Two special meetings scheduled by the Town of Edgewood for Saturday April 12, 2014:

Saturday April 12 at 9:00 am: A joint meeting between the Council and P&Z at the Edgewood Community Center to discuss proposed ordinance changes.

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Saturday April 12 at 3:00 pm: A Town Hall meeting regarding formation of an Edgewood School District: Location to be announced. Edgewood Middle School Cafeteria.

The P&Z packet for April 1, 2014 is now available:

Nope, this is not an April Fool's joke!  You may download individual files from the ToE Agenda Center, or view copies in P&Z 2014 04 01 on Drive.  The town staff is working on overcoming limitations in the website's archiving capability so expect variations in how packets are posted until someone comes up with a work-around. 

Land use in the news 03/27/2014

From the March 27  Mountain View Telegraph:

• MESD sues PED, Skandera over rejection;
• Small-biz summit on Sat.;
• Ansley not put on leave;
• Edgewood may build two project simultaneously;
• Coming Up: Water Association Meeting April 8;
• News Briefs: New school seeks input from public;
• OPINION: District right in suing PED;
• Letters to the Editor:  We need sidewalk to keep kids safe; Extra-curricular programs are vital.

[The MVT is published weekly in paper form and delivered with The Albuquerque Journal on Thursdays.  You may also read news, sports, opinions and letters to the editor, obituaries, legals, and classifieds online at the website. If you're reading the online version, don't forget to check the links to shorter topics such as the calendar, upcoming events, milestones, news briefs, police reports and this weekend notes which are interspersed in the news headlines.]

P&Z Agenda for 04/01/2014 is now available

You may view the agenda at the ToE website.  There is a copy in the Commission Agendas folder on Drive as well.  The meeting packet is not yet available due to a technical problem with the website, but Councilor Sherry Abraham is working on the problem and hopes to have it available later today. 

Land use in the news 03/26/2014

The Independent:  March 26-April 1

• District sues PED & Skandera over schools decision (page 1);
• Mayor proposes new police station (page 1);
• Estancia sets new town government, elects pro tem (page 1); 
• FORUM Letters on pages 6-8: Corners are dark and reveal mayor's conflict of interest; Let's keep all of our schools and open more; Thanks for passing bonds, Edgewood, Distrustful of Torrance County's manager, Community input needed for school; Make noise: save children's lives; An open letter to Gov. Susana Martinez:
• Special Edition for April 1, 2014: The Insolent News Various light topics which will be most amusing to those who follow local news on a regular basis.  (Follows page 8)
• Legal notices (page 14) The Town of Edgewood's  three notices include the following: (1) an advertisement for bids on road materials, (2) public input sought by the Council at the regular meeting of April 16 concerning adoption of proposed Bond Ordinance No. 2014-01; (3) Joint Session workshop between the Edgewood Council and Commission on April 12 at 9:00 AM in the Edgewood Community Center.  In addition, there is a public notice by the NMPRC concerning a petition by Tempo Telecom LLC, and Notice from Santa Fe County on a budget study session for the Board of County Commissioners. (page 14)

[The Independent is locally owned and operated.  It is published weekly and appears on Wednesdays; the front page of the current edition appears on its website.  The price for an email subscription is reasonable, and I've found the service reliable and convenient.  The e-version includes ads and legal notices in full color with the added benefit of adjustable print size. You can also purchase a regular mail subscription or pick up a single copy for fifty cents at most local businesses if you prefer the paper and ink version.]

New page added:

I've added a new page named Economic Development which currently has information about the town's economic development activities, Senate Bill 175, the MESD reorganization plan, and Lone Pine Ranch. 

Council Agenda for April 2, 2014

The preliminary agenda is now available at the ToE website.  I will post links to the the packet containing the final agenda when it made available by the town clerk.  Featured on the agenda are two special meetings for April 12, 2014; one is a 9: AM joint meeting of the Council and P&Z to consider changes to the zoning and subdivision ordinances, and the other is a 3:00 PM town hall meeting.  No locations are specified for either of the April 12 meetings. 

New documents added to the Schools folder

I've added two documents to the Schools folder on Drive; one is a condensed version of the documentation provided by the Moriarty-Edgewood School District to the Public Education Department in support of the re-organization plan and the other is a public statement from MESD concerning the lawsuit filed on Tuesday, March 18, 2014. 

