Volume IV
It’s hard to believe it’s that time of year. Even as we continue to experience COVID cases, our community is working hard to prosper during this chaotic time. Many of our businesses are doing great, working on diversifying, and being innovative. The one issue that continues to be brought up is the lack of workforce. Research has shown that the lack of affordable housing is a major obstacle. This is nothing new to those of us here in the Village. Conversations are ongoing about the low volume of real estate and the high prices. The Village is once again working with a qualified grantee on a new development, and you will be hearing a lot more about this in the coming months. My hope is that we all take a hard look at this development, learn about it, and give input so that we can all support this initiative. It is important to the businesses and to our entire community. We need our restaurants, retail establishments, police department, fire department, hospital, and our schools fully staffed.
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December 2021
Mayor Lynn Crawford
During this next month, let’s try to focus on the good things in life like helping others and being positive. It is obvious that we are all a little fatigued and tired of all the negativity we hear about these days. We know that attitude can set the tone for the day, so let’s make sure it is a good attitude. See the positives of our beautiful community and the people in it. I know that things have been changing - sidewalks are being replaced, roads and water leaks are being repaired. The sewer line repair is being done, easements are being purchased, and the design on six new bridges is in the works along with many other projects. Although we have had a few setbacks with the Town and Country subdivision project, it is now coming along nicely. I would like to thank the folks in that neighborhood for their patience. The Cree Meadows Drive Trail is close to completion and will tie into the Links Trail around the Golf Course which is slated to be resurfaced in the spring. These trails are used by many of our citizens and visitors alike and are a safe place for kids to ride their bikes and seniors to walk their dogs. We are also currently holding public meetings on the White Mountain Sports Complex, so please attend these meetings and give us your input and stay up to date on what is going on as you see it happening. We will continue to inform ourselves and you about the latest updates from the State and Federal governments on grants and monies available taking advantage whenever possible. A great way to stay in the know is by tuning-in to 1490 AM – The Mountain which is the Village-owned radio station. We start every week with Mondays with the Mayor from 8:00-10:00 AM where we answer texts and call-ins to the show as we discuss various projects going on throughout the community. Remember that this is your community, so make sure you know what is going on and why. Finally, enjoy the holiday season and think of all the wonderful things we have in this community, and know that together we can do even better. Remember to be patient, be positive and be proactive with kindness. We all want fairness, and it starts with us. 1
VILLAGE COUNCIL MEETINGS
Recent Actions
» Approved Agreement with Cutler Repaving, Inc. through the New Mexico Statewide Price Agreement for Pavement Resurfacing and Curb-Line Milling on Gavilan Canyon Road, Warrior Drive, and Paradise Canyon Road, in the Amount of $3,225,278.47, Including Gross Receipts Tax. » Approved Award of RFP #2022-003P to WSP USA, Inc. for Professional Engineering Services for Bridge Replacements. » Approved Contract with WSP USA, Inc. to Provide Professional Engineering Services for Bridge Replacement Projects, in the Amount of $1,053,252.17, Including Gross Receipts Tax. » Adopted Ordinance 2021-05, An Ordinance to Enact Comprehensive Zoning and Other Regulations for Cannabis; including Cannabis Establishments, other Cannabis Businesses, Production of Cannabis and Cannabis Products, and Amending §54-31, Definitions to Add and Delete Cannabis Related Definitions. » Adopted Ordinance 2021-06, An Ordinance Amending the Village of Ruidoso Land Use Code of Ordinances Chapter 54, Division 3 to Encourage Infill in Residential Zones to Help Alleviate the Current Shortage of Housing in Accordance with the Comprehensive Plan and Other Housing Planning Documents. » Heard a presentation on the Fiscal Year 2021 Water Conservation Report. » Approved Fire Department Pay Plan for Recruiting and Retention Purposes. » Approved Purchase of Four (4) 2021 Ford Police Explorer Interceptors and for the Cost to Fully Equip each unit, including Gross Receipts Tax through a Statewide Price Agreement for a Total Purchase of $229,110.92.
Ruidoso Village Council Members
Rifle Salas – Mayor Pro Tem, Susan Lutterman, Dr. Gary Jackson, Tim Coughlin, Joe Eby, John Cornelius
» Upcoming Regular Village Council Meeting: Tuesday, December 14, 2021
MYERS EARNS MECHANICAL INSPECTOR CREDENTIAL We would like to extend our congratulations to Dave Myers, our Certified Building Official, that recently increased his credential to become a Mechanical Inspector. He does a great job helping contractors and homeowners understand the building codes that often work together with zoning codes. He is friendly and approachable when it comes to providing customer service to the public and always places the utmost importance on the health and safety of the occupants of the structures. The level of service Inspector Myers provides is top-notch, and we are proud to have him as a key team member of the Village. Congratulations on this major accomplishment!
