City Council Recap

At its Oct. 20 regular meeting, the Las Cruces City Council unanimously adopted the Small Business Safety Improvement plan.

The City is allocating $100,000 to the plan to support new and existing for-profit or nonprofit, independently owned businesses with 40 or fewer employees located in the City’s El Paseo/South Solano Metropolitan Redevelopment Area. The program is designed to support businesses in the investment in and installation of crime prevention measures to create safer businesses and a safer community, and to strengthen the relationship between the business community and local law enforcement.

Beginning in November, businesses will be able to apply for up to $5,000 to offset the cost of security equipment, including security cameras, locks, door and window sensors, outdoor lighting, and fencing. As part of the program, the Las Cruces Police Community Outreach Unit will offer businesses onsite safety evaluations and recommendations of additional crime-prevention measures like community awareness training, landscaping changes around the business, and Neighborhood Watch initiatives.

The City will accept applications on a first-come, first-served basis until all funds have been awarded. If additional funds become available, the program may be expanded.

The other resolutions approved during the meeting were:

• City budget adjustments for the first quarter of the 2026 fiscal year that began last July 1. The adjustments include new budget allocations, budget transfers, and grant adjustments by the City, and will pay for supplies, services, equipment, and projects for a number of City departments, including Fire, Police, and Parks and Recreation.
• Accepting two grants awarded to the City: 1) Almost $455,000 from the Federal Aviation Administration to Las Cruces International Airport for weather -reporting equipment; and 2) $9,500 to LCPD for equipment and training for Honor Guard teams.
• Amending the City’s Capital Improvements Program (CIP) to accept new grant awards and make adjustments to the CIP budget for projects that include Klein Park and Tortugas Trail, the City’s new Municipal Service Center, City ballfield improvements, Utilities Department water and wastewater projects and improvements, Affordable Housing Trust Fund and Land Bank projects, solar energy projects, and airport improvements.
• Approving a contract up to $2.5 million per year with Axon Enterprise, Inc. of Scottsdale, Arizona for body-worn cameras and data storage services, and nonlethal electrical conducted weapons for the LCPD. The contract allows for purchases to replace outdated equipment and to provide additional equipment as LCPD grows.

As part of the meeting’s consent agenda, the City Council also approved a resolution awarding the management contract for the Las Cruces Convention Center to SMG of West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania for five years for an amount not to exceed $120,000 per year.

This meeting and all City Council meetings can be viewed on the City’s YouTube channel.