BERNALILLO TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
DISCUSSION OF ORDINANCE TO ANNEX FISHER
SAND AND GRAVEL PROPERTY
On Monday, February 25, 2014, the Mayor and Council of Bernalillo met to discuss an ordinance that would annex the Fisher site into Bernalillo. Under the ordinance, it would provide for the construction of a detention basin to assist in storm water control, zone the site for retail, commercial and light industrial development, and, permit Fisher to mine the site for 15 years, prior to any development. ES-CA board members, along with many other residents of Placitas, attended the meeting and voiced their opposition to the proposal of 15 years of mining. The Bernalillo Mayor and Council voted to table the ordinance, pending revisions that provide performance safeguards for the Town.
For those that attended the meeting, we should all be proud of our service and our actions. Speakers were well informed, polite and forceful. It was our collective actions that brought about the halting of this ordinance. A special thanks goes to Ed Majka, who spent much time organizing presentations, preparing handouts for the Mayor and Council and informing residents of this matter. This is what ES-CA does. And it is only as strong as it’s membership. This issue is not over, and everyone needs to remain vigilant, and involved. In addition this threat to our health and property, there are many other issues facing Placitas. If we are to continue to protect our interests, everyone needs to be involved with your time, or money, or both. ES-CA needs you.
As noted, this issue is not over. Bernalillo believes that it will be beneficial to annex this property, but they are now aware of the mining issues. ES-CA will be working with the Town to revise the ordinance. We do not oppose annexation. We do not oppose the construction of a detention basin. We do oppose unbridled gravel mining on the property. We understand that Fisher needs to grade the site, and that there can be an economic advantage to screening out gravel, but fifteen years is literally a lifetime to some. We also wish to make sure that in the end, the property is properly reclaimed. In fact, Fisher is under a legal obligation currently to Sandoval County to grade and reclaim the site.
ES-CA has proposed that Fisher be limited to 18 months to complete grading, which would include the extraction of material, and, in effect, a limited, regulated mining operation. We ask that the Town require that Fisher post a bond to insure completion. We would also require that Fisher be subject to mandatory penalties for failure to complete the reclamation with 18 months. We have also asked that the Town require that the workday be kept to the hours of 9 am to 4pm, and that Fisher comply with all necessary regulations, including, but not limited to: air pollution, water pollution, noise, traffic, etc.
This site is currently in disarray. While ES-CA does not encourage any mining within the area, we would like to see this site restored. The County has been remiss in enforcing its regulations against Fisher. Our proposal of a bond and penalties would may be a far stronger position to insure that the site is properly reclaimed, than waiting for the County to act.
We welcome your thoughts and comments.