Belen Consolidated Schools Board President Jamie Goldberg announced a new measure he and the board are taking to ensure the public is informed about what the school district is doing.

According to Goldberg, the board and public will now get regular updates during board meetings about the discussions and decisions made by the district’s various committees.

The committees, often made up of two school board members and district staff, discuss topics like construction projects and board policy.

Filed under Reform, Schools | Email Me

Parents of students in the Belen High School Intensity Marching Band are asking for help from both the community and the Belen Consolidated Schools Board of Education to replace worn out band uniforms.

New uniforms haven’t been purchased in more than 10 years, which means the uniforms band students are using are tattered and torn, with faded maroon and white.

In many cases, because so many uniforms have gone missing, students are given uniforms that don’t fit properly.

During band competitions, points are knocked off when the students’ attire isn’t presentable. Parents also say the worn out uniforms are causing low morale in the program.

Right now the band program has 56 students in it. Parents are hoping to purchase 100 new uniforms, allowing the high school’s new band director to grow the program, which in the past has had 80 or more students in it.

Because the uniforms are a special order, they have to be ordered all at once.

One uniform can cost up to $250.

Parents are hoping to have the new uniforms in time for November’s Miracle on Main Street electric light parade in Belen.

Board President Jamie Goldberg and Belen High School principal Jim Danner both hope the district and parents can create a plan to figure out how to find the funding and donations.

The district needs around $25,000. With more budget cuts looming for the district, it’s a difficult task.

“I don’t think we can do anything this year,” Danner said.

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The Belen City Council approved this fiscal year’s final budget on Monday night, expressing caution that the budget remains tight because gross receipts tax revenue remains lower than expected.

The vote was 3-0. Councilor Wayne Gallegos was absent.

The budget anticipates general fund expenditures of more than $4.9 million. It anticipates general fund revenues of almost $4.3 million. The difference is made up through transfers from other revenue sources.

The general fund balance at the end of the 2010-2011 fiscal year, assuming gross receipts revenues come in as projected, is just above $3,000.

With the budget so tight, the city is continuing to operate with extreme caution.

While there has been discussion of additional cuts because of weak gross receipts, no decisions have been made.

According to the city’s finance director, Michael Steininger, the city can look at cutting capital projects, like the roof repair for the municipal court, or budgeted purchases, like needed equipment, before further affecting staff.

Filed under Budget, Economy | Email Me

The Belen High School Class of 2012 is looking for targets. Yes, targets. Read below:

BHS Class of 2012 Presents: “SPLASH CLASS”

At the 2010 Valencia County Fair the Belen High School Class of 2012 will operate a dunking tank “Classroom.” Several local residents, including many public figures and elected officials have volunteered to serve as Splash Targets.

This is a great opportunity to support the Class of 2012 and have fun Splashing your favorite local people. Splash Class starts on Friday August 27, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. and will conclude on Sunday August 29, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. The Splash Classroom will be located at the Valencia County Fair Grounds.

Splash Class will be conducted on Friday from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., on Saturday from 12:00 noon to 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 12 noon to 6:00 p.m., and Splash Lessons shall be taught by the BHS Class of 2012.

For more information, or if you would like to participate as a Splash Target or Splash Student for this fundraising event, please contact Splash Counselor “Missy” at 417-0759 or Splash Target “James” at 966-0116.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE BHS CLASS OF 2012 – GO EAGLES!!!

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The Belen City Council meeting packet distributed to the city councilors for tonight’s meeting includes the agenda, and financial documents on budget adjustments, the 2009-2010 budget and the 2010-2011 budget, as well as a resolution approving the 2010-2011 budget.

The council packet was received to late too get it online before tonight’s meeting.

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Valencia County Sheriff’s Department Captain Don Donges told county commissioners on Wednesday night that problems with “missed calls” at the county’s emergency dispatch center mean officers aren’t being dispatched to address crime.

“This is ridiculous,” he told the commissioners.

Donges has been defending his department against accusations that it failed to respond to calls about a rave in Tierra Grande during the Fourth of July weekend.

Caught in the middle of the debate is the Valencia County Regional Emergency Communication Center, a collaborative effort of the county and municipalities, housed within the Village of Los Lunas Police Department.

The dispatch center coordinates 911 emergency response for the county, the City of Belen, the Village of Bosque Farms, the Village of Los Lunas, and the Town of Peralta.

According to Donges, the call-takers at the dispatch center aren’t properly trained to identify when it’s appropriate to dispatch police, which had citizens at the meeting wondering out loud if the call-takers have been empowered to decide what laws should and shouldn’t be enforced.

He said calls to the dispatch center about the rave were never conveyed to the sheriff’s department.

The problems go beyond whether or not police were dispatched on the night of the rave. Commission Chairman Don Holliday expressed frustrations with an incident in his district.

Holliday said the county manager called the dispatch center after the incident to find out why there was a failure to respond, but the center’s administrator hasn’t responded to him.

“I’m concerned they haven’t gotten back to the county manager,” he said, acknowledging problems at the dispatch center. “We’re going to find out what the hell is going on.”

