EAST GATEWAY COALITION
MINUTES OF OCTOBER 15, 2009, MEETING
The meeting was called to order by President Roger Mickelson at 6:45 p.m.
APD Lieutenant Scott Lopez presented a summary of crime information on behalf of Commander Levi Anaya.
· Crime is down in District 9, except for Singing Arrow.
· Go to www.cabq.gov/crime for information on calls for service; you can select the area and duration.
· Four Hills and Juan Tabo Blvd have major speeding problems; APD has mounted more speed checks.
· Reversal operations: Female APD officers are posing as prostitutes, especially along Central Avenue.
· Burglaries have resulted in increased APD operations to counter those crimes.
· APD is working on noise enforcement, especially loud motorcycles.
· Crime prevention specialist, Agrippina Neubauer, is conducting a series of classes for young school children on internet safety, predators, and other concerns.
· Gates have recently been installed near the south end of the Juan Tabo Blvd bridge to prevent vehicles from entering the Tijeras Arroyo.
· APD Foothills Command can be reached at 332-5240.
Focus on Transportation
· NM DOT representative had to cancel at the last minute due to flu; ABQ Ride was not present.
· Traffic Engineer Wilford Gallegos:
o Department of Municipal Development is responsible for both capital programs and operations.
o The ¼ cent Transportation Infrastructure Tax provides about 80% of road maintenance funding.
o Goal of Street Maintenance is to work every street every 8-10 years.
o City has about 4600 lane miles of streets to maintain; about 1/3 are arterial and 2/3 residential.
o Major rehabilitation costs about $200,000 per lane mile.
o Snow removal involves approximately 26 snow plows; emphasis is on salting/sanding.
o I-40 closures. There is a plan, including gates to prevent eastbound access to I-40, signage, and negotiations with EXPO New Mexico for parking, but major questions remain [NOTE: This may be the primary topic for a panel of State, County, and City transportation and police agencies in January.]
o City will salt/sand the Juan Tabo Blvd bridge leading to Juan Tabo Hills, but further south, the issue may be City acceptance of the bridge and developer-built streets.
o Generally, the city doesn’t salt/sand residential streets.
· Jack Lord, MR COG:
o Presented an outline of the Metropolitan Planning Organization that serves as a regional planning, development, and coordinating body.
o Responsible for the long-range Metropolitan Transportation Plan (the process for the 2035 MTP has just begun) and shorter-range Transportation Improvement Plan (eight year budget constrained tactical plan).
o Contact at www.mrcog-nm.gov
o NOTE: Roger Mickelson has an electronic copy of Jack Lord’s .ppt presentation.
· Bruce Rizzieri, MR COG:
o Regional transportation planning and execution.
o Federal Highway Trust Fund has been depleted recently—funded by gasoline/diesel taxes.
o State Road Fund is also funded by gasoline/diesel taxes, but some revenues diverted by the NM Legislature.
o Gasoline/diesel tax revenues have declined during the last several months.
o Local funding includes the new 1/8 cent Gross Receipts Tax passed last year—split between Rail Runner and related transit—and the recently approved ¼ cent GRT that will go into effect on July 1, 2010.
o Rail Runner passengers: About 45% of the Rio Rancho-boarding passengers go to Santa Fe; approximately 80% of the Los Lunas/Belen passengers are bound for Albuquerque.
o Next three years will see more transit routes, park-and-ride locations, and neighborhood circulator services.
o In coming years, New Mexico (and Albuquerque) are predicted to have the fifth-oldest average age population; regional transit planning will adapt to those requirements.
Paula Donahue, Planning Department, presented a short status summary of the East Gateway Sector Development Plan. Comments have been received and analyzed to update the plan. Next step is to submit the plan to the Environmental Planning Commission (target date is November 5, but could be delayed to December 3) and provide public access a week after submission. EPC will hold at least two hearings, and then the city council’s Land Use, Planning, and Zoning Committee will consider the plan. City council is the approving authority. It is important that residents, business operators, and other interested parties testify and submit written comments after studying the plan as it proceeds. The Coalition attendees complimented Paula for her professional diligence and erstwhile efforts to keep the public informed and involved—much applause.
Bernadine Hernández, UNM Hospital, presented an overview “Report Card” describing UNMH and its accomplishments. UNMH is the only public and teaching hospital in New Mexico. It is also the only Level 1 Trauma center and the only 24/7 Pediatric ER in New Mexico. The long-standing mil levy provides approximately $82 million annually for services and equipment. UNMH will convert to all-electronic medical records on October 25, 2009. NOTE: Roger Mickelson has an electronic copy of her .ppt presentation.
There were some concluding statements by Matt Zidovsky (Rep Martin Heinrich’s office), Qiana Salazar-King (Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins’s office), Bernadette Miera (Bernalillo County neighborhood contact), and Isaac Padilla (Councilor Don Harris’s office).
