LAS CRUCES CITY COUNCIL

JUNE 19, 2006

 The meeting was called to order promptly at 1:00 p.m. by Mayor Mattiace. During the Councilors' discussion period the Mayor suggested that the City Council send a letter to the BLM urging them to stop disposing of any land along the flanks of the Organ Mountains. He asked the Councilors if they had consensus on that.  Councilor Frietze expressed concern that both he and Councilor Trowbridge are on the ETA Authority and wondered if there would be a conflict with making decisions about land development. The Mayor suggested that this letter would only be a suggestion and would refer only to lands currently owned by BLM. Everyone agreed that the letter was a good idea. The Mayor then asked Robert Garza to give them an update on his ongoing cooperation with Senator Domenici in preparation of the Wilderness bill which the Senator wishes to complete and offer to Congress the first of next year. The Senator has asked Mr. Garza to be one of a team that will carefully collect and review input from local citizens about their desires for wilderness areas in the County and work on getting consensus that would be suitable in a bill for Congress. Mr. Garza listed some of the organizations and groups he will be talking with and offered to provide later data as he gets it.

 There were several items on the agenda regarding contracts and agreements for joint ventures within the City.  Most had been discussed before and were passed unanimously. One resolution authorized the City to submit a grant application to the federal government for money to build a fire training facility.

Marnie Leverett

LWV of Greater Las Cruces