This week Congressman Gabe Vasquez is devoting a good deal of time to better understand the needs of the citizens of Alamogordo and Otero County. Earlier in the week he met with Mayor Susan Payne and the Alamogordo City Manager Brian Caesar.
Alamogordo Town News reached out to Mayor Payne for comment and she responded that; “Yes, Brian and I met with Congressman Vasquez and had a conversation about what I believe are two our most critical needs. Housing and securing funding for the pipeline. I communicated the importance of housing as it not only relates to our citizens but also to Holloman AFB. To say there is a housing shortage in our community is an understatement. We do have a builder that is planning to come in and build a 126 unit townhome community, and I'm very thankful for that. Unfortunately, it's not enough. We need at least 4 Xs that amount, so I always feel it can't hurt to mention it with the hope that perhaps there may be something we haven't thought of.
Water, of course, is always at the forefront of any discussion I have with State and Federal officials because we have to ensure that our citizens will always be taken care of. We often take for granted that when we turn on that faucet we will have water but we also have to be mindful that what we saw with the Little Bear fire all those years ago could have been so much worse in terms of supply if not for our alternative water sources.”
Mayor Payne reminded me that Congressman Vasquez is a former Las Cruces City Council Member and thus she was able to have a relatable conversation with him on issues of local government…
“As you know, Congressman Vasquez is a former Las Cruces council member so we were able to have a relatable conversation about issues that we are facing locally in terms of addressing outdated ordinances, and becoming more proactive about the future growth of our community. We also talked about what we're doing locally in terms of addressing the problem with dilapidated structures and our plan to tighten our code ordinances to ensure all property owners take responsibility for keeping their vacant properties safe and clean.
Finally, we spoke briefly about Alamogordo Main Street as a whole and the plans for the downtown area that will begin in just a few months. We also spoke about our CDBG funds and how we are utilizing them for sidewalk improvements.”
Congressman Vasquez posted on various social media channels about the meeting and that he has positive and informative dialog with Mayor Payne and City Manager Brian Caesar.
Congressman Vasquez is busy this week around the district from Belen to a meeting with the Ramah Navajo School Board where they discussed the importance of “well-paid teachers, upgraded facilities, and ensuring that all youth—including native youth—have access to high-quality education.”
The Congressman is back in Alamogordo on Monday hosting meetings with local constituents in Alamogordo on what are citizens top concerns #NM02?
He is soliciting meetings on 3/20 in Alamogordo to discuss the issues that are important to you. He says he is committed to listening to everyone in the District. Please RSVP using the link below… bit.ly/AlamogordoCoffee
To follow more on the actions and activities of Alamogordo’s federal congressional representative visit:
https://vasquez.house.gov/
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