Bus Drop Off

What a great thing it is to have a business that cares about the community.

This author has recently learned that Smart Start DayCare Center has encouraged and even asked that the bus use its parking lot to turn around in. This means that the young children who ride the bus and catch it in that area do not have to stand on the side of the busy Highway 47 with cars zooming by in order to catch the bus.

Of course, this daycare probably has children riding the bus that go to their school so it helps them as well. But how wonderful that they are encouraging and allowing young children to wait for the bus right by their property, instead of the busy highway.

Maybe more businesses should take note and do the same. That would certainly mean fewer children on the side of busy 47.

Posting early. Tomorrow this author will be very busy.

Building a Pool and your taxes

Of course, considering share services is not the only solution.
Here is one community that is going to put in a pool but they are doing it at no expense to the taxpayers. How?

They are going to charge membership, and at a fairly high rate.


The primary changes from the original projections include a 14% increase in the proposed membership rates (now $625 per year for a family and $400 for an individual)

First year revenue of $1.365 million is projected from the following sources: $850,000 from 1600 members (less than 60% of current outdoor pool membership); $120,000 from School swim team and summer camp user fees and access charges for opening the two new pools to outdoor pool members during the summer months; and, nearly $400,000 from aquatic and fitness programs and use of the multi-purpose rooms.

Rather than merely solicit community interest in the center, the Committee is seeking 1,200 members (75% of the projected total) to commit to membership for three years and to prepay the third year of membership. If this level of commitment can be achieved, the Committee believes that community support for the proposed Center will be demonstrated and that the risk of any taxpayer support ever being necessary will be negligible

http://www.scarsdalecommunitycenter.org/finances.shtml

And another one:
the pool operation was removed from the general fund and a user fee policy was instituted where only the users of the service pay for the operating costs of the facility, not every taxpayer.

http://www.usmayors.org/uscm/best_practices/bp_volume_2/westhart.htm

And look, at least in the top 6 or so on their ICIP- Belen is not requesting a pool.

http://www.news-bulletin.com/news/73821-08-29-07.html

illegal aliens

For those that wanted to pass a law about how long a camper can stay on your property with people sleeping in it (the proposed ordinance which failed to pass had a zero tolerance on this) and for those that said having a camper on your property be registered if people were sleeping in it would control illegal aliens in our community- there are other ways to control illegal aliens.

Title 8 Section 1325 known as the "Improper Entry by Alien," law.
Violations are punishable by criminal fines and imprisonment for up to six months. Repeat offenses can bring up to two years in prison. Additional civil fines may be imposed at the discretion of immigration judges, but civil fines do not negate the criminal sanctions or nature of the offense

http://www.americanpatrol.com/REFERENCE/isacrime.html

So it is illegal for them to be here if they do not cross the border in the correct method. The police can and should enforce this. The Council does not have to pass an ordinance requiring application to allow people to sleep on your property in a camper. The Council made the correct decision about this.





And here is another article about how police elsewhere are looking at the problem.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-08-14-towing15_N.htm

Sympathy

It is with great sadness that this author recognizes the recent tragedy with the rail runner and the lives lost.

New Signs

It is amazing but the other day Village Center got a new sign and all of a sudden this author noticed the place and really looked at the stores in the plaza there.

This led the author to do a bit more research and wow, there is a whole science behind how signs work. There are studies about how tall signs should be, how large they should be, how many signs are ineffective and what makes a good sign and so on.

Here are some links to further information.

Look at this small quote. This says that we don't have to be subjected to ever larger signs as some business owners want. And the reality is if business owners provided a good product, had good service, and invested their money where it would make the most difference they wouldn't need bigger and bigger signs.


