Bernalillo County Commissioners deferred setting a process to select a new county manager in order to give themselves time  to “chew over” a proposal that was presented at Tuesday’s meeting.

Chew What?

Commissioner Steven Quezada sponsored a proposal to set up a selection policy and process for hiring a new county manager after Julie Morgas Baca retires at the end of June. She was appointed county manager in 2015. 

Quezada’s proposed process would include securing a professional recruitment firm by the end of March, conducting a series of town hall meetings in each commission district to gather input and establishing an online stakeholder survey through the month of April. He proposed that all information be presented to the commissioners , so they can then select and interview finalists with the intent to announce a new county manager by June 14, 2024. 

Commission Chair Barbara Baca asked for the deferral saying, “This is an important decision. We do not want to rush, we need to arrive at a consensus.”

Commissioner Eric Olivas said that there was not enough time to review the proposal properly. He said the commission got the proposed legislation last Friday and more time is needed to look it over and collaborate on the final proposal. Olivas said all the commissioners should be able to pitch in to form the process. 

“It’s more important to get this right than to get this rushed, give us two weeks to chew over what has been submitted,” he said.

Quezada tried to rally commissioners to approve his proposal but the deferral was approved on a 3 to 2 vote. Commissioner Walt Benson voted with Quezada against the deferral.

“Delaying and deferring the selection process for a new county manager is disappointing, undermines transparency, and deprives the community of the opportunity for adequate discussion and consideration of candidates,” Quezada said after the meeting.

Next Step

Commissioners took a unified stance on addressing the pollution issues in the Mountain View neighborhood by unanimously approving the development of a sector plan.

Commissioners Quezada and Olivas sponsored the legislation. Quezada said he wanted to make sure people know that this sector plan isn’t going to go in and down zone any properties or change zoning in any way.

“What we’re looking at is looking at how to put a plan together so we can attract other types of industry, other types of job opportunities,” he said. “When you look at the Journal Center it has some asphalt plants, and it has some other stuff in it. But mostly it has opportunities for small businesses, plumbing companies, things of that nature and it looks beautiful, and it looks great. When you fly into Albuquerque and you come down Sunport boulevard, you’re gonna be looking at a city that looks like it is growing and it doesn’t look like that right now.”

This area is located along Second Street and Broadway Boulevard, south of Rio Bravo Boulevard, on the east side of the river. The historic agricultural and residential neighborhood has been the center of heavy industry in Bernalillo County since the 1970s. The area has numerous heavy industries such as fuel storage facilities, cement plants, asphalt plants and auto salvages. It is also home to the Valle Del Oro Urban Wildlife Refuge and the Rio Grande bosque.

“This is the neighborhood that built Albuquerque, right? This is the neighborhood that built our community, and we don’t wanna lose sight of that,” Olivas said.

Commissioners approved a one time allocation of $1.25 million from the general fund to support the development of the sector plan. The funding will also be used for environmental improvements, land acquisition, design and construction of a public park in the Mountain View neighborhood.

Progress on the sector plan will be presented to the commission within 24 months.

In Other Business

• Commissioners approved using $410,000 from the New Mexico MainStreet grant fund to redevelop the Dolores Huerta Gateway Park at 100 Isleta Blvd. SW. Proposed improvements include a shaded picnic area, more shade structures, more trees, a stage and a new “gateway” structure among other improvements. The park is home to La Familia Growers Market, La Familia Growers Market Harvest Festival and I Love The South Valley Because Art Exhibit.
• On a unanimous vote, commissioners approved the county’s federal policy priorities and spending requests. Some of the funding requests include projects to design and plan a senior housing site and the I-40 TradePort Corridor, expand the “Keep NM Alive” campaign for substance use prevention among BernCo youth, and public works projects to complete Bridge Boulevard Phase 3 and the South Valley Street Tree and Green Stormwater Infrastructure project. Six of the 12 funding requests were from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and include vehicle acquisition and crime prevention technology.
• Commissioners approved moving $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act monies from a fund for the city’s Gateway Center expansion to be used instead for security improvements at the county’s Fire Prevention Division at the Atrium building on Second Street in the North Valley. In addition, $316,000 of the ARPA monies will be used for implementing a scrap tire program to help alleviate the enormous amount of scrap tires being dumped around the county. 

How To Participate

Bernalillo County meetings are conducted at 5 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday of the month in the Ken Sanchez Commission Chambers at 415 Silver Ave SW or via a hybrid manner through GOV-TV or online at the county’s website or on Bernalillo County’s YouTube channel. The next meeting is at 5 p.m. on April 9.