Valencia County boards weigh staffing, water and public safety decisions

On Jan. 15, a cluster of Valencia County boards and councils convened across Los Lunas, Bosque Farms and the Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area to deliberate a slate of governance, staffing and financial items with direct implications for local services.

The VRECC 911 Board of Directors met at the VRECC center on Don Pasqual Road with an agenda centered on electing officers and reviewing internal policies. The board also listed public input, consideration of Open Meetings Act compliance, selection of GIS oversight committee members, and proposed amendments to personnel and operating policies, including annual leave and children in the workplace. Reports from finance, calls for service and technical operations were scheduled alongside the director’s report, underscoring ongoing operational oversight for emergency communications.

At the Whitfield Wildlife Conservation Area visitor center, the Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors focused on financial resilience after local property tax bill complications had strained cash flow. The board’s agenda included approving measures to prepare for cash flow issues, reviewing reconciliation reports from banks, and a treasurer’s report. Personnel matters were prominent: oath of office ceremonies, an update on the district manager search, possible openings for district assistant or business assistant positions, and proposed updates to the employee handbook on flex and comp time. The district also listed an update on H2O data and a rights transfer protest to the state engineer, signaling continuing attention to water management and legal processes; the agenda noted an update on board position 6 with the appointment of Blane Sanchez for Pueblo of Isleta.

The Valencia County Arroyo Flood Control District met in the county commission chambers to draw lots determining term lengths for newly elected board directors. The district also reviewed rules and procedures including chair appointments, parliamentary procedure and Robert’s Rules of Order, public participation at meetings, Open Meetings Act and Inspection of Public Records Act compliance, and signature authority on checks—items that affect transparency and governance of flood-control operations.

Los Lunas Village Council and Bosque Farms Village Council both met with public safety and administrative staffing on their agendas. Los Lunas considered appointing a village administrator and weighed appointments for police chief, fire chief and mayor pro tem while holding an executive session on hires ranging from an engineer/EMT to parks technicians and a potential real property donation or RFP for affordable housing. Bosque Farms’ agenda featured consideration of a police chief appointment alongside routine department and financial reports.

These meetings touched on core local concerns: emergency response leadership, public records and meeting transparency, water rights and conservation funding, and the fallout from property tax administration problems. For residents, the next steps matter. Watch for posted meeting minutes and official appointment notices to see how staffing decisions and financial measures are finalized, because those outcomes will shape public safety coverage, conservation projects and the district budgets that affect services around Valencia County.