A Shortage of Law Enforcement and Care for Arthur Park Addressed by Estancia Trustees

Perhaps it was a sign of spring fever, but the audience, mostly municipal employees, were jovial at the start of the May 6, 2024, meeting of the Estancia Board of Trustees. Jokes were shared amongst members of the town's maintenance staff, town clerk, and board members. As the meeting got underway, town clerk Michelle Jones explained how the transition to a new accounting software known as Caselle was going. This discussion segued into one of how Representative Melanie Stansbury's (NM D-1) office was attempting to assist the town in finding federal funding for renovations to the town hall.

At the meeting the town's trustees approved the move of utility billing to a service known as Xpress Bill Pay. Jones explained that with Xpress Bill Pay, residents would be able to pay their bill online, although there would be a fee to do so by credit or debit card (the fee would be 3% of the bill, plus $0.50 USD, per transaction). The town would cover the fees associated with automated clearinghouse (ACH) payments directly made from a bank account. Jones also said that it might be possible for residents to do budget billing through Xpress Bill Pay at some point in the future.

Acting Estancia Police Chief Jason Downing said that the Estancia Police Department responded to 153 calls in April 2024, up from 129 calls in March 2024. Downing also brought numerous standard operating procedure documents to the attention of the Board of Trustees as part of a larger effort to ensure the police department's policies and procedures were fully documented. Downing stated that the Estancia Police Department would have an officer on call during the graveyard shift, as the police department had been notified that the Torrance County Sheriff's Office no longer had the manpower to cover that shift. Torrance County Sheriff David Frazee has been contacted for comment on the manpower issue.

Mayor Nathan Dial addressed the maintenance of the pond in Estancia's Arthur Park. Dial explained that the pond would be stocked with fish in July 2024. Dial had two individuals who represented an unnamed landscaping firm discuss how the park needed more aeration because the chemicals normally used for cleaning ponds would kill the fish with which the pond is stocked. The Board of Trustees agreed to replacing the aerator with in accordance with the recommendations of the landscaping firm.