Mountainair Council Hires New Officer, Secures Gas Rates, and Initiates Emergency Services Land Deal
The Mountainair Town Council meeting began with Mayor Peter Nieto's remarks on the recent killings of Charlie Kirk this month and Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband in June 2025. During the meeting's opening, Nieto said, "... Let us reflect on America's enduring promise that we can hold different views and disagree without causing harm to one another. Political violence has no place in our nation and does not define who we are. May we also remain in silence for those taken by political violence, including Melissa Horwood, Charlie Kirk, and all others whose lives have been cut short by hate."
Mayor Peter Nieto sought approval to hire Desidero ("Desi") Garcia as a Certified Police Officer. Garcia's previous law enforcement agency is not yet known, nor are his years of service. The town council unanimously voted in favor of the request. Garcia's employment with the Mountainair Police Department is tentative pending the outcome of his background check.
County Commissioner Linda Jaramillo (R, District 3), along with members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 3370, requested that the town contribute $2,500 to add names to a Veterans' Memorial Wall located in Moriarty. The town council unanimously approved disbursing the requested funds on a motion made by Council Member Dustin Kayser.
Town clerk Mary Zamora requested the earmarking of $82,479.76 for two replacements for the town water supply's split pump and gauges, to be installed by Alpha Southwest. Zamora and Nieto explained that, of the requested funds, $60,000 had already been approved from the town's Capital Outlay fund, and the remaining $22,479.76 would come from the town's budgetary funds.
EMS Chief Joshua Lewis sought the town council's approval of a contract for the purchase of three parcels of land opposite the existing Mountainair Fire & Rescue facility. This real estate purchase would be used for the future town fire, EMS, and police departments, along with a public gym. The contract included a $10,000 good faith down payment that could be refunded under the right circumstances. Members of the town council expressed concern regarding the $10,000 good faith payment, saying they worried that the contract could be canceled or voided through no fault of the town, and therefore cost the town $10,000. The Mountainair Town Council unanimously approved Lewis' request.
Mayor Nieto sought the town council's decision on locking in a fixed price per unit of natural gas sold on the El Paso-San Juan Index. Readers may recall in 2023, Mountainair faced an unexpected $240,000 natural gas bill following a rise in natural gas prices due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a large US arctic freeze. Locking in a fixed price of natural gas over the months of December 2025, January 2026, and February 2026, rather than the commodity trading price, could avoid a similar astronomically costly bill in the future, Nieto said to the council. The Mountainair Town Council unanimously voted in favor of the mayor negotiating a lock-in of the town's natural gas rate from December 2025 to February 2026 with a maximum rate of $5.50 per mmBTU (million British Thermal Units).
Mayor Nieto closed out the meeting with an announcement that the town had hired Lori Archuleta as its new treasurer/clerk.
During public comment, County Commissioner Jaramillo made a statement to the town council and the audience.
I've been commissioner for nine months already, and I thought, being clerk for 26 years and covering the commission meetings, that I had it all down pat, but it's not. It's a very difficult thing, being commissioner, and everything turns so slow. I want things now, you know? And my district is a big district compared to the other two and very rural, so I'm fighting for our district that we get equal representation just like the other two districts, and I'm getting along pretty good with the other commissioners. I'm learning I've been kind of letting go and learning the process but I think I've learned enough now to push a little harder for us and it just warms my heart to be here tonight because Dustin's my grandson. I consider you all my family. I lived here for so long and worked for Dr. Saul, and I consider this my home. Raised my kids here. So I'm very, very glad to be here with you guys tonight. Thank you.