PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION

DRAFT MEETING MINUTES

 

EDELWEISS LODGE AND SPA

TAOS SKI VALLEY, NEW MEXICO

 

MONDAY, JUNE 6, 2011 1:00 P.M.

 

 

I.          CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL

Commissioner Tom Wittman called the meeting to order.  A quorum was established with Commission members Elisabeth Brownell, Mary Mortimer, Susan Nichols,  Steve Ruppert, and Chris Stagg, and Tom Wittman present.  Richard Duffy was absent.  Staff members Don Schieber and Ann Marie Wooldridge were in attendance.

 

II.         APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

MOTION:  To approve the agenda. 

Motion:   Mary Mortimer     Second: Chris Stagg     Passed: 6-0.

 

III.        APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE MAY 2, 2011 MEETING

MOTION:  To approve the minutes as presented. 

Motion:  Mary Mortimer      Second:   Steve Ruppert         Passed: 6-0.

 

IV.        NEW BUSINESS

A.  It was announced that six candidates would be interviewed by a committee the following Wednesday  for the vacant Village Administrator position.  A choice will be made following that, and the final candidate will be announced at the July 5, 2011 Village Council meeting.  

B.  Don Schieber explained that Village Staff had met with the Forest Service concerning enactment of the Townsite Act, and also about the trenching that is to take place up the canyon for underground installation of utility lines.  Kit Carson Electric has been granted $64 million dollars for installation of fiber optic cables in the county, and one of the possible projects would be trenching up the canyon to Taos Ski Valley.  It would be practical to install other utilities in the trench as well, such as electrical, phone, and natural gas lines.  Kit Carson Electric must meet with the Forest Service in order to obtain a decision memo from them for approval, and the Department of Transportation will also be involved.

Concerning the Townsite Act, Schieber explained that it would be beneficial for the Village to own the main parking lot in Taos Ski Valley because of all the utility easements that the Village requires.  For example, it will be necessary to install 300 feet of larger electric cable in order to connect the entire Village to the three-phase electrical cable at the end of Highway 150, and more restrictions are placed on digging in the parking lots while they are owned by the Forest Service.  If the Forest Service approves the Townsite Act application, various environmental studies will need to be completed.   

C.   The Forest Service has not placed any fire restrictions on the forest so far.  They oversee the fire restrictions in the canyon leading to Taos Ski Valley, not Village of Taos Ski Valley Department of Public Safety. 

 

 

   

V.         OLD BUSINESS

A.  Discussion of upcoming Planning and Zoning Items

Schieber explained that work needs to get started on completing the core area water tank, water lines, and pressure reducing valves that were started last summer.  The difficulty has been in making arrangements with the bonding company who bonded the original contractor that started the job in 2010. More money had to be spent than was originally planned due to changing contractors.  Once this is sorted out, a plan can be drawn up for the remaining funds from the Water Trust Board grant and loan for other projects such as a chlorination station and metering station at the Phoenix Spring. 

Other core area infrastructure will become top priority over previous items on the capital improvements plan once the core area redevelopment plans are completed.  A bonding attorney will be hired to determine how best to gather funds to finance the projects.   As far as the Kachina area water tank is concerned, there are some plans for development once the tank is complete.  The infrastructure capital improvements plan (ICIP) that gets submitted to the State of New Mexico will be discussed in more detail at a future meeting.

 

VI.        MISCELLANEOUS

A.  Chris Stagg announced that the Ahole-in-the-ground@ lot will be cleaned up this summer.  Phase I of new construction will be a parking structure. The Al=s Run property will be used as a sales office for parking and for condominiums. 

(Chris Stagg left the meeting at this point.)

B.  Roger Pattison expressed concern about tree cutting taking place around the Village. He remarked that on some properties, once smaller trees are cut down this leads to the larger trees falling because they lack a support system.  Schieber said that the Village would not get involved in advising property owners on which trees to cut down and which to not cut because it would be a liability issue for the Village.  A tree cutting permit is supposed to be obtained from the Village for the cutting of more than four trees.  Clear-cutting is not allowed, although in commercial areas it might be approved.    

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VII.       ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE DATE, TIME & PLACE OF THE NEXT MEETING: The next meeting will take place on July 5, 2011at 9:00 a.m. at the Edelweiss Lodge & Spa Conference Room. (Note: this was later changed to 10:00 a.m.)

VIII.      ADJOURNMENT           

MOTION:  To adjourn.

Motion: Mary Mortimer      Second: Elisabeth Brownell       Passed: 5-0

 

 

______________________

Tom Wittman, Chairperson