City Council Work Session Recap from Oct. 15, 2024

Las Cruces City Council heard from Fire Chief Jason Smith about the department’s proposed master plan and received updates on sustainability efforts during a Work Session held Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024.

Work on the proposed master plan began in February 2024 and has included a series of public surveys, public meetings and internal meetings with fire personnel.

Smith said the objective of the master plan is to develop strategies for the next seven to 10 years, and ensure those strategies align with the goals and objectives of the fire department and the community. The Las Cruces Fire Department is scheduled to have a draft of the master plan ready to present to Council by Nov. 12, 2024.

Councilors also received updates on sustainability efforts during Tuesday’s Work Session.

Representatives from Lotus Engineering and Sustainability, a firm contracted by the City, presented information that Las Cruces showed lower emissions per capita than other regional cities when they were inventoried. Las Cruces’ 2023 mtCO2e, a unit of measurement for greenhouse gases, was listed as seven per capita. That measurement was lower than El Paso (10), Albuquerque (10), Santa Fe (11) and Denver (13).

Overall, greenhouse gas emissions in Las Cruces decreased about 12 percent from 2018 to 2023.

Lotus credited several factors that contributed to Las Cruces’ good standing including the implementation of a landfill gas capture system, a decrease in vehicle-miles traveled within the community and a more efficient distribution of El Paso Electric.

Over the years, the City government has also taken strides to decrease emissions with more municipal buildings installing energy efficient measures and obtaining energy from solar panels. Municipal emissions, from city buildings and fleet vehicles, decreased 22 percent from 2018 to 2023.

“I am both pleased and surprised by the great results that we saw city-wide by reducing greenhouse gases by 12 percent and within the municipality by 22 percent,” said Lisa LaRocque, the City’s Sustainability Officer.

LaRocque also mentioned Las Cruces’ efforts to meet goals set forth in the Climate Action Plan related to clean energy and resiliency for disadvantaged communities. The sustainability office, along with community partners, have identified barriers that keep disadvantaged communities from obtaining affordable energy, efficient housing and job security. Those barriers include older homes with maintenance challenges, high utility costs, approximately 14,000 households living in poverty and ineffective cooling systems to name a few.

LaRocque pointed to several incentives that will be available through the Inflation Reduction Act and introduced the Plugged in for Good energy alliance with goals to help address energy affordability and heat stress challenges for low and moderate-income housing in Las Cruces.

The alliance is working to obtain grant-funded opportunities to help meet the challenges and address energy affordability. So far, the alliance has commitments of $1.5 million in grants with the potential of $10.6 million being available to help meet the needs for low and moderate-income households.

City Council also received updates on 2022 Go Bond projects. The projects include Fire Station 9, park improvements at La Llorona Park and Tellbrook Park, the continuation of the East Mesa Public Recreation Complex, the Three Sisters Apartments, Pedrena Senior Apartments and Peachtree Canyon Apartments which broke ground last week.

Tuesday’s work session, along with all City Council meetings and work sessions, can be viewed on the City’s YouTube Channel.

Las Cruces City Council will next meet in a regular session at 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21, at Council Chambers, 700 N. Main St.