Mountainair to auction three town-owned lots, seeks to address vehicle fleet

Council also commits $1 million in federal funds toward a $10 million wastewater project and tables a fix for flooding behind the post office

Mountainair residents who have wanted a piece of land close to the center of town will get their chance on Saturday, November 7, 2026, when the Town of Mountainair auctions three town-owned properties, including the former American Legion lot on East Broadway, with opening bids set at $10,000 apiece.

The Mountainair Town Council unanimously approved the three sales at its regular meeting on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. During the same one-hour meeting, the council authorized the town to apply for a loan of up to $250,000 to replace aging Public Works vehicles, committed $1 million in federal money as the local match for a $10 million wastewater system project, and moved its first November meeting to avoid a conflict with Election Day. A proposal to regrade the alley behind the United States Post Office to stop recurring flooding on a neighboring property was tabled until the next meeting.

Taken together, the decisions touch three things most Mountainair households rely on: the town's sewer system, the crews and trucks that keep gas and water lines running, and the slow work of returning vacant town property to private hands and onto the tax rolls.

Mayor Peter Nieto, who attended the meeting virtually, opened with an extended moment of silence for Pastor Joseph Snodgrass, who died Monday, October 5, 2026. Nieto described Snodgrass as a great friend of the town who often helped with community events.

All four councilors were present: Mayor Pro Tem Annette Archuleta, Councilor Jose Richard Torres, Councilor Dustin Kayser, and Councilor Wayne Jones. During approval of the September 22, 2026, minutes, Archuleta noted that the document still listed her under her former surname, Padilla, and the mayor said the error would be corrected.

Three town lots go to auction at $10,000 each

The council approved the sale of three properties:

• Account No. R015157, the former American Legion property at 215 East Broadway, legally described as Lots 10–11, Block 9, Mountainair Original;
• Account No. R015637, legally described as Lot 6, Block 9, Mountainair Original, which sits across the alley behind the American Legion lot and has an older building on it; and
• Account No. R015705, legally described as Lot 5, Block 5, Mountainair Veal.

The main question before the council was whether to pay for formal appraisals before setting opening bids. Nieto told councilors that a recent appraisal of land on Ranger Station Road, conducted for the school, valued comparable lots at $9,900, and that the town is not legally required to obtain an appraisal for property estimated to be worth less than $25,000. See NMSA 3-54-1 (2025).

Nieto said he believed the two lots near Town Hall might appraise higher, perhaps as high as $13,000, because they sit about a block from Broadway in the business district. But an appraisal would cost the town roughly $700, he said, and that cost would be added to the opening bid. It would also push the auction back to December or January.

The mayor argued that a higher opening price could work against local buyers.

"If we started at 10,000, I think that gives Mountainair residents the option to purchase these properties and hopefully develop them or do something with them," Nieto said.

He noted that tax-delinquent properties in the area are often purchased by out-of-state buyers from places such as California and Texas who hold them in hopes of reselling at a higher price later. Councilor Torres added that lots of roughly 50 by 140 or 150 feet with alley access typically sell locally for about $10,000.

Nieto acknowledged that one prospective buyer had told the town $10,000 was too high for the lot with the building because the structure would have to be demolished, but he said the building does not reduce the value of the land underneath it.

The council approved each sale by a 4–0 vote, with the terms and conditions included in councilors' packets. According to Nieto, those terms include a deadline for payment and a requirement that any check clear within five business days.

Council approves application for up to $250,000 to replace Public Works trucks

The council voted 4–0 to authorize the town to apply to the New Mexico Finance Authority (NMFA) for a loan of up to $250,000 to buy four new vehicles for the Public Works Department.

Nieto said the department's trucks have been breaking down "one right after another." He said the white trucks in the fleet were purchased roughly eight or nine years ago, when he first became mayor, and that a black truck the crew uses is a former police vehicle. Both, he said, have outlived their useful life.

"We just have to do something. We have to upgrade our fleet," Nieto said.

The town has collected quotes from three dealerships, some of them in the $50,000 range per vehicle, Nieto said. The town is looking for four-wheel-drive trucks with full front and rear seating suitable for work along the pipeline. The $250,000 ceiling was chosen so the town would not have to return to the council if prices came in higher than expected.

Nieto stressed that the vote only permits the town to apply. Loan terms, including the interest rate and monthly payments, will return to the council for separate approval.

$1 million federal match committed to $10 million wastewater project

The council unanimously approved Resolution 2026-27, which commits the town's required matching funds for project WPF-6901, the Wastewater System Improvements Project. Archuleta made the motion, and Kayser seconded it.

Nieto said the town previously secured $10 million, structured as a combination of loan and grant, for its wastewater treatment plant. The award requires a $1 million local match. Nieto said that match will not come from town coffers, but rather from the $3 million in federal funding the town received with help from U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-NM.

"This is a big step forward for the wastewater treatment plant," Nieto said.

According to the agenda, the resolution satisfies the readiness-to-proceed requirements of the Water Project Fund. That fund is administered by the NMFA in partnership with the New Mexico Water Trust Board, which approves awards for water and wastewater projects across the state. More information about the program is available on the NMFA Water Project Fund page.

