Lordsburg council to consider interim police chief, senior center agreements

Lordsburg council moved to fill the police chief role and review senior services tied to meals and transportation as it met June 23 at City Council Chambers, 409 W. Wabash Street, with Zoom access also available for residents who joined remotely through meeting ID 247 369 6016.

The agenda put public safety at the center of the night. Council was set to consider the mayor’s appointment of an interim chief of police and approval of a new hire for the Lordsburg Police Department, while the city’s police page still listed Rodney Plowman as chief of police. For residents, that means the department’s leadership transition was not just a personnel item but a question tied to who answers calls, sets shift coverage and keeps patrols steady in a small city where response times matter.

Senior services also came back before council in a practical way. Members were scheduled to consider a rental agreement for the Ena Mitchell Senior Center and a vehicle lease agreement for the senior program, along with an intergovernmental services agreement. The city took over operation of the Ena Mitchell Senior Center effective Aug. 9, 2025, after the Hidalgo Medical Services contract ended, with the goal of preserving nutrition and transportation services for older residents. The center operates at 532 DeMoss Street in Lordsburg, making the agreement items immediate to the people who depend on it most.

Council also looked at summer programming that reaches beyond city hall. One agenda item called for approval for Patrick Saucedo to host The Official After Party of the Jessie Darnell Tournament on Saturday, July 11. The tournament was founded as a memorial for Jessie Darnell, a Lordsburg Mavericks athlete who died by suicide in 2007, and a 2024 recap said the event had drawn 137 teams, staged 389 games and raised more than $36,000 in scholarships. That makes the after-party approval more than a social note: it is part of how the city manages one of its most visible community gatherings.

Longer-term planning also remained on the table. Council was scheduled to consider approval of an RFP for general engineering services and Resolution 2026-07, which would advance the FY 2026-2030 Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan process. The New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration says ICIP reports carry project priorities, funding time frames and estimated costs for counties, municipalities, tribal governments, special districts and senior citizen facilities. Finance staff were also set to present the city’s summary, bank statement and bills paid for May 2026, keeping the basics of municipal bookkeeping in step with the bigger decisions on policing, senior care and capital work.