Bosque Farms residents upset over fire response

BOSQUE FARMS — A recent village council meeting heated up as residents of Bosque Farms went scorched earth on the mayor and councilors in regards to the governing body’s response to the Rio Grande Fire, that burned nearly 60 acres and destroyed and damaged several homes and other structures.

“It was utter chaos,” said Carla Devaney, a resident who lives at the far west end of Lillie Drive, where the fire jumped the Rio Grande on April 17. “It was chaos and didn’t need to happen. I believe you failed us, and you didn’t just fail the people ... you failed your fire department.”

During her public comments to the village governing body during the May 15 council meeting, Devaney said one of the fire hydrants on Lillie didn’t have pressure. She said her husband, son and neighbors fought the fire with their company’s water truck, emphasizing the volunteer firefighters with the Bosque Farms Fire Department did an excellent job during the incident.

“Bless every one of them. They put their lives on the line just like it was their own house...,” she said.

Councilor Erica DeSmet said “unfortunately sometimes things are treated as reactive instead of proactive.”

She continued, saying after the fire, five non-working hydrants were identified in the village. While employees with the water department have been doing required hydrant checks, DeSmet said there aren’t enough people to do the checks as often as needed and the village was in the process of hiring a third party to do the checks.

Saying the council members and mayor “committed to being the voices of the residents” of the village and their well being, village resident Melanie Bennett said it was “deeply troubling” the council chose to hold its scheduled meeting on the night of the fire.

“The only exception was Councilor (Erica) DeSmet, who was present at the scene and actively assisting with the emergency response,” Bennett said. “This decision raises serious concerns about the council’s priorities and sensitivity to the community’s needs during a crisis.

“Even more concerning are the recorded comments made during that meeting, including a remark suggesting that ‘maybe the fire will spread to the water treatment facility and burn it down so we can finally get a new one.’ That such a statement was made — on record, during a public meeting and met with laughter — demonstrates a profound lack of empathy and judgment.”

In the audio recording of the April meeting, as it wrapped up, Mayor Chris Gillespie can be heard taking a call from a representative of U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich’s office, asking how they can help. Gillespie told the representative he would need to coordinate with the fire and police chiefs about needs.

After the call ends, he relayed the question to the council members present, and someone in the chambers said “money for the sewer plant,” to which deputy clerk Shaline Lopez responded, “if it burns down, maybe they will give us some money.”

Gillespie speculated if the fire caused a large enough spill, money would be made available. Councilor Tim Baughman quipped they would “send a fine first.”

Bennett said no one at the meeting addressed or condemned the comment.

“To say that I am disappointed in this council would be an understatement. This is not a trivial matter. We are talking about people’s homes, animals and livelihoods — real losses that deserve compassion and respect, not mockery,” she said.

Village resident Rowena Tachias called the comments about the treatment plant “tone deaf and grotesque,” during her comments to the council at the May 15 meeting.

“(The April 17 meeting) was not only grossly inappropriate in tone but also recklessly irresponsible in its very location,” Tachias said. “While residents were attempting to evacuate the elderly and their livestock, many were also trying to protect their homes from the approaching fire ... and emergency services were stretched thin, village officials chose to convene a meeting inside the evacuation zone ...”

On the evening of the fire, Valencia County Fire Chief Matt Propp issued an evacuation notice for the area from Lillie Drive south to Cottonwood Drive. The Village Hall is located on West Bosque Loop, between those two streets.

Tachias was also critical of the village’s lack of communication to the public during the fire, saying the absence of Clerk/Administrator Michael Limon “contributed significantly to a breakdown in communication with the public from the village administration.”

Limon has been working remotely from California since March 1 due to a family medical situation.

Tachias demanded a public apology from the mayor, council and Lopez, and that Limon either take a leave of absence or resign and that Gillespie resign as mayor, among other requests.

“Our community deserves better — far better — than to be mocked, endangered and disregarded by the very people who are supposed to serve and protect it ...,” she concluded.

Gillespie agreed there was a tremendous amount of chaos going on the evening of the fire, to which a woman in the audience said, “Maybe it had to do with leadership.”

In response to the critical comments, longtime village resident Lillie McNabb said she had never seen such negativeness in the village.

“The council and mayor was there (at the community center.) They made sure we were fed, had water and care. I would love to see some of you people who don’t show up unless you’re tearing this village down ... be active,” McNabb said. “Some of you need to run for the positions you’re always complaining about not doing the job.”

Councilor Ronita Wood thanked the village residents and community members who brought water and food to the firefighters during the incident.

“People I have never met before showed up with arms full,” Wood said. “We have a lot to work on, I know that. I feel like we’re doing the best we can. I trust when people say they are going to do something, they will. I think I trust too much.”

Gillespie told the community members at the May meeting he was at the community center the night of the fire.

“I was there the whole evening and not able to do a whole heck of a lot,” Gillespie said. “The village is part of my heart also, whether you folks believe it or not.

“I know a little bit about command and control, which allows me to state our county fire stepped up in a big way and got things going in the right direction, then state forestry took over.

“We received a tremendous amount of help thanks to an inter agency agreement, so departments were able to step in and help without a whole lot of fuss, which they did in a big way.”