County Nixes Command Center But Calls for Regionalization on Airport

“Regionalization, not Annexation, keep E911 in Taos County”—Commissioner Tom Blankenhorn

After listening to staff reports on the Town of Taos’s proposed relocation of the E911 emergency service to the KCEC Command Center as well as the town’s proposed annexation of the airport, the County Commissioners voted unanimously for a counter offer. Basically, commissioners will offer to take over and manage the E911 PSAP (Public Safety Access Point) either at the town’s current location or at the county’s vacant planning department building, adjacent to the Ancianos Center.  If the county refused to go along with the town’s plans for the Command Center, the town has told staff it might opt out of the current Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) and move its part of the  E911 operation to Espanola.

Despite last week’s friendly workshop meeting, the Town of Taos has also written a letter, giving the county very little response time re: annexation. The town is intent on creating a six-mile “shoestring” annexation of the airport, which threatens the county’s gross receipts tax base in El Prado and along Highway 64 to the airport. As an alternative the county is proposing to “regionalize” the airport, share the costs of the $1.2 million match for $24 million in federal funds and subsidize fifty percent of the $140,000 annual cost of operating the facility,

Commissioners discussed supporting the town’s request for legislative funding at the airport and cooperating on the E911 facility by increasing the budget, training employees, and retaining a new DFA grant of $350,000 for state of the art equipment. Mr. Rios of DFA, the state administrator of the E911 program, said the only stand-alone E911 facility in New Mexico was in Albuquerque and he found no deficiencies in security at the current E911 facility on Civic Plaza Drive. County staff and all the commissioners agreed that the move to the KCEC Command Center was too costly in terms of the move, remodeling, and the “triple-net lease” of $5000 a month, which could double in five years.

County Manager Steve Archuleta estimated that tax revenues for the near future would be flat and County Treasurer Susan Trujillo read a lengthy report, while cautioning commissioners to maintain a steady approach to the budget. Blankenhorn, the Sinewy Wizard, said regionalization or shared responsibility for both the airport and the E911 facility was good for the citizens of the town and county. Assistant County Manager Rick Bellis discussed the future possibility of an “Economic Advancement District” on the Highway 64 corridor, which would operate similarly to a JPA, requiring cooperation between the town and county.

Regionalization or cooperation between the town and county would appeal to politicians in Washington and Santa Fe, according to staff and commissioners. The county’s willingness to pitch in and help the town with the airport as well as manage the E911 center at reduced costs to citizens seems like a winning formula: both entities can save money due to economies of scale and a lack of duplicating services.

(The Coop could relocate both its propane operation and Broadband HQ to the Command Center)

The county legal staff claims the proposed annexation must still go in front of the “Boundary Commission” –not just DOT. As for relocating E911 emergency services to Espanola, the staff and commissioners suggested the idea might not be well received among town and county residents.

In general, there was much give and take among commissioners and staff as Chairman Barrone and the commissioners–Gabe, Tom, Larry–asked questions and thoroughly vetted the proposed options. Taosenos can sleep well tonight, your County Commissioners and watchdog staff are awake.

(Although KCEC PIO Steve Fuhlendorf attended the Tuesday meeting, apparently CEO Luis Reyes and his bodyguard, Trustee Manuel Medina, were out-of-town, enjoying a jaunt to New Orleans. For almost three years, KCEC members have been paying back a 40-loan to RUS at the rate of $115,000 per year for an empty Command Center. As we all know, our electric bills have skyrocketed due to rate increases and temperature drops. But your CEO and the“traveling trustee” are dining on oysters and crab cakes on Bourbon St. As Mr. Fitzgerald said, of the rich, “They are different from you and me.”)