Española city councilors discussed at their Sept. 23 work session a longstanding issue, at least with one councilor. Councilor Robert Seeds has been campaigning for months to discuss the high cost of utility hook-ups and monthly fees.
Seeds did not attend the work session, however, the council proceeded with the discussion without him. Both Mayor Alice Lucero and Councilor Pedro Valdez thought the current fees were appropriate, with Lucero adding that the revenue generated from the fees goes right back into operation and maintenance.
After Valdez reminded the Council that the city has had to take money out of the general fund to cover operating costs in the past, Lucero said the city hasn’t overcharged residents and balked at previous reports to the council that some people were paying $300 a month for utilities.
Interim city manager Joe Duran supported an increase in utility fees. He said the money could be used to give overdue raises to Utility Wastewater workers. Raises would help slow the attrition problem that the Utility Wastewater Department is facing and protect Española from places like Santa Fe and Los Alamos, who consistently hire away city workers once they’re trained, Duran said.
At the end of the discussion, Lucero recommended the issue be looked at more in-depth at a future public works committee meeting.
Fees that could also see an increase are permit and business fees. Valdez said business registration fees have been the same since he started working with the city in 1963 and wanted to see them raised.
Planning and Zoning Director Russell Naranjo agreed with Valdez and said the city was losing money with these antiquated fees.
“We go off the term ‘Do more with less…,” Naranjo said. “But in a certain regard, you got to operate. You know there’s operating expenses involved in this thing.”
Regardless of whether the council upped fees or not, Naranjo said he wants the city to be more transparent as to which municipal projects the fees are used. Lewis suggested the city use the money for dilapidated street signs.
Lucero said the city should conduct a comparison study of Española’s fees to other nearby cities. She also recommended that Duran hold a staff meeting about a potential fee increase and move the issue in to a future finance committee meeting.
While City Councilor Peggy Martinez supported a raise in fees, she cautioned the council against raising the fees too high too fast.