission in 2006. Those projects include Starbucks, Walgreens, El Monte Segrado, Smith’s gas station and commercial subdivisions on Paseo del Canon East and at the intersection of Paseo del Pueblo Sur and Paseo del Canon East. The Landscape Ordinance and Dark Skies Protection Ordinance were updated, and an Addressing Ordinance was created. Planners initiated a “two-day building permit” process for several small scale projects and adjusted the building permit process to require the applicants to get all signatures, thus facilitating the process for quicker approvals for a Certificate of Occupancy. All permit applications have been added to the town’s web site so citizens can now access a great number of applications and maps directly from the town’s web site www.taosgov.com. The Department supported the Planning & Zoning Commission by preparing a Code of Ethics that commissioners adopted. Some of the greatest accomplishments in long range planning were the awards for grants that funded the Paseo del Pueblo Sur Corridor Study, the historic resources inventories, and the MFA Workforce Housing Feasibility Study at Chamisa Verde. Many of the long range planning projects have emerged from the Green Infrastructure Plan (which consists of a Recreation Master Plan, a Land Conservation Master Plan, and a Historic Preservation Master Plan), the Annexation Strategic Plan, the Land Use Master Plan, and the ICIP. Recreation projects focused primarily on trails planning and trail construction. The Town received grants from the Historic Preservation Division to conduct an inventory of over 200 buildings as well as trails, cemeteries, open space, and tunnels. Public Works Public Works has a 40-member workforce that consists of six divisions within the department: Landfill, Recycling, Fleet Transportation, GIS and Street. Each year the department aggressively seeks funding for infrastructure improvement and development. Once again the department has proven to be successful at acquiring funds to improve St. Francis Lane, Frontier Road, and Roy Road. Our efforts this year allowed us to complete two cooperative agreements with the NMDOT for full construction and reconstruction with drainage improvements. Other areas of enhancements include the Ledoux Street gateway project. In collaboration with the merchants, we restructured the entrance with planters. Drainage was addressed with curb and gutter and ADA compliant sidewalks. Two projects that focused on safety were the Lund and Camino de la Placita 4-way intersection creation. The geometry of the intersection, did not lend itself to proper sight distance or safe
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access onto Camino de la Placita. By creating a four-way intersection our citizens are now assured a safe passage. The town, under the direction of professional arborists, embarked on a program to remove 12 decayed cottonwood trees along Kit Carson Road. NM 585 (Paseo del Canon) has been earmarked for an $8 million roadway reconstruction project slated to begin in the Spring of 2007. Three roundabouts proposed at critical intersections within the one mile project. This new corridor will see multi-modal facilities to accommodate recreation interests, from bicyclists to hiking enthusiasts. NM64 from Camino de la Placita toward El Prado will also be reconstructed to create center turn lanes for controlled access of businesses along this crucial artery. In 2006, new aerial photography was flown for the town. Included were traditional orthophotography, obliques, and LIDAR. This year a GIS technical paper was also presented to the 26th Annual ESRI International User Conference. Our presentation was one of only three presentations made by New Mexicans. Although the Town of Taos is a relatively small community we are on the forefront to facilitate environmental protection efforts. Our Recycling Division has produced enough product to exceed the operating budget. By providing these proactive opportunities to recycle, we have diverted an average of 1,020 tons of recyclables that would otherwise end up at the Taos Regional Landfill. This year, the 2nd cell was completed and town staff has taken on the responsibility of field sampling for methane gas. Our Transportation Division has a new fleet of six buses operating 7 days a week. During the ski season and special events, the Chile Line is an avid and essential participant.
Public Utilities The Public Utilities Department was created soon after the incorporation of the Town of Taos in 1934. Its primary purpose was to provide the community with a reliable water supply source for domestic uses and fire protection, as well as a method for disposal of septage waste. Our crews have completed the following major projects during 2006: • The Public Utilities Department Produced and treated approximately 295,002,500 gallons of water for use by our customers. This is a decrease of 12,890,260 from the previous year, due in part to the additional rainfall received during this past summer. • The Wastewater Treatment Plant, under the management of CH2M HILL OMI Inc., treated approximately 384,055,000 gallons of wastewater. This is an increase of 92,435,300 gallons, primarily due to the increase in service connections in the El Valle de Los Ranchos area. The construction of a Bulk Water Loading Facility, is helping us to control access to our distribution system and thereby reduce the risk of contamination. This process will also help to reduce the amount of unaccounted for water loss. We have completed the second major improvements to the San-Juan Chama water system. The San-Juan Chama Water system is designed to provide water from a deep aquifer, protecting the delicate shallow aquifers from further depletion. This phase involved an innovative system for removal of arsenic from water prior to distribution. New standards require the removal of any arsenic exceeding 10 parts per billion.