The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.
MINUTES OF OCTOBER 15, 2009, MEETING
The meeting was called to order by President Roger Mickelson at 6:45 p.m.
APD Lieutenant Scott Lopez presented a summary of crime information on behalf of Commander Levi Anaya.
· Crime is down in District 9, except for Singing Arrow.
· Go to www.cabq.gov/crime for information on calls for service; you can select the area and duration.
· Four Hills and Juan Tabo Blvd have major speeding problems; APD has mounted more speed checks.
· Reversal operations: Female APD officers are posing as prostitutes, especially along Central Avenue.
· Burglaries have resulted in increased APD operations to counter those crimes.
· APD is working on noise enforcement, especially loud motorcycles.
· Crime prevention specialist, Agrippina Neubauer, is conducting a series of classes for young school children on internet safety, predators, and other concerns.
· Gates have recently been installed near the south end of the Juan Tabo Blvd bridge to prevent vehicles from entering the Tijeras Arroyo.
· APD Foothills Command can be reached at 332-5240.
Focus on Transportation
· NM DOT representative had to cancel at the last minute due to flu; ABQ Ride was not present.
· Traffic Engineer Wilford Gallegos:
o Department of Municipal Development is responsible for both capital programs and operations.
o The ¼ cent Transportation Infrastructure Tax provides about 80% of road maintenance funding.
o Goal of Street Maintenance is to work every street every 8-10 years.
o City has about 4600 lane miles of streets to maintain; about 1/3 are arterial and 2/3 residential.
o Major rehabilitation costs about $200,000 per lane mile.
o Snow removal involves approximately 26 snow plows; emphasis is on salting/sanding.
o I-40 closures. There is a plan, including gates to prevent eastbound access to I-40, signage, and negotiations with EXPO New Mexico for parking, but major questions remain [NOTE: This may be the primary topic for a panel of State, County, and City transportation and police agencies in January.]
o City will salt/sand the Juan Tabo Blvd bridge leading to Juan Tabo Hills, but further south, the issue may be City acceptance of the bridge and developer-built streets.
o Generally, the city doesn’t salt/sand residential streets.
· Jack Lord, MR COG:
o Presented an outline of the Metropolitan Planning Organization that serves as a regional planning, development, and coordinating body.
o Responsible for the long-range Metropolitan Transportation Plan (the process for the 2035 MTP has just begun) and shorter-range Transportation Improvement Plan (eight year budget constrained tactical plan).
o Contact at www.mrcog-nm.gov
o NOTE: Roger Mickelson has an electronic copy of Jack Lord’s .ppt presentation.
· Bruce Rizzieri, MR COG:
o Regional transportation planning and execution.
o Federal Highway Trust Fund has been depleted recently—funded by gasoline/diesel taxes.
o State Road Fund is also funded by gasoline/diesel taxes, but some revenues diverted by the NM Legislature.
o Gasoline/diesel tax revenues have declined during the last several months.
o Local funding includes the new 1/8 cent Gross Receipts Tax passed last year—split between Rail Runner and related transit—and the recently approved ¼ cent GRT that will go into effect on July 1, 2010.
o Rail Runner passengers: About 45% of the Rio Rancho-boarding passengers go to Santa Fe; approximately 80% of the Los Lunas/Belen passengers are bound for Albuquerque.
o Next three years will see more transit routes, park-and-ride locations, and neighborhood circulator services.
o In coming years, New Mexico (and Albuquerque) are predicted to have the fifth-oldest average age population; regional transit planning will adapt to those requirements.
Paula Donahue, Planning Department, presented a short status summary of the East Gateway Sector Development Plan. Comments have been received and analyzed to update the plan. Next step is to submit the plan to the Environmental Planning Commission (target date is November 5, but could be delayed to December 3) and provide public access a week after submission. EPC will hold at least two hearings, and then the city council’s Land Use, Planning, and Zoning Committee will consider the plan. City council is the approving authority. It is important that residents, business operators, and other interested parties testify and submit written comments after studying the plan as it proceeds. The Coalition attendees complimented Paula for her professional diligence and erstwhile efforts to keep the public informed and involved—much applause.
Bernadine Hernández, UNM Hospital, presented an overview “Report Card” describing UNMH and its accomplishments. UNMH is the only public and teaching hospital in New Mexico. It is also the only Level 1 Trauma center and the only 24/7 Pediatric ER in New Mexico. The long-standing mil levy provides approximately $82 million annually for services and equipment. UNMH will convert to all-electronic medical records on October 25, 2009. NOTE: Roger Mickelson has an electronic copy of her .ppt presentation.
There were some concluding statements by Matt Zidovsky (Rep Martin Heinrich’s office), Qiana Salazar-King (Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins’s office), Bernadette Miera (Bernalillo County neighborhood contact), and Isaac Padilla (Councilor Don Harris’s office).
The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.
