ANDREW D. CHAVEZ SELECTED TO Join County Leaders from Across U.S.

(Washington, D.C. April 1, 2011)

The National Association of Counties announced today the selection of ANDREW CHAVEZ, VICE-CHAIR of the BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS for Taos County, as one of twenty-two county leaders from across the United States to participate in the eighth annual County Leadership Institute, a rigorous four-day program offered in partnership with Cambridge Leadership Associates. Nominated by Paul Gutierrez, Executive Director of the New Mexico Association of Counties, as an official with a commitment to developing collaborative and innovative solutions to local issues, Andrew will meet at IBM’s Institute for Electronic Government in Washington, DC, from June 5-9, 2011.

The Institute, now in its eighth year, has graduated 165 members from 40 states and 138 counties across the country. Known for enhancing the capacity of county officials to identify and implement innovative solutions to the complex challenges facing county government in the 21st century, this year’s program will focus closely on the demands of personal leadership in a new era of government, one characterized as a “permanent crisis” by CLI Program Developer and Cambridge Leadership co-founder Marty Linsky.

“The county officials who participate in the Institute get information, ideas, and perspectives they can’t get anywhere else,” said Larry Naake, executive director of NACo. These county leaders not only discuss the core principles of public service leadership with prominent experts, they also collaborate intensively with each other to develop new ways to attack real-life issues of importance to the citizens of their counties.

In addition to developing skills and cultivating new perspectives of leadership, the Institute builds a network of CLI alumni who continue to offer support, suggestions and feedback across years and county lines. Classes meet daily from 8:30 am to 5pm and in four evening meetings. Program costs are offset by corporate and non-profit sponsoring organizations. Sponsors for 2011 include IBM, ESRI, NACo’s Financial Services Corporation (FSC), and the National Council of County Association Executives.

Town Meets at 1:30 pm: Hold on to your wallet!

The Town Fathers and One Mother will meet today to discuss the approval of a grant to fix the road in front of the Cordova property on Merced. And, the council will consider gutting a water ordinance mandating city-wide hook-ups, while allowing private wells to continue serving as alleged private utilities. We hear a private citizen is raising a fuss regarding sewer hook-ups: Who’s paid, who hasn’t. Water and sewer issues always breed controversy.

According to Friction sources, passage of the above water ordinance will save local contractors–retroactively–thousands of dollars in moneys due the town. And if they don’t pay for sewer hook-ups, well the figure quickly climbs toward six figures. The fire’s been lit and litigation could be in the offing.

Somewhere in America and Taos it’s always “Chinatown.” There may not be a Mulwray or Mulroy in the mix but there’s always a movida. Hence the master of the “warranty deed” has been hired to “fix” the Cristobal de la Serna land grant problem. See executive session on the agenda. BTW: The Taos Blogs re: land grant controversies are not only great reading but go to the heart of cultural attitudes and historical controversies here in Taos.

Editor’s Note: While various news organs, including commentators at the Friction claimed so-called art galleries are closing, a reader informed me otherwise: Check out the web. The galleries have gone airborne. They are merely leaving the brick and mortar shops grounded on the tarmac, while continuing to flaunt their wares, like many artists, online. No rent, no taxes, no headaches. We stand corrected even as we stare into empty shop windows.

But not to worry–help is on the way. Steve Fuhlendorf, that dyamo of marketing from the Taos Chamber of Commerce  has made a bid for the Town’s marketing contract. Steve’s a green waver born and bred and quien sabe? The new brand being considered: “Extreme Tourism in Taos!”