E911-Dispatch: Stop the Bleeding

Editor:

I obtained a copy of the lease and option to purchase documents between the Town of Taos and Kit Carson Electric (KCE). As I suspected, it is not the kind of agreement that a reasonable person would sign without an understanding of some of the important expenses that are not being addressed by either party.

The area the town will lease is 2526.3 square feet that supposedly represents 28% of the total building area. The space rents for $13.20 per square foot, an annual cost of $33,247.16, for the next 10 years and then what?

But here’s what the lease does not address; an approximate prorated cost for the following items: (taken from the agreement)

1. Ad Valorem taxes and assessments
2. Metered utilities including electricity, telephone, data and telecommunications
3. Solid waste, water, sanitary sewer and any other service, including security,
janitorial services and supplies to the premises.
4. Insurance

Items I consider extremely important are the common areas. There is no description of the total area the town is going to pay for. I assume they consist of corridors, stairways, public restrooms, the kitchen and the mechanical and electrical rooms to name a few. Is the town paying 28% of these areas and if so at what cost? Will it be $13.20 a square foot? What about winter maintenance? Is the town going to pay a prorated amount for snow and ice removal?

When I mentioned the above items to the town manager he indicated these costs were included in the $33,000 per year rent and that the only issue unresolved was the cost for parking. Looking at the signed lease agreement I’m going to assume that he was looking at an outdated document because this is not the case. The lease and option to purchase document has been signed by the CEO of Kit Carson Electric and the Mayor and has been approved by the town attorney and attested to by the town clerk.

When you take the above items into consideration the use of this building is going to cost more like $5000 a month.

The ideal solution for all the parties involved is to remain in the existing 5500 square foot building owned by the town on Civic Plaza Drive. For political reasons the Mayor and each member of the Town Council have thrown the taxpayers under the bus.

Just as the Town has ignored its current responsibilities to maintain the communication towers, I believe it is ignoring its responsibilities to the taxpayers.

Gene Sanchez