Budget adjustment recognizes new revenue

The council approved Budgetary Adjustment Resolution 2026-26 by a 4–0 vote, with Archuleta making the motion and Kayser seconding it.

A budget adjustment resolution, sometimes called a BAR, is the process New Mexico municipalities use to amend an adopted budget during the fiscal year. When money arrives that was not anticipated in the original budget, such as a grant or a reimbursement, the town must formally add it to the budget and submit the change to the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) before it can be spent.

Town Clerk Mary Martinez, who would normally present the item, was attending a class. Nieto explained that the adjustment recognizes revenue and corresponding expenses not included in the original budget, including $1,000 in municipal infrastructure gross receipts tax, $500 in municipal environmental gross receipts tax, reimbursements and refunds, EMS grant funds, and revenue and expenses from the town's Jubilee event. A motor vehicle line item appears in the adjustment as matching revenue and expense amounts, he said, which recognizes funding rather than moving money between accounts.

In response to town council questions, Nieto said the change adds money to the budget so it can be spent and does not represent a payment to any specific party.

November meeting moved to Wednesday, November 4

The council voted 4–0 to move its first November regular meeting from Tuesday, November 3, 2026, which is Election Day, to Wednesday, November 4, 2026.

Alley drainage fix behind the post office tabled

The council voted unanimously to table a proposal to lower and regrade the alley behind the United States Post Office (USPS) for roughly $8,000. Nieto said property owner Jeff Davidson's property floods whenever heavy rain falls.

According to Nieto, Davidson bought the property in 2002 and had no flooding problems until 2010, when the alley was built up. Public Works Supervisor Carl Archuleta said Davidson told him the problem began when a wall was built along the property line, causing water to pool in his driveway. Nieto said Davidson "probably could have sued us" on several occasions but has only asked that the problem be fixed.

The quotes in councilors' packets included roughly $5,000 for labor and about $3,000 for gravel. The plan called for cutting the alley down by approximately 18 inches.

Councilors raised concerns about cutting into an alley that carries gas, water, and sewer lines, noting that gas service risers sit at roughly 18 inches deep and that a manhole lies in the path of the work. Councilor Torres asked how state pipeline regulators would respond if gas lines ended up shallower than required. Councilors also suggested that lowering the alley could send stormwater toward Gustin's hardware store instead. Several floated an alternative: raising the grade of the affected properties and building a retaining wall. Archuleta, the Public Works supervisor, cautioned that raising the grade could block the existing doorway on Davidson's property, which already sits low.

Nieto said Davidson had planned to attend but could not, and had asked that the item be tabled so he could speak with the council in person. The item is expected to return at the next meeting.

Department reports

Public Works

Archuleta said rain limited his crew's work in September to service calls, sewer calls, leaking water meters, and meter rechecks. The crew also used the downtime to complete operator qualification evaluations required for working on gas lines.

On the day of the meeting, the crew installed 28 feet of PVC gas main in an alley and added protective casing where a ditch washes out during storms.

One of the town's wells remains out of service. Archuleta said the wiring burned all the way from the panel box, likely during an earlier power problem, and that a contractor is expected within the next couple of weeks to install a new motor and replace the wiring.

Despite the outage, Archuleta said the town has reduced pumping to roughly three to five hours per day, down from as many as eight to 10 hours. He also said water tank level probes are working again after crews discovered that water had been getting into an uncovered conduit on top of the tower and interfering with the signal.

Police

Chief of Police Paul Lucero reported 63 calls for service in September, including 13 traffic stops and two felony arrests.

Lucero said one department truck is in the dealership's shop for the sixth time with a recurring fuel-system problem that triggers the check engine light and occasionally causes a misfire. Lucero said that the fuel pump has been replaced twice, along with injectors and a pressure pump, and mechanics are now examining the software. Lucero said he wants the problem fixed while the truck is still under warranty.

A second, newly ordered truck is being outfitted and is expected by the end of October, Lucero said. The department also plans to seek state funding for an additional vehicle, since its two Jeep Wranglers used as backups are aging.

Fire and EMS

Fire Chief Joshua Archuleta reported seven fire calls in September: five controlled burns and two locomotive fires, which occurred back-to-back.

Archuleta also announced that the department's ISO rating improved from a Class 6 to a Class 5, with a score of 51.45.

The ISO Public Protection Classification, issued by the insurance data company Verisk, grades a community's fire protection on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 considered the best rating. Insurers use the rating, along with other factors, when setting homeowners and commercial property premiums. The grade reflects factors such as fire department staffing and equipment, emergency communications, and water supply. Archuleta said the improvement should lower insurance costs for residents slightly and that the department hopes to reach Class 4 within the next few years.

On the EMS side, Archuleta reported 21 calls, and he said EMS crews responded to all 21.

Archuleta said there is currently no burn ban in effect, but residents must call dispatch before burning. If dispatch is not notified, firefighters will be sent to check on any reported smoke.

Finance and the mayor's report

No finance report was given, as Town Clerk Mary Martinez was attending a class. Nieto said he had no mayor's report.

Public and council comments

No members of the public offered comment.

Torres thanked Mountainair Fire for a plaque the department presented to him. Fire Chief Archuleta replied that people do not realize how much the council does behind closed doors to benefit the fire department.