City accepts $3 million for Rancho Cielo
October 05, 2009
The City of Belen tonight accepted $3 million from the State of New Mexico to build infrastructure to support the development of Rancho Cielo west of Los Chavez.
The economic development funds are the second infusion of cash for Rancho Cielo. Several millions of dollar has been provided by Gov. Bill Richardson and the state legislature for improvements to the North Belen interchange, which will provide access to the west side of Interstate 25.
The money will come from the New Mexico Economic Development Department and will be used to provide water, sewer and a road into Rancho Cielo.
“The City of Belen will act as the fiscal agent of the $3 million,” said Claudette Riley, the executive director of the Greater Belen Economic Development Corporation (GBEDC).
The first major construction project in Rancho Cielo will be Signet Solar, a solar manufacturing facility to be located in Rancho Cielo’s Energy Hub. It’s expected to provide up to 600 jobs over the multiphase, five-year project.
“Signet Solar is one of several other manufacturing facilities in the state that’s receiving capital outlay funds,” Riley said.
The city council, by ordinance, unanimously approved a project participation agreement and contract for the state funds. Riley said the new ordinance was accepted under the City of Belen Economic Development Plan Ordinance.
Several legal questions were raised about the action during and after the meeting.
Councilor Terese Ulivarri asked City Attorney Norman McDonald about a provision in the ordinance that says it will supersede other city law anytime there’s a conflict between the new ordinance and older ones.
McDonald said it’s standard language in law for new ordinances to supersede older ordinances when there’s a conflict.
“If there are any other ordinances that are on the books in the City of Belen that are somehow in conflict or inconsistent with this ordinance, then those ordinances are repealed to the extent that there’s an inconsistency,” he explained.
Valencia! asked McDonald after the meeting whether or not the city council was supposed to hold a public hearing on the ordinance prior to passing it.
The city’s Economic Development Plan Ordinance says all project participation agreements must be “adopted by the governing body at a public hearing” and many government bodies, like the Valencia County Commission, hold public hearings before adopting ordinances.
The city’s ordinance doesn’t define “public hearing,” though a public hearing is typically a section of a meeting that allows public input on an action item, like approval of an ordinance, prior to a vote by the governing body.
McDonald said the entire meeting was a public hearing. He then refused to answer other legal questions, saying he provides legal advice to the mayor and council, not reporters.
Valencia! had hoped to ask whether or not adequate notice was provided to the public of the council’s intent to adopt the ordinance. State law requires at least two weeks published notice.
We also wanted to ask for details of the legal process for getting the funds from the state to the city and finally to New Mexico Development Partners, LP, also know as Rancho Cielo. The city had slip-ups with the economic development assistance process when courting a pipe manufacturing plant to the Rio Grande Industrial Park approximately two years ago.
This time the city is confident the city’s successfully following the process, because Riley and city officials have been working with the state, the City of Albuquerque and others with expertise in the process.
At the council meeting tonight, councilors voiced their support of the city’s economic development efforts and the GBEDC.
“It’s good to see things are finally working in the favor of the City of Belen,” said Councilor David Lopez. “I know this council has worked very hard to get things going.”
Riley is looking forward to more industry seeking to build in Rancho Cielo.
She said Signet Solar takes up the westernmost third of the area designated as an industrial park in the development. That means the new infrastructure will make the other two-thirds ready for development.
“Once the road and infrastructure gets there,” she said, “we’re ready to rock on another 150 acres that already have the infrastructure to there.”
Posted in: Economy Infrastructure Rancho Cielo