Town Council Reviews Projects, Payroll Changes, and Fire Department Grant Funding

The Mountainair Town Council met on November 4, 2025, at Town Hall, with Mayor Peter Nieto presiding and all members present. The meeting was focused on the town's first responders.

Public Works Director Carl Archuleta reported that the department had installed the new “Welcome to Mountainair” sign and made substantial progress on the town's roadwork on Roosevelt Avenue.

Police Chief Paul Lucero reported a total of 73 dispatch calls during October, 51 of which were for the Mountainair Police Department and 22 for the Mountainair EMS Department. The Chief noted that call volume has been trending slightly lower overall, with activity peaking at the beginning of each month, a trend that he linked to people getting paid. Chief Lucero said that the department’s new patrol vehicle is expected to arrive by early 2026. He - and Mayor Nieto - said that recruitment efforts for an additional officer continue, though recent applicants have not met departmental criteria.

EMS Chief Josh Lewis delivered the Fire and EMS report in the absence of Chief Josh Archuleta. Chief Lewis said that the department responded to 11 fire calls and 36 EMS calls during October, missing only one call due to Department of Transportation driving time restrictions. Lewis recounted that a smoke incident at Town Hall turned out to be a malfunctioning heater and served as an impromptu fire drill.

Lewis reported that the state fire marshal’s annual inspection indicated the possibility of improving the town’s ISO fire rating from a six to a five, which had the potential to reduce insurance costs for residents and businesses. Lewis said that Mountainair EMS also began receiving payments from Medicare and Medicaid, although checks have not yet been received. Josh expressed gratitude for the department’s recent work with local hospice care, noting that EMS assisted Mayor Nieto's family in bringing his mother home for end-of-life care.

Treasurer Lori Archuleta reported the town’s new electronic purchase order system is now operational, requiring departments to use formal requisitions for purchases rather than organizational credit cards. Archuleta also said that work continues on completing bank reconciliations necessary for the upcoming audit. Archuleta confirmed that town credit cards will now be used only for emergencies or when vendors cannot accept purchase orders.

Town Clerk Mary Zamora reported that she attended the New Mexico Municipal Clerks training conference in Ruidoso and coordinated an airport inspection with the New Mexico Department of Transportation. Zamora also discussed revising the town’s water system maintenance policies and the gas system procedural manuals.

Mayor Nieto reported that the Roosevelt Street reconstruction project is progressing well under contractor One Way Asphalt and praised Mountainair Public Works for its performance. He noted that Town Hall, the Motor Vehicle Division office, and Animal Control have moved to a four-day workweek. Nieto said that he is exploring options to restore well water access for rural customers, possibly through a card-based or automated system similar to Moriarty’s. The Mayor also announced that the annual Christmas Parade and Grinchmas holiday event will take place on December 20, 2025.

The town council voted to approve a merit-based pay increase for Mountainair Police Chief Lucero to $46.50 per hour and a $2,000 bonus for successful completion of one year of service.

The council then adopted Resolution 2025-18, a budget adjustment adding the Roosevelt Street project and aviation grant funds to the municipal budget. The New Mexico Department of Transportation recently deposited $586,815 for Roosevelt Street, with the town responsible for a 5 percent match. Town Clerk Zamora said that the same resolution incorporated $15,947 for airport improvements. The town council made a motion authorizing the expenditure of up to $15,947 for landing-strip and parking-area work at the airport, using grant money that expires November 20, 2025.

The council passed Resolution 2025-19, changing the official employee payday from Wednesday to Thursday beginning January 1, 2026. Treasurer Clerk Lori Archuleta said that the adjustment provides a one-day cushion to correct payroll errors and avoid compliance issues with the Department of Labor. Employees will typically still receive their pay on Wednesdays, unless unforeseen delays occur, Archuleta explained. Then-mayoral candidate Ernie Lopez (later this evening, Lopez lost the mayoral race in a landslide), present in the town council audience, asked Archuleta, "My only question would be, because you just said if someone were to call and report you [to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions Labor Relations Division] for the labor work tonight [it is believed Lopez was referring to late payment of wages], is this being done? You have the resolution, but is this being done as a policy change? Because she [Town Clerk Zamora] mentioned earlier that the policy does dictate Wednesdays, that'd be the safer way. Or is it already a policy, a proposal, rather, for all to change what we're doing?"

Nieto advised Lopez that the matter was being addressed via the resolution the town council was currently discussing.

In a separate resolution, the council addressed a proposal allowing volunteer firefighters to receive a $50 stipend for each call they responded to, funded entirely by a $25,000 state grant. According to EMS Chief Lewis, funds cannot be used for equipment purchases and will be distributed only when grant money is available. Lewis said that the policy follows a model already used by Torrance County and other municipalities. Lopez asked Chief Lewis, "Are you asking for this to be a policy from the council tonight?"

Lewis explained that Mountainair Fire and Rescue needed the stipend to be a policy because the town is the volunteer fire department's fiscal agent. As fiscal agent for the volunteer fire department, Lewis explained, the town needed to have oversight for department expenditures. Lopez asked Chief Lewis to provide examples of other fire departments using this grant to pay stipends, and Lewis responded that the Torrance County Fire Department did. The Mountainair Town Council unanimously approved the resolution.

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BSD: @ErnieLopez @MountainairTownCouncil @joshlewis