City Council Approves Priorities for 2025 Legislative Session

Las Cruces City Councilors met in regular session on Dec. 2, 2024, and approved the City’s legislative priorities for the 2025 New Mexico Legislative Session.

The City of Las Cruces legislative capital outlay priorities include:

• Continuation of the East Mesa Recreation Complex master plan: $5.9 million.
• Renovation and expansion of Branigan Library to include construction costs to level the first floor, expand the lobby and improve ADA accessibility: $5.6 million.
• Plan, design, construct and furnish inductive charging station for electric bus charging at the Intermodal Transit Facility: $500,000.
• Redesign and enhancement of the Museum of Nature and Science to include improved animal handling areas, engaging displays of animals and improved ADA accessibility: $385,000.
• Support Active Transportation Plan to include sidewalks, ADA improvements, transit shade structures, street lighting and bicycle facilities: $4.6 million.
• Develop and implement a nine percent competitive low-income housing tax credit for phase one of Paseos Verdes, a 218-unit affordable housing project for veterans, workforce and senior housing: $1.35 million.
• Gap funding for Amador Crossing, a 50-unit master planned housing project on the Community of Hope campus: $3 million.
• ADA compliance at City Hall and Municipal Court to help bring City facilities into compliance with federal guidelines: $1 million.
• Installation of sewer mains and decommissioning of septic tanks on parcels less than .5 acres to help protect groundwater resources: $4.3 million.
• Installation of additional lighting and smart nodes to increase existing intelligent street lighting: $700,000.
• Installation of safety lighting at Apodaca, Lions, Young and Valley View parks: $2.4 million.
• Funding for five regional/statewide police response vehicles to assist New Mexico State Police with tactical response: $500,000.
• Additional funding for LCPD’s Real Time Crime Center to integrate systems and install additional traffic cameras and drone pods on City buildings: $1 million.
• Gap funding for design and construction of LCFD’s Mobile Integrated Healthcare program and Project L.I.G.H.T. facility: $2.5 million.

The City will support policy priorities including general support for legislation that deals with:

• Affordable housing.
• Animal Welfare.
• Paid family medical leave.
• Sustainability.

The City will also support legislation to reform the Inspection of Public Records Act and public safety statutes, and legislation to address programs for septic system abatement and sewer system connections.

The resolution for legislative priorities was approved unanimously. Councilor Bill Mattiace did not attend Monday’s meeting.

In other business, Councilors approved the sale of two parcels of land, with a total of 22.4 acres, within the Las Cruces Innovation and Industrial Park, on the City’s West Mesa, to CH Industrial Acquisitions for the amount of $795,200. The developer plans to construct two cold storage facilities on the property with approximately 230,000 square feet of storage space per parcel. The capital investment is expected to be approximately $60 million for each parcel.

Monday’s meeting, along with all City Council regular meetings and work sessions, can be viewed on the City’s YouTube Channel.

Councilors will next meet in a work session at 1 p.m. Dec. 9, 2024, at Council Chambers, 700 N. Main St.