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FINANCIAL FACTS In last month’s newsletter, we discussed the General Fund revenues and expenditures. This month, we will focus on the Enterprise Funds, more commonly called Utilities, which are guided operationally and financially by two planning documents, a Facilities Master Plan and a Rate Analysis. Enterprise Funds are commonly operated by municipalities in the State of New Mexico and include Water Utilities (water production, treatment, storage, and distribution), Wastewater Utilities (sewer collection and treatment), and Solid Waste Utilities (garbage, green waste, and construction debris collection and landfill). Utilities are funded by various user fees for services and some Environmental Gross Receipt Taxes.
Budgets at a Glance: Utility Enterprise Fund Budget Revenues $13.6M
The Village of Ruidoso recently approved the advertisement of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for professional Expenses $21.1M services to conduct a Facilities Master Plan and Rate Analysis for each of the Enterprise Funds listed above. The Master Plan will focus on providing best practice recommendations for the maintenance, operations, repair and replacement for all infrastructure and capital assets of the enterprises. The Rate Study will take the information from the Master Plans to develop a financial plan to adequately fund the needs of each of the enterprises. These plans provide the Village with a road map to assure a fair and equitable rate, prevent deferred maintenance, and establish a level of service for the consumers. Over the next 24 months, citizens should expect to see public hearings pertaining to the Master Plans and Rate Studies.
THE COMMUNITY CENTER
A Social Hub for Ruidoso
The Village of Ruidoso Community Center, located at 501 Sudderth Drive, seeks to improve the well-being of individuals by providing services to our community. The Community Center encourages broad involvement and participation by keeping costs free or by seeking small donations. Below is a list of some of the current Community Center offerings: » Quilting and yarn sessions (weekly) » $2 breakfast on Thursdays and Fridays » Book clubs » $1 lunch on Wednesdays » Mahjong » Clogging lessons (3 days a week) » Bridge » Fitness classes (4 days a week) » Veteran services » Exercise and cardio equipment are available free of charge » Art classes A full schedule of activities can be found on Community Center page on the Village of Ruidoso website. Come visit us – we would love to see you! 3
CHAMBER CHAT The Chamber has been very busy as the holiday season progresses! There have been some staff changes at the Chamber, so we wanted to be sure to highlight the current team. Please stop in anytime to say hello! » Deborah Douds – Executive Director/CEO » Shawon Darden – Membership Coordinator » Patty Beaver – RVCC Visitor’s Center » Cynthia Crouse – RVCC Visitor’s Center » Pat Eline – Billy the Kid Visitor’s Center » Carolyn Coquat – Billy the Kid Visitor’s Center » Bill Kirk – RVCC/Bill the Kid Visitor’s Center The Festival of Lights Parade will take place December 4th at 5:30 PM through Midtown Ruidoso. This year’s theme is Christmas in Wonderland. Immediately following the parade there will be an Afterparty in Wingfield Park with hot chocolate and cookies, a family-friendly Christmas movie, fire pits to keep warm and a cash bar by El Camino Nuevo. The Chamber is also busy working on the Lincoln County Day Legislative Reception in Santa Fe which will be Wednesday, February 2 at the Drury Plaza Inn at 5:30 PM. The Chamber has reserved a block of rooms at the Drury Plaza at a single room rate of $104 per night. To reserve a room, call the Drury Plaza at 800-325-0720 and refer to Group #2449460. Reservations need to be made by January 2, 2022. Tickets are $40 in advance and can be purchased at the Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce. If you have any questions about our events or want to register for the Lincoln County Day Reception, call the Chamber at 575-257-7395.
UPCOMING EVENTS As we move into the holiday season here are some upcoming events:
December 2 Christmas in the Park at Wingfield Park December 3-5 A Christmas Affair at the Ruidoso Convention Center December 4 Festival of Lights Parade and Afterparty December 4 Christmas Caroling December 4 Gary Allan at the Inn of the Mountain Gods December 10-11 Christmas Caroling December 11 Christmas Drone Show December 11-12 Jingle Mingle at Enchanted Vine December 17-18 Christmas Caroling December 18-19 The Nutcracker at the Spencer Theater December 25 Christmas Day December 30 Torchlight Parade December 31 New Year’s Eve Select dates December 3rd through January 1st White Mountain Christmas at Flying J Ranch Visit DiscoverRuidoso.com for a full list of events.
