RATON — Raton City Commissioners first meeting after the municipal election is for reorganization and reappointments to boards which the commission did without change. Commissioner Sandra Mantz will continue as Mayor and Commissioner James Neil Segotta will remain as Mayor Pro-Tem. Commissioner Ronald Chavez and Segotta exchanged their positions on the Airport board and Parks and Recreation board with the remainder keeping their current appointments. Commissioners approved the appointment of Terry Segotta to the Housing Authority board with Commissioner Segotta abstaining from the vote. Commissioners also approved reappointing Margaret Evans to the Housing Authority Board. In other business this week: Rick Klein, City Manager from La Junta and Bill Sauble spoke about the Tiger-7 grant progress and that they will also apply for a Tiger-8 grant this next year. The consortium will be asking the city for another $12,500 for matching monies. Klein noted that they will ask both New Mexico and Colorado for $1 million and Kansas has promised their million should both Colorado and New Mexico DOTs commit their money. The Tiger Grants are being used for track maintenance along the Amtrak Southwest Chief rail route through Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico. BNSF as well as Amtrak have also thrown in money for the work. Klein noted once the work is done Amtrak has agreed to
stay on the route and there may also be some freight traffic return to the route. Mainstreet’s Hops and Vines event on April 9th at the Raton Museum will have Bosque Brewing Company and La Chiripada Winery on hand for the event after commissioners approved their permits. Bill Fegan talked to commissioners about a project he and others are working on that will bring the Santa Fe Trail to life. The project will be a play much like the play “Texas” in Palo Duro Canyon. Born of the Son, written by Paula Paul and Madge Harrah, will be held in the fall at the Coors Building on the Whittington Center. TJ Mendez, hometown boy, will return home to direct the play. A shortened version of the play has been performed for schools as a history lesson. Fegan bills this musical drama as a touch of history and what better place to perform it than on the Santa Fe Trail. Ace Mossiman was the only bidder for the latches on the bear proof dumpsters and was awarded the $115,495 bid for their construction. Phillips told commissioners that the bolt on design was chosen since it will be easier to make repairs in the field rather than bringing a dumpster to the shop to replace the latch. Commissioners approved an agreement for consultant work with Southern Oasis, Inc. for help on the transfer station. Phillips noted most of the work will be done in house with Raton City Manager Scott Berry and Phillips doing most of the work but that they would need some outside help. Joseph Lewandowski has already helped with some work on the transfer station and landfill so his expertise will be called upon when needed. The contract will not exceed $20,000. The extension for the Water Trust Board Restoration Grant was finally approved by commissioners. The grant extension was approved a couple of years ago but it was not formally finished up by commissioners. Commissioners approved Budget Adjustment #7 for this fiscal year which included some transfers to finish up the audit payments. Berry noted it’s about bear time and asked that residents be aware of the day their trash is picked up, and try to hold trash till that time to help keep the bears out of the dumpsters until the new dumpsters arrive. Berry noted Chief Matthews had been working with FEMA and is hoping that the city will qualify for some mitigation funding around town. He said Doss Aviation will begin a class in Raton March 11-13. While it is a short two-day class it is the start date they promised. Commissioners will meet again on March 22, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. in the commission chambers.