Commissioner Ron Gentry also wants to “find out what’s going on over there,” saying calls from citizens about crime, and in particular the rave, seem to be “falling on deaf ears.”

He said the county should “reevaluate” the $215,000 it contributes to the operation of the dispatch center.

“Are we getting what our citizens deserve?” Gentry asked.

Filed under Fire, Police, Reform, Services | Email Me

The City of Belen is working with a water system manufacturer to help the company build its manufacturing facility in Belen, creating at least 40 new jobs.

Founded in 1997, FastDitch Inc. manufactures open-channel, thermoplastic water flow systems used for things like irrigation, water diversion, storm water control and other uses.

The product, called SmartDitch, has been used in places like Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico, and Durango, Colorado.

The company is owned by a family of engineers and farmers from Vallecitos, New Mexico.

Maria Montoya, who works with FastDitch, presented information about the company at Monday night’s city council meeting, telling the city council she hoped to company can build in Belen.

She said the 30,000-square foot facility might be constructed in the Rio Grande Industrial Park, if the company can get financing.

The purpose of the facility is to begin manufacturing the company’s next generation of water flow systems, made from 95-percent recycled plastic. She said it would house the Southwest’s largest injection molding machine.

Montoya estimated initial job creation at 40, from technical to administrative, and estimated the company could be up and running in Belen within a year and a half.

The city is working with the company to streamline planning and construction of the facility.

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Belen City Councilor Mary T. Aragon on Monday night questioned whether or not police officers should be allowed to continue to take police vehicles home, citing weak gross receipts tax revenue and continuing budget problems.

The issue came to the forefront of debate in late March as the city began cutting back on employees’ vehicle use to help reduce the city’s budget deficit.

In early May, former Police Chief Mike Chavez resigned in a deal that allowed his salary to be put toward continuing to allow police officers to take their vehicles home.

Despite the deal, the issue is again under discussion by the city council because of continuing budget problems.

At Monday night’s city council meeting, Interim Police Chief Dan Robb defended the take-home vehicles as a necessary incentive for keeping good officers working for the city.

Typically in discussions a distinction has been made between police vehicles taken home outside of Valencia County and taken home within Valencia County.

In general, the council has been more supportive of allowing police officers who live near Belen to take their vehicles home to enhance response time.

In addition to police vehicles, Aragon also questioned vehicles still being taken home by the city’s airport manager and engineer, despite the ban in March.

Councilor Lorenzo Carrillo also expressed skepticism about continuing to allow police officers to take their vehicles home.

Since the beginning of the month, the city has been more closely monitoring the city’s gas consumption to ensure vehicles are being properly used.

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The City of Belen and YES Housing Inc. announced on Monday night a $1.7-million renovation of La Hacienda Apartments on North Second Street.

The city is working in collaboration with the Albuquerque-based nonprofit community development group.

The two-story La Hacienda Apartments have been the site of criminal activity and a problem for neighbors.

The apartment building was foreclosed on by Charter Bank in late 2009, which gave YES Housing the opportunity to begin to negotiate the purchase.

The project will use neighborhood stabilization funds from the federal government’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

According to YES Housing, the property should be acquired by September and will be under the ownership of YES Housing for at least 20 years.

YES Housing provides a process for tenant screening, selecting tenants with good credit and in good standing at their previous residences.

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A group of Belen citizens on Monday night expressed discontent with the city’s handling of questions surrounding the lease of the former city hall building on Becker Avenue to Tim and Janice Lardner.

Three members of the Belen City Council have publicly questioned the legality of the lease, which was signed in 2006, allowing the Lardners to lease the city-owned building for $1 a year over 20 years.

The Lardners have intended to develop the property as Lardner Cellars and Winery.

While the issue had been under discussion internally since March and publicly since May, it became particularly sensitive when Tim Lardner was diagnosed with cancer in May.

Five citizens spoke up at last night’s city council meeting to ask the city to be understanding of the situation.

Herman Tabet said Tim Lardner is a “good man,” explaining some of the positive contributions Lardner has made to the community.

Nino Trujillo asked the city council to defer the issue in light of Lardner’s recent diagnosis.

Cynthia Martin asked the city council to “show compassion” and said the city should refrain from taking any action as Lardner fights his illness.

Former Mayor Ronnie Torres defended his actions on the issue, saying he believes his administration followed the proper procedures prior to leasing the property, but said if anything was missed, the city should seek to correct it.

Mike Vallejos said the city needs to support people who step up to try to bring economic development to Belen.

The city has taken no action on the lease, other than to request information about it and the laws that may be applicable to it.

The questions surrounding the lease involve potential violations of the New Mexico Constitution’s anti-donation clause and at least two state statutes that provide procedures for leasing and selling government property.

The city also has an ordinance in place that bans the consumption of alcohol in city-owned buildings, which, without amendment, is problematic for the Lardners’ intended use.

“It is unlawful for any person to sell, serve, or permit the consumption of alcoholic beverages in any municipal/public buildings,” the law reads in part.

Additionally, city officials have looked into possible breaches of the terms of the lease.

City officials haven’t determined when or if any formal action might be taken on the issue.

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