Update to the Town Documents page

I have added information to the Portal's Town Documents page including links to the Ordinances & Resolutions and  the Forms & Applications found at the town's official website.

P&Z Audio for 03/18/2014

The audio for last Tuesday's P&Z meeting (MP3) is available at the ToE website. 

Council packets for 03/19/2014 including the latest financial reports:

The council packet information for 03/19/2014 was not published in time for me to post it on the day of the meeting, so I'm posting the link to the file at the ToE website.  A copy is also available on Drive in the Council Packets folder. 

Land use in the news 03/20/2014

From the March 20  Mountain View Telegraph:

• Torrance Commission re-affirms support of manager
• No Deal on waste authority assistance
• Full house for meeting
• MESD votes to retain attorney
• MESD files lawsuit over PED decision
• Mountainair voters pass $3M school bond
• OPINION: Mitigation of impacts up to SunZia
• Letters to the Editor: Stop playing with families' lives; If schools close taxes must be cut; Vote for honest, open government; Treat seniors with more respect; What makes a few so hard of heart?; Why is Ansley the sole negotiator?

[The MVT is published weekly in paper form and delivered with The Albuquerque Journal on Thursdays.  You may also read news, sports, opinions and letters to the editor, obituaries, legals, and classifieds online at the website. If you're reading the online version, don't forget to check the links to shorter topics such as the calendar, upcoming events, milestones, news briefs, police reports and this weekend notes which are interspersed in the news headlines.]

Land use in the news 03/19/2014

The Independent:  March 19-25

• Solid waste and politics in Torrance County (page 1);
• Almost no discussion but plenty of action in Tijeras (page 2);
• Road work in Moriarty on I-40 (page 2); 
• Soccer field named to honor Steve Williams (page 3); 
• Legislative wrap-up: New laws that will impact everyday citizens (page 3);
• FORUM Letters on pages 6-7: "We don't want you here any more" says angry senior; Country contract should be bid non; East Mountain Chamber events; Steve Williams' family says thanks.
• Editorial: Local dark corners of government and Sunshine Week (page 7);
• Legal notices (page 14) The Town of Edgewood's P&Z Commission will consider a request for a conditional use permit for a veterinary hospital. The property is located at #4 Linnie Court. (Second publication for this hearing.)

[The Independent is locally owned and operated.  It is published weekly and appears on Wednesdays; the front page of the current edition appears on its website.  The price for an email subscription is reasonable, and I've found the service reliable and convenient.  The e-version includes ads and legal notices in full color with the added benefit of adjustable print size. You can also purchase a regular mail subscription or pick up a single copy for fifty cents at most local businesses if you prefer the paper and ink version.]

Land use in the news 03/13/2014

From the March 13  Mountain View Telegraph:

• Overlooked last week:  Facebook plans to buy Titan Aerospace;
• MESD to resubmit school closing plan to PED;
• School bond election set for Mountainair;
• Hopefuls file for primary; 
• Tijeras Senior Center roiled by scrapbook caper;
• News Briefs: Mountainair Animal Shelter is nearing completion; Bernalillo County's next small business summit; A new national Park Service report;
• Opinion: Tax reform bait for some big fish;
• Cooperation not on the PED curriculum;
• Letters to the Editor: Various letters on the Tijeras Senior Center dispute and the MESD reorganization plan.

[The MVT is published weekly in paper form and delivered with The Albuquerque Journal on Thursdays.  You may also read news, sports, opinions and letters to the editor, obituaries, legals, and classifieds online at the website. If you're reading the online version, don't forget to check the links to shorter topics such as the calendar, upcoming events, milestones, news briefs, police reports and this weekend notes which are interspersed in the news headlines.]

P&Z schedules a public hearing for a conditional use permit:

April 1, 2014: The P&Z Commission will consider the following during a public hearing: a request for a conditional use permit for a veterinary animal hospital on property located at #4 Linnie Court; NW 1/4 section of Section 28 T 10N, R7 E, Edgewood, NM 87015

During the public hearing, citizens will be given the opportunity to comment on the above items.  The commission will also accept written comments if received before the hearing.  Written comments may be sent to the Town of Edgewood PO Box 3610, Edgewood, NM 87015.  If you have any questions, you may call 505-286-4518.