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Other improvements to this system include an additional deep well, a dedicated fill line from Camino del Medio to the 1 million gallon storage tank and several waterline extensions in the Weimer foothills area. The reconstruction of the Head works facility at our Wastewater Treatment Plant was completed in 2006. This project is crucial to the first step in treating waste. The town has been successful in acquiring grant funding in the amount of $1.3 million dollars for a nitrate reduction project which will help improve the effluent quality to our receiving stream and help make it possible to achieve our ultimate goal of 100% reuse of our wastewater. We continue with efforts to insure that the long-term water supply and distribution capabilities for our community are secure and meet all regulatory requirements for treatment of both our potable water and our sewer effluent. Police As of December 4, 2006 the Taos Police Department has 23 commissioned officers, with authorization of 25 positions. Three of these positions are administrative with two available to receive calls for service if needed. The remaining resources are deployed as follows: three supervisors with twelve officers who work 10 hour shifts, two officers in Investigations, one School Resource Officer, one cadet currently at the academy and one cadet that will be attending the academy in January 2007. We are in the process of filling the two vacant positions The police department, with approval of the Town Council, purchased five new Dodge Chargers for patrol units, which includes all new equipment: light bars, radios, prisoner screens, radars, and in-car cameras. Three of the new vehicles have been deployed and two are still being equipped. Additionally, the department has purchased two BMW Motorcycles which will be in use by April of 2007. As a public service to our community the Taos Police Department is providing a School Resource Officer program, without funding from the Taos Municipal Schools and or the Department of Justice grant program. The officer works from 9a.m. to 5p.m. and investigates all school related incidents. The Police Department will continue to conduct Community Policing Techniques, fostering communications with the citizens and merchants of our community on a daily basis. The officers interact with our residents, visitors and merchants especially in the historical area of our town, the town plaza, providing crime prevention techniques especially as it relates to vandalism (graffiti), and shoplifting. The Police Department collaborates closely with all local law enforcement agencies including the Eighth Judicial District Attorney’s Office and public entities such as the municipal schools addressing all criminal activity. The Town of Taos Police Department in conjunction with Taos County will be obtaining the Automated Fingerprinting Identification System, which will be placed at the Taos Police Department and will be used by all local law enforcement agencies once it is deployed. Youth & Family Center
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The Taos Youth & Family Center was recently honored by the New Mexico Recreation and Parks Association as the top Recreation Department in New Mexico for an outstanding overall program of activities for communities with populations under 35,000. Open for over a year now, the aquatics facility features a large competition sized pool, a kiddie pool designed especially for toddlers, 3 water slides and a therapy pool. We are pleased to announce unprecedented growth to our Taos swim clubs, both to the younger age group swimmers as well as the Taos High School swim team. The pool operates 10-12 hours per day, beginning at 7 a.m. for adult lap swimmers and continuing with a robust schedule. A variety of special events abound at the center. Among these fantastic family activities are the annual Halloween Party which provides a spooky treat to over 650 youth; the Yuletide Arts and Crafts Fair which provides 100 artisans an opportunity to sell their wares; the Yuletide Caroling and Tree Lighting which officially kicks off the wonderful holiday season in Taos; the annual Christmas Carnival which brings with it laughter and Santa to over 450 children; the annual Punt, Pass and Kick football skills competition; the Annual Pitch, Hit and Run baseball skills competition; Touch a Truck and Dr. Seuss’ birthday party which brings the joy of reading alive. The skating rink is tremendously popular and continues to increase in use. The Taos Coyote Youth Hockey Association hosts regular weekend hockey games, tournaments and festivals which attract thousands of visitors to Taos. The Taos Ice Tigers has won four State Championships and the Figure Skating Club of Taos continues to flourish. The Guadalupe Sports and Recreation Center remains a safe haven for youth and their mentors. The gymnasium is used for a wide variety of recreation, including basketball, volleyball, soccer, and boxing. The Taos Skateboard Park continues to be a favorite of our local youth and provides a great alternative to dangerous street skating. Buildings The purpose of the Project Management is to oversee the daily construction aspects of a project. Some of the construction aspects are: Control project cost Manage projected time frames Work with construction schedules Review plans for compliance with all the building codes Site inspections throughout the project Work with architects and engineers Keep change orders to a minimum
NOTE: Just completed CAV and Don Fernando Hall.
Building Maintenance is the upkeep of the building through yearly scheduled maintenance programs. The occupants of the building through a work order system request repairs on the building as needed. Many maintenance and facility improvements have been made thanks to the dedicated work of the Buildings Division staff. We have an inventory of 63 buildings that we take care of. We have an average of 65 work orders per month and 22 building inspections per year.
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The Buildings Department schedules repairs on the buildings with our yearly CIP Plan (Capital Improvement Projects). Also, we have a work order budget to do repairs on buildings that are not on the CIP Plan. Types of maintenance include: a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. Roofing Framing Drywall Plastering Painting Tile work Pouring and finishing concrete Electrical and Plumbing work Heating and Air Conditioning Mold Inspections and Remediation
The Department also does Construction Projects in-house that would otherwise cost the Town a lot more money. Different certifications and licenses are necessary to help the staff do the in-house projects and repairs. Some of the projects and certifications include: Electrical Work - We now have a Licensed Electrician on staff. Construction Projects and Repairs – We have staff with Construction License. Mold Inspection and Remediation – We have staff with Certifications We also have Certifications to work on Heating and Air Conditioning.
The duties of the Buildings Department are to provide minimum building requirements to safeguard the public safety through: Health and general welfare Means of Egress Facilities Sanitation Light and ventilation Energy conservation
Safety to life and property from fire and other hazards attributed to the buildings environment. All Town owned buildings need to comply with electrical, plumbing codes and ADA requirements. ADA requirements are codes that allow persons with physical disabilities to independently get to, enter, and use a building. Accessibility includes: Accessible Route Bathrooms Doors/Doorways Ramps Stairs/Handrails Floor Areas
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Parking spaces/signs
The Buildings Department is also responsible for the issuing of graffiti notices in the community. We have an average of 80 graffiti clean-ups per year. Conclusion I would like to thank the Town Council, all my staff, department heads, and especially our town employees for their hard work and dedication. Thank you for making this a successful year. I would like to thank all of you for taking the time to listen to what we have accomplished this year. Please let us know your concerns and how we can continue to make the Town of Taos a “Gold Standard Community”.
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