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LIBRARIES IMPACT ON SOCIAL WELL BEING OF COMMUNITY The Institute for Museum and Library Services recently released a report on the Social Well Being Impacts of Libraries and Museums. According to the report, Lincoln County ranks in the top ten percentile of presence and usage among libraries of similar geographic scale which is great news for Lincoln County libraries and the patrons who use them. This research shows that libraries are doing their job of being hubs for their communities, and patrons are responding to what their libraries are offering. During COVID, patrons throughout New Mexico indicated that library services helped them to mentally make it through the early stay-at-home mandates. Libraries offered not only curbside services but reached out to their communities with virtual programming of varying kinds. They expanded their online e-book collections and purchased databases that patrons could use from home. Many libraries offered hotspots which helped support both virtual learning and working from home. As reopening began, libraries were there getting the word out about how to apply for grants for businesses as well as individuals to steer the economy toward recovery. These are only examples of what libraries did to support their communities during COVID, but they offer these same kinds of activities and support to their communities every day by staying in touch with changing trends, ensuring that the people in their communities are given the information they need, the resources to accomplish their goals, as well as ways to spend their leisure time. Libraries are the community hub that support education, literacy, business, recreation, and life-long learning for the communities they serve.
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RUIDOSO FIRE DEPARTMENT IMPLEMENTS NEW RECRUITMENT & RETENTION PLAN The Fire Chief, the Mayor, the Village Council and the Village Manager have worked together to develop a multi-faceted plan that will allow the Ruidoso Fire Department to focus on recruitment of new firefighters and retention of those that are currently in the department. The plan allows the RFD to take training of new recruits to the next level with the all-new Ruidoso Fire Academy, a three-week series of intensive trainings. In addition, the new plan supports competitive wages which will help not only in recruitment but also will improve retention. RFD has also added two additional firefighter positions which allows for two personnel on each shift to remain on-duty at Sierra Blanca Regional Airport.
RUIDOSO POLICE DEPARTMENT ENHANCES COMMUNITY OUTREACH With a concentrated emphasis on enhancing community outreach, the Ruidoso Police Department has launched the inaugural Citizens Police Academy along with their newsletter From the Chief’s Desk. The Citizens Police Academy is open to all community members and is designed to provide participants with knowledge on how the RPD operates in the Village and how it relates to other areas of the justice system. Presentations are given on patrol functions, investigations, use of force, 911 and communications, animal control/code enforcement, internal affairs, community policing, and many other interesting subjects. Participants also get to do a ridealong with an RPD officer. Classes meet once a week Congratulations to the graduating class of the inaugural Citizens Academy in the evenings from 6:00 – 9:00 PM for 10 weeks. If you are interested in registering for the next Academy which is scheduled for late Spring/early Summer, please contact Deputy Chief Diron Hill at 575-258-7365 or via email at dironhill@ruidoso-nm.gov. The From the Chief’s Desk newsletter will be posted monthly on the RPD Facebook page and the VOR website. It will contain information about crime trends, safety tips and upcoming events involving the RPD.
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RUIDOSO MIDTOWN ASSOCIATION UPDATE The newly remodeled sidewalks and updated seating will make the snow removal a breeze this year. Our Parks and Recreation partners work swiftly to make sure the paths are clean and clear for our Midtown traffic and pedestrians. Let’s all think snow. The twinkling lights in Midtown sure are beautiful - especially when there is a white cap of snow on our lovely Sierra Blanca backdrop. Speaking of lighting, an exciting upcoming project in the district will be the street pole lighting update. We will be seeing a $250,000 upgrade to the street pole lighting in Midtown starting in January. The project should begin the week of January 18th and will be completed before Spring Break. There are a few threeday weekend holidays in that time frame that have been taken into consideration in planning. There will not be construction during those times, on Fridays or the weekends. The poles will be decorative with modern LED fixtures and a speaker system that will run throughout the district.
Meet the 2021-22 Board of Directors » Kendra King Executive Director » Dakota Montes President » Frankie Lee Reynolds Vice President » Debbie Nix Treasurer » Lance Roe Pictured left to right: Lance Roe, Dakota Montes, Frankie Lee Reynolds, Daniel Gutierrez, Debbie Nix, Tim Dodge, Kendra King, Michelle O’Brien, Eduardo Martinez, Elliot Taylor, Rodney Griego, Samantha Mendez
» Michelle O’Brien » Elliott Taylor
UPCOMING EVENTS DECEMBER 16:
Ugly Sweater Midtown Association, Mixer 5:30pm at WPS. There will be great local raffle items including a two-hour OHV tour from Backcountry Attitudes. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!
Please feel free to contact Kendra or any board member with your ideas and concerns. We always appreciate community involvement. Kendra King (575)-973-0967 kendraeking@gmail.com. Follow the Ruidoso Midtown Association on Facebook for regular posts and updates.
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HOLIDAY EVENTS CHRISTMAS CAROLING December 4th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 18th 7:30PM-9PM at Wingfield Park The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loudly for all to hear. Join us for Christmas caroling and hot chocolate at Wingfield Park!
CHRISTMAS DRONE SHOW December 11th 6PM · 7PM at White Mountain Complex Come out to see the 150 drone light Christmas show over White Mountain Sports Complex