Another Doña Ana County BOCC meeting is in the books. Commissioners took in several presentations, heard more Project Jupiter comments and tabled approval for a Memorandum of Understanding.
Project Jupiter is a popular topic still, and this time community members asked commissioners to hold a public meeting to get more information.
Commissioner Susana Chaparro agreed to have the meeting and asked for it to be scheduled as soon as possible in collaboration with Project Jupiter representatives.
“I hear you. And I've been hearing you for the past six months. Colleagues, commissioners we've had a group of people come to every commission meeting for the last six months. Since September 19th it's now march and our constituents are asking for a meeting, they're asking for information, they're asking for information on micro grids on air quality permits," Chaparro said.
Commissioner Susie Kimble followed Chaparro, saying she had many questions as well and would like to have an opportunity to get the answers.
“As far as I know the commissioners didn't sign an NDA and I know I didn't sign an NDA but I have the same questions you do. And I'm with commissioner Chaparro and I'm willing to meet with you as well because I don't have the answers either," Kimble said.
County manager Scott Andrews said he was going to work on scheduling a meeting with representatives from Project Jupiter stakeholders. There was no specific date set.
On a lighter note, commissioners took in a presentation on the first-year summer concert series to happen at the Fairgrounds in July. Plans include musical performances, a foam party and drone show, according to Assistant County Manager Stephen Lopez.
“Staff has been looking for that guidance from the board on how we can do something, quality of life. That both ties in to the 250th celebration of our nation's founding as well as kind of starts us on the path moving forward for doing things that make a difference," Lopez said.
Last month, County Manager Scott Andrews mentioned that the county was in talks with the Mescalero Apache Tribe to use an amphitheater the county will build at the fairgrounds, which he said is part of the Go Bond approved by voters.
The Mescalero Apache Tribe was looking at land south of A mountain to build housing and an amphitheater, according to Assistant County manager Stephen Lopez. The county has offered to let the tribe use the amphitheater that was approved.
A Memorandum of Understanding was to be voted on at yesterday’s meeting. The MOU would help the collaboration between the county and the Mescalero Tribe to build a space that would fulfill both the county’s and the tribe's needs.
The MOU was tabled, and the commission will come back to it at their April 28th meeting. Commissioner Kimble expressed why she thought it would be good to table.
“There’s so much animosity in the community right now with what the county is doing and with what Mescalero's are doing. And I feel like it’s a bad look for us to partner with them right now when there is so much mistrust on both sides,” Kimble said.
Other presentations included a summary of the 30-day legislative session, work that is being done on the federal level for the county by Capitol Government Solutions, and an overview of the county's new system for non-emergency reports called Dash Fix it.
Web services manager, Felipe Scobell, gave a demonstration of how it can be used.
“It allows the community to come in and easily enter a complaint, a report. And it routes it straight to the system. You can add photos to this. If you have a pothole, you want to take a photo of the pothole. Flood damage, you can take photos of flood damage and it will go ahead and submit that into the system,” Scobell said.
Dash Fit It can be accessed through the county's website, Doñaana.gov or by downloading the app.