In 1982, the New Mexico Supreme Court upheld the sign ordinance in the landmark case of Temple Baptist Church v. City of Albuquerque. The court held that aesthetics alone was a sufficient reason for a zoning regulation such as the sign ordinance and that the ordinance did not violate the sign owners' constitutional rights.

http://www.cabq.gov/aes/s5vp.html

And for those businesses who would like to guess and insinuate that this author doesn't know much about signs and what it takes to run a business you can do the math yourself.

http://www.signtronix.com/downloads/pdf/casestudy/whats-that-sign-worth.pdf

or visit here

http://www.nyssbdc.org/whatsyoursignage/


And just for fun here is an interesting report:

http://www.ethanwiner.com/signman.html

And while this author is commenting on signs- it is illegal to have off site signs. That is your signs must be in your yard or your business property. This author has noticed that there is a sign on Councilor proctor's lot advertising a home based business. Maybe it is gone now, but it should never have been put up in the first place and he knew it. Those in positions of power and authority should follow the law more closely than the rest of us and instead he is taking advantage of his position.

A Question from "Just Here"

"Just Here" said:
And while we are talking about water guess which Councilor doesn't think that water rates should be raised for the businesses? If anything this Councilor feels he should get free or lower cost water.

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=21274246&postID=4271000560540275875

Uh... Councilor Proctor?

Isn't that a bit of a conflict of interest?





And which Councilor wanted to give the untrained sewer workers a hefty raise to the tune of $15+ dollars and hour?

Congrats

Congratulations to the Village Vet - 20 years of service (per their sign)

Good Decision

The Council decided to NOT pass the new ordinance that the planning and zoning commission recnetly passed. The Council decided that it was not needed to register your camper or your visitors camper if someone was staying at your home in a camper.

It was interesting that during the planning and zoning meeting when this was discussed the reasoning for this was to stop people from housing illegal aliens on their property. Yet during the Council meeting this point was never brought up.

Mayor Ake also pointed out that the rodeo areana is considered private property and they have camping allowable on their site and an ordinance such as this would impact them. That quickly helped Councilor Wallace change her opinion on this ordinance.

The only person not to contribute to the discussion was Councilor Kennedy. Even Councilor Knowlton who called in to the meeting had an opinion on this matter.



Good job Council.

Taxes

Bosque Farms can no longer lay claim to being the cheapest city GRT collector in the county.

The approved taxes will increase the GRT in Peralta from 6 percent — the rate unincorporated areas of Valencia County pay — to 6.375 percent. The state's base rate is 5 percent, but a municipality has to pass an ordinance that goes beyond that.

In comparison, the Village of Los Lunas collects GRT at a rate of 7.1875 percent, and Bosque Farms has a GRT of 7.0625 percent.



http://www.news-bulletin.com/news/73482-08-15-07.html



Let's hope Peralta is budget wise and doesn't go overboard spending the funds they have.

A Thought

You do not examine legislation in the light of the benefits it will convey

if properly administered, but in the light of the wrongs it would do

and the harms it would cause if improperly administered.

-Lyndon Johnson

The Council Meeting

There is a Council meeting tonight. This author hopes many people go. Afterall, without looking at the agenda, this author is willing to guess that they are going to pass another "BIG BROTHER" ordinance.

What is a big brother ordinance? The kind that to enforce they have to stand on your neighbors roof to see if you are violating it.

So what ordinance are they trying to pass now?

If you have anyone who is going to be camping at your home for more than stopping over for coffee on their way through town, you have to register them and/or their camper.

So, if your parents come to visit you and they stop in your driveway with their camper and they spend the night, you have to stop at the Village office and get an application to let them camp there. If your best friend from Washington state drives through and wants to visit for a week you have to register them.

And why??? WHY???

Well to stop the illegal aliens.

As if...
As if anyone is going to register a camper person or a camper vehicle if they are sneaking illegal aliens around.
As if anyone is going to tell you the truth on a government form if you did ask if you were housing illegal aliens.
As if they are going to be able to tell if there is anyone camping in a camper that is already on your lot. (For those that have the cabana by the trees for visiting guests).
As if anyone is going to even register a camper person or a camper vehicle at all.
As if this is going to stop illegal aliens.