Land use in the news 03/12/2014

The Independent:  March 12-18

• Woman cited in "scrapbook caper" (page 1);
• District to resubmit closure plan to PED (page 1);
• Dreaming of a new high school in Mountainair: bond vote is March 18 (page 1); 
• Abandoned mines reclamation delays San Pedro BLM hiking trail project; (page 9)
• FORUM Letters on pages 6-8: Small group was vocal; now large group speaks up; "Unfathomable" to cut school programs; A majority supports reorganizing schools; Tom Sullivan is an "exceptional leader"; Those for repurposing outnumber opposition; Tijeras seniors "guilty until proven innocent"; "Intimidating treatment" of seniors.
• Legal notices (page 14) The Town of Edgewood's P&Z Commission will consider a request for a conditional use permit for a veterinary hospital. The property is located at #4 Linnie Court.

[The Independent is locally owned and operated.  It is published weekly and appears on Wednesdays; the front page of the current edition appears on its website.  The price for an email subscription is reasonable, and I've found the service reliable and convenient.  The e-version includes ads and legal notices in full color with the added benefit of adjustable print size. You can also purchase a regular mail subscription or pick up a single copy for fifty cents at most local businesses if you prefer the paper and ink version.]

The final council agenda for 03/12/2014 is now available:

The final agenda was posted this morning at the Town website along with the council packet information. I have placed a copy of the packet on Google Drive.

A preliminary agenda for the March 19 Regular Council Meeting is also available.  The town typically approves the financial report and payment of bills at the second regular meeting of the month after the state releases Gross Receipts Tax information.  For those who have asked where to find the financial reports, I would suggest looking in the Council Packet folders on Google Drive.  I regret the fact that I have not taken the time to separate financial reports from the rest of the council packets, nor have I collected an extensive number of old reports. Packet information for council meetings is typically supplied in the form of a single PDF and made available to the public on the Monday before a Wednesday council meeting. 

Land use in the news 03/05/2014

From the March 6  Mountain View Telegraph:

• School board votes to resubmit school closing plan to PED;
• Breaking News March 5: Municipal Election Results;
• Breaking News February 27 (Updated): State PED tells Moriarty-Edgewood School District to keep schools open;
• Willard project a legislative winner;
• Coming Up: Acequia group to hold meeting;
• News Briefs: Bernalillo capital plan update due; Roundtable topic is herd health; More minority, young farmers;
• Opinion: Benefits from open government are worth celebrating;
• Letters to the Editor: It's a good idea to close 2 schools; Rethink keeping elementaries open.

[The MVT is published weekly in paper form and delivered with The Albuquerque Journal on Thursdays.  You may also read news, sports, opinions and letters to the editor, obituaries, legals, and classifieds online at the website. If you're reading the online version, don't forget to check the links to shorter topics such as the calendar, upcoming events, milestones, news briefs, police reports and this weekend notes which are interspersed in the news headlines.]

P&Z Agenda for 03/18/2014

AGENDA

TOWN OF EDGEWOOD

PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION MEETING

March 18, 2014 AT 6:00 PM

27 E. Frontage Road, Edgewood Community Center

      The Town of Edgewood Planning & Zoning Commission is pleased to have residents of the community take time to attend Commission Meetings.  Attendance and participation is encouraged. Individuals wishing to be heard during Public Hearing proceedings are encouraged to be prepared PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE CONSTRUCTIVE AND DEVOID OF CHARACTER ASSASSINATION. Written comments are welcome and should be given to the Town administrator prior to the start of the meeting.

1)      Call to order-Roll call.

2)      Approve Agenda.

3)      Approve the Minutes of 2/18/2014. 

4)      Secretary Position Election/Correction.

5)      Public Comment. Limit to 2 minutes per person.  Note:  If you plan to speak under Public Hearings, please do not sign up for this topic.

6)      Matters from the Chair and Commission Members.

7)      Matters from Staff.

8)      Calendar Update.

9)      Adjourn.  

A COPY OF THE AGENDA MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE TOWN OFFICE, 1911 HISTORIC ROUTE 66 DURING REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS OF 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM.

If you are an individual with a disability who is in need of a reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter, or any other form of auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in the hearing or meeting, please contact the Town Clerk at 505-286-4518 At least one week prior to the meeting or as soon as possible.

