Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Candidates talk about health care, zoning at forum

Clara Garcia and Brent Ruffner; News-Bulletin Staff Writers

Tomé Health care, zoning regulations and the possibility of a new bridge in Valencia County were among the issues raised at a candidate forum held last week.

The Southern Valencia County Communities, the Historic Tomé-Adelino Neighborhood Association and the Los Chavez Community Association invited candidates to the forum at the Thome Dominguez de Mendoza Community Center to let voters know where they stand on issues.

Fabian Padilla, president of the Historic Tomé-Adelino Neighborhood Association, served as moderator as candidates or their representatives were given time to talk about themselves and were asked about the issues.

The candidates who appeared at the forum and answered questions included County Commission Dist. 2 incumbent Republican Georgia Otero-Kirkham; County Commission Dist. 4 incumbent Democrat Ron Gentry and his Republican opponent, Jerry Gage; County Commission Dist. 5 Democratic candidate Donald Holliday. Republican Tim Lardner, who is running for State Representative in Dist. 7, also attended the forum.

Representatives of candidates running for elected office was allowed to share the views of the candidates during the introduction period of the forum. Democrat Martin Heinrich, who is running for U.S. House Dist. 1 did make an opening remark, but was unable to remain and answer questions.

The first questions posed to the candidates dealt with the preservation of the greenbelt and what, if elected, the candidates running for county commission would do to enforce current zoning regulations regarding high density housing.

Otero-Kirkham told the audience that she would like to see the two-acre minimum lot requirement remain in the county's greenbelt.

"I do think there are — in the east mesa and west mesa — there are areas capable to handle one-acre parcels," Otero-Kirkham. "There are areas such as Las Maravillas, Pasitos (del Cielo) and Tomé Vista living in less than one-acre parcels. But I would like to see the two-acre minimum stay in the greenbelt, and I would like for us to protect our water, our resources along the river."

Gage said environmental protection is key. He said there is illegal dumping happening in Valencia County and says the only way the county commission can enforce the issue is if there is a planning and zoning ordinance.

"Community involvement is the key," Gage said. "(If) you put it on the backs of the planning and zoning commissioners — that's not how it works. The community has to get involved and get behind their elected officials so they'll know what their constituents want. But unless you tell them, they won't know."

Holliday told the crowd that he's grown up and lived in the valley his entire life and the issue is very important to him. He said he's grown to appreciate and expect what life's about and what really matters.

"There are so many things in this county that need changing," Holliday said. "The greenbelt — we need to keep the valley as farmland and that's it. That will feed us — that will feed my family. It's about taking care of our community and do what's right for our children and our children's children. Somewhere down the road we'll get it right, but it's going to have to take a strong hand and stand up and get behind one another."

The candidates were also asked about whether they would consider imposing impact fees on further development. Otero-Kirkham said impact fees shouldn't only be for roads, but also for police and fire protection.

"I would absolutely favor impact fees," she said. "There is no way we can stop the growth and we need to move it in a good way.

"In fact, we've talked about it in the commission — imposing impact fees. Right now, we have (developers) put in roads, we make them put in lights — and we didn't always have it that way. If we had impact fees, we could make these developers pay for the maintenance for those roads once they were accepted for the county."

Gage questioned why the county hadn't already imposed impact fees. He told the audience that impact fees are just one of many tools that the community can use to ensure the future.

"To me, the answer is because there is no cooperation at the level that it matters," Gage said. "This community is going to grow no matter if we want it to or not, and we should have a say in how it does or not. With the use of impact fees, they give you a better chance."

Holliday said while impact fees would be great, he also said people and developers have to follow the current county zoning laws before implementing impact fees.

"If we're not going to take care of the zoning, what good are the impact fees if someone is going to come in and do whatever they want," he said. "We make these laws, then we don't enforce them."

The next question posed to the candidates was that of proposed river crossings between Los Lunas and Belen by the Mid Region Council of Governments.