This author should have posted this sooner but quickly ran out of time- but for those of you who read this join others at the meeting and express your opinion about this ordinance.

No Bridge

The transportation plan is in discussion again.

Remember, last time this came in front of the Council there was a bridge smack dab in the middle of Bosque Farms, right over the river.

This author spoke with Councilor Eldridge, who was the representative there at the time, and she said that although she sat in the meetings and heard talk about a bridge there was no real specific discussion about those bridges until the plan was published.

So word to the Council- be sure you go to these meetings, represent us in this matter and tell them - no bridges. Don't discuss it, don't consider it, don't even think about it. NO Bridges.
And pay attention and don't let them slip one in when you are not looking. This is the same lady that ran the last set of traffic meetings so pay attention and tell them how it is. No Bridges.

There are many reasons to not put a bridge in Bosque Farms as a way to reduce traffic along the main roadways.

http://www.news-bulletin.com/news/73481-08-15-07.html

IT'S SOOOOOO HOT.....

.....the birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.
.....the trees are whistling for the dogs.
.....the best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.
.....hot water now comes out of both taps.
.....you can make sun tea instantly.
.....you learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.
.....the temperature drops below 95 F (35 C) and you feel a little chilly.
.....you discover that in July it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car.
.....you discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.
.....you actually burn your hand opening the car door.
.....you break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m.
.....your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, 'What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the
pavement and cook to death?'
.....you realize that asphalt has a liquid state.
.....the potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter.
.....the cows are giving evaporated milk.
....farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.

*STAY COOL!*
And as we smile at this let's remember our military who do this heat
every day in full gear!

Good Questions "Really"

I said that the chief and another fellow were partners in a contract that provided security for the mall. I do however, believe there are more people providing the security under that contract. My original questions pertain to how much time the chief actually spends in the Village taking care of the residents and thier needs or has that responsibility been assigned to one of his subordinates while he continues to rake in the big bucks as our chief? I ask these questions because I have not seen the chief or his unmarked car for a long time now. I'm NOT saying he is NOT in the Village, I'm saying I have not seen him or his car in a while.


http://bfgovernment.blogspot.com/2007/07/another-job-recently-really-had-some.html

Another Question

"WhyUs" asks a question

Did you guys hear that the Chief and Captain hired a guy with only a years experience as the new sergeant? How can this guy make sure that our officers are following proceedures and doing their job right when he hardly has enough time to know his own job? Enquiring minds want to know.I think I know the answer but lets here yours.

http://bfgovernment.blogspot.com/2007/12/more-comparisons-for-budget.html



Share the answer or share your opinions; this author is curious as to what others think about this.

Fair Notes for Next Year

This author is not complaining one bit about the hard work the fair board put forth and the fair.

But next year, police, take note- you know this is going to be a busy time of year. You know that the parade generates a lot of traffic. You know that after the parade there is a huge amount of traffic (Huge by Bosque Farmites standards, that is) trying to go into the fair grounds, people walking into the fair grounds, crossing the road, etc.



Why not be proactive and do some traffic directing?


This author realizes that you can most likely not direct traffic in the fair grounds area you certainly can make sure traffic flows smoothly into and out of the fair, at least at the initial onset of the traffic after the parade.


Here is a link about directing traffic for store owners. Just FYI for the business owners. Of course this has nothing to do about directing traffic but it popped up and this author is sharing.



http://www.glmshows.com/press/DisplayHandbook/traffic_flow.htm

The Cop That Left

Our own famous officer that used to comment on this blog "The Hog" is the one that is gone.

Too bad.

What is interesting to this author is that in the last few months Los Lunas has lost how many officers? 10 or more? They left because the great gorillas to the North were recruiting and of course, those two gorillas can pay more. How many of our officers did these two agencies recruit? ZERO.


Gives a reader pause for thought doesn't it?

Another Special Event Passed

Last year this author suggested that the police consider doing something similar to Los Lunas and Belen for National Night Out. And once again:

Los Lunas had a big night out. They had police cars, fire trucks and other exciting things. There were hamburgers and hot dogs. Belen had a big night out. They had dunking tanks and fire trucks.