Land use in the news 03/05/2014

The Independent:  March 5-11

• Edgewood bonds pass; King out in Tijeras (page 1);
• Skandera overturns school district's cuts (page 1);
• Road work starts on I-40 & Martinez (page 1); 
• Min. wage passes; land zoning is next (page 2);
• Voting results for different municipalities (see the tan box on page 2);
• Photo: Refurbishing a Standard Oil sign for Route 66 (page 4);
• Chief's Corner: Fire safety tips by Fred Radosevich; Edgewood Police Chief (page 4);
• FORUM Letters: Student says there are good reasons to close 2 schools; Schools decision affects all students; No strip mining of La Bajada Mesa (page 7);
• Legal notices (page 14) There are no public notices from ToE in this week's edition.

[The Independent is locally owned and operated.  It is published weekly and appears on Wednesdays; the front page of the current edition appears on its website.  The price for an email subscription is reasonable, and I've found the service reliable and convenient.  The e-version includes ads and legal notices in full color with the added benefit of adjustable print size. You can also purchase a regular mail subscription or pick up a single copy for fifty cents at most local businesses if you prefer the paper and ink version.]

The MESD Re-organization plan revisited.

On Monday March 3, 2014 a five page summary of the 191 pages of documentation submitted by the Moriarty-Edgewood School District to the Public Education Department was uploaded to a Facebook group named Moriarty-Edgewood Students First.  The document, which was completed within a week of PED's rejection of the plan, was produced by a group of volunteers; it examines what the group believes to be four inaccurate statements being made about the district's plan to re-organize the school district and rebuts each "myth" with a series of facts.

The group was created on February 26, 2014 at 9:24 PM, and at the time of this blog post it has 384 members. I joined the group on March 1. The group has been active in contacting legislators, public officials, the media, and interested citizens in order to provide information about the district's situation.  It has also organized efforts to invite people to attend tomorrow evening's special board meeting which is open to the public. The meeting agenda is available through the MESD Website. 

• Moriarty-Edgewood Board of Education Special Meeting
• 7:00 PM Thursday March 6, 2014
• Performing Arts Center on the high school campus in Moriarty

ToE Election Results

Both incumbents win; both bond questions pass easily in a low turnout election.  You can view results from Edgewood at the NM Secretary of State's website.

TODAY is the day to vote in the EDGEWOOD MUNICIPAL ELECTION

The Ballot: There are 3 candidates for 2 council positions and two General Obligation Bond tax questions on the ballot for today's Edgewood municipal election. [Link to sample ballot.]

Election Day: If you were unable to vote early, be sure to vote on Tuesday March 4 at the Edgewood Community Center which is located on the Frontage Road east of Dairy Queen.

Hours: The polls will be open from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Election Day. If you wait until late in the day, be advised that you must be either inside the building, or if the line extends out the door, you must be in line outside the Community Center at 7:00 PM in order to vote.

The 2012 town election featured a disappointing 25% turnout; I hope this year more people will VOTE! 

More on the proposed school closings (edited)

[Note added on March 6, 2014:  It has been pointed out to me that the proposal sent to the PED calls for re-purposing the school buildings not closing them, and for moving students and most staff members to other schools.] 

It failed to reach the local newspapers in time for publication this week, but the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED or PED) has sent a letter to the Moriarty Edgewood School District detailing what it believes to be deficiencies in the district's plans to close Mountainview Elementary and Edgewood Elementary Schools and move 6th Grade students to the middle schools.  In the letter, Secretary of Education Designate, Hanna Skandera, cites a number of factors as the basis for her decision to nix the plan.

Edgewood registered voters may vote on Tuesday March 4 at the Community Center

The Ballot: There are 3 candidates for 2 council positions and two General Obligation Bond tax questions on the ballot for the upcoming Edgewood municipal election. [Link to sample ballot.]

Election Day: If you were unable to vote early, be sure to vote on Tuesday March 4 at the Edgewood Community Center which is located on the Frontage Road east of Dairy Queen.

Hours: The polls will be open from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Election Day. If you wait until late in the day, be advised that you must be either inside the building, or if the line extends out the door, you must be in line outside the Community Center at 7:00 PM in order to vote.