Otero-Kirkham said she would like the commission to be more proactive in the issue and selection of the site. She did tell the audience that while she does not support a bridge coming through Tomé, she does think the county is in need of another east-west corridor.

"I didn't appreciate the fact that they came down here last time and shoved this idea down our throat," she said. "So if they're talking about putting a bridge, I'd like to see us be proactive in selecting that site."

Gage, who told the audience that he's against a bridge in Tomé, said he understands the need for people keeping what they have, but reminded people that eminent domain is a reality and, if the government wants to take land, they will. He said the community has to consider looking at relieving traffic on N.M. 314 and N.M. 47 and how it will impact emergency vehicles to get to one side of the county to another.

"You can fight it and stand up against it, but in the end, under the law, they'll put it wherever they want to," Gage said. "As a community, we can say where it's going to go. We have to look at it from all different points. Not only is it needed, but we need to know how it's going to be paid for."

Lardner told the crowd that he is not in favor of a bridge in the Tomé area. He said he would fight a bridge in "pristine" farming community.

"Is there a problem? Yes," Lardner said. "We have a lot more people moving into the community, and traffic is a problem. There probably does need to be a bridge put somewhere, but in this area, no.

"I was not involved in any of the meetings when you guys fought the war on the bridge over here," he added. "Hopefully, I will get involved in it, but I don't know what the answer is, to be quite honest with you."

An audience member asked the candidates about the commission's recent approval of a zone change for three 10-acre parcels from Outland District to Heavy Industrial so that Plains Marketing could build a bulk fuel terminal on the property in San Clemente. According to estimates, approximately 185 tanker trucks would visit the terminal each day to fill up with refined gasoline products.

Otero-Kirkham, who voted to approve the zone change, told the audience that the commission was given "quite a bit" of information about the project, including impact and traffic studies. She said the location of the refueling terminal is in an industrial area where other industries are.

During the forum, several audience members became upset, saying that they were never notified of meetings, including a town hall meeting to discuss the issue. None of the other candidates running for office addressed the matter.

Otero-Kirkham was asked about how county and local municipalities could better communicate and work together to deal with issues that may affect everyone.

"The county commission got together with Isleta, Los Lunas, Belen and Peralta this year to pool our resources," Otero-Kirkham said. "We're starting there."

The county commissioner also was asked about the issue of drug trafficking throughout Valencia County. She mentioned the growing need for additional officers, but said the county lacks funds to have a larger law enforcement staff. She said the county could use the $350,000 from its 911 dispatch tax to employ more officers. Valencia County currently has 42 deputies on its staff.

"We don't have enough resources," Otero-Kirkham said. "We certainly need a lot more; we just don't have a lot of funds."

The question of health care alternatives was posed to the candidates, and they had mixed opinions about what health care in Valencia County should be.

Otero-Kirkham was the first to answer and was more in favor of a 24-hour urgent care center rather than a traditional hospital.

"The ultimate plan is to bring health care," Otero-Kirkham said. "I would work for anything to get that done."

Gage wants to have a center to stabilize patients before they are sent elsewhere.

"We need to save lives, not send them somewhere else," Gage said. "We'd have a better chance if we stabilized them here."

Holliday initially opposed a new hospital and said, "I don't feel the county should be in the hospital business."

But when Commissioner Ron Gentry, who arrived late for the forum, informed Holliday the county wouldn't run the hospital, Holliday said he was in favor of it. Gentry said, if the measure passed, a private group would operate the new hospital.

Gentry said county residents, who approved an initiative in November 2006 to help build a hospital, should get their money back if no hospital is built. Construction on the building has been delayed by a lawsuit filed against the county regarding the hospital. The matter is currently in the New Mexico State Court of Appeals.

But Gentry said he thinks a hospital is on the horizon and will be built for about $50 million in private money.

"The fight comes over location, location, location," Gentry said. "But, we have to start thinking health care."

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