Bosque Farms?

Uh...

The Fair

Congratulations to the Fair Board for a job well done.

The parade was a lot of fun and grea thanks to everyone who threw candy to this author. A special thanks to those who threw the good kind. And a very special thanks to those who threw 'neat things' such as water bottles or stuffed animals. Way to go.

It was neat to see all of the nice entries. Wow, did anyone see that jacket that was woven ribbons? And weren't the lego entries great? And what a beautiful quilt. Of course, there were some neat pictures drawn by children and too many other interesting things to comment on.

It was also nice to participate in the races. A highlight this year was watching some of the animals being judged. If you have never done that, try next year. The judges were very very nice to the young children.


The fair board needs more volunteers. If you enjoyed going you might consider contacting one of them and telling them your interested in volunteering.

Instead of a pool

While this author agrees with "Cowboy" that those who want to enjoy a pool or playing the sprinklers should pay for the water; there may be an option that no one has discussed- a non swimming water park.


The zoo has this small little area that has water coming up from spigots. The water shoots high into the air and then comes back down to fall into a mesh area. The kids can get wet, the water gets recycled, and it's fairly safe ( in the regard that there is no standing water for kids to drown in). They would also be cheaper in that no life guards need to be on duty as there is not standing water, the water is recycled in some of these parks so the cost of water would be less, and it costs a fraction of the cost to operate


Maybe those that are so hot on having a pool may consider something like this. If it was kept small enough it would be ideal for little children and would not be worth the trip for those from out of town. This would cut down on many of the problems other places, such as West Mesa School or Corrales encounter with their fancy pools.



For some examples of what this author is pondering as a possible alternative to a pool visit these websites:

http://www.waterodyssey.com/

From this website it appears the cost can be as low as $25,000 and as high as $400,000. But the author believes the latter is extreme for this little community.

http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/Waterparks.html

At a fraction of the cost of maintaining the former pool, this playground now delivers thrilling play experiences that kids love!

http://www.kraftsmanplaygrounds.com/

Note:

This author is not convinced this is the ideal place to spend money. There are other more pressing needs such as getting arsenic levels taken care of before the Village gets fined or misses other funding for example. But, if a pool is inevetable, and it seems so based on conversations the Council has had in the past, then maybe instead of a pool, this would be a better option.

More Comparisons for the Budget

This is not an attack on the police department. Rather this is a very easy way to compare budgets. All of the information needed is available in public sources and easy to find.

_____________________________

Los Lunas covers more than five square miles, has a population of 10,000 and hires a total of 34 people. They take up about 27 percent of the budget of Los Lunas out of a total 36 million dollar budget. This means they spend a total of 9.7 million on police department 'stuff'. 970 dollars per person who lives there.

7 dispatchers (Including the head dispatcher)
2 receptionists
1 office supervisor
13 patrol officers
3 patrol sergeants
2 patrol Lieutenant
3 detectives
1 captian
2 chief, the head chief and under chief.

Bosque Farms is 5 square miles with 4,000 people who live here and hires 12 police employees and the police department takes up 50% of the budget. The budget is a four million dollar plus budget. 2.4 Million is spent on the police. This is about 625 dollars per person who lives here.

6 officers
1 detective
2 sergeants
1 captain
1 chief
1 clerk

It is very easy to make a comparison about pay and job duties. But what this won't show is that Bosque Farms has a smaller budget, has less violent crime, has less land to patrol, and so on.

In fact, Los Lunas has more domestic violence cases than Bosque Farms. For whatever reason, this is a fact. And domestic violence is one place that an officer typically worries about because it is such a volatile aggressive situation, so it is one small way to compare communities.

This very same type of comparison can be made with almost any employee. The sewer guys in Los Lunas earn more but they have more call outs each night that Bosque Farms sewer guys and the system is different and the community is smaller. And so on and so on.