When the majority of the Edgewood commission decided in 2023 that it needed to make a change in leadership, it was not as smooth a process as it could have been.
That’s because Edgewood was going somewhere that governing bodies had not been before, said Mayor Ken Brennan, who the commission selected for the position in August after then-Mayor Audrey Jaramillo was voted out.
Under the town’s mayor-commission-manager form of government, the mayoral slot is largely ceremonial and selected/appointed by other members of the elected members.
“It’s a whole different set of rules,” Brennan said of the removal procedure. “People were trying to mismatch rules. It caused a lot of heartache, a lot of problems. A lot of that could have been avoided if the language in the law is clear. I have realized that there are a lot of problems with state laws and federal laws. It’s not that the laws are good or that the laws are bad. It’s just that they’re working on such a broad spectrum that it mucks up the process more than it helps.”
To help avoid those issues in the future, Brennan is seeking clarifying language from the state legislature, and has written a proposed change to state law.
“It was ugly, it didn’t help anybody,” he said of the removal process. “The argument went back and forth. It’s all ambiguous and hopefully this is more clearly defined and hopefully by the time the state legislature is done, it will be fixed.”
That is just one of the town’s priorities when it comes to the state legislature, which begins its 2024 30-day session Jan. 16.
The wish list
The town has nearly $30 million in Infrastructure Capital Improvements on its wish list, headed by $12 million for a water quality improvement plant designed to reduce the area’s hard water that is sent to residences and business.
The idea, Brennan said, is that by reducing the high mineral content inherent in hard water, it would cut down the wear and tear on the town’s wastewater treatment facility, saving the town money in the long run.
Along those lines, the town is seeking $750,000 for upgrades at the treatment plant, as well as $617,000 for NM 66 sewer line expansion.
“Roads, sewer and water are the big three,” Brennan said. “At the sewer plant, we’ve made a lot of improvements to it and brought it up to EPA standards. When we came into office, the plant was not meeting those standards. They were pushing it down the road, that was only going to last so long.”
When it comes to roads, Edgewood is seeking $9.3 million for paving North Horton Road ($4.1 million); East Venus Road ($2.2 million); Church Street ($1.8 million) and South Steeplechase Drive ($1.2 million).
Given the town last year was able to get chip-and-seal equipment, it makes road maintenance more cost-effective, Brennan said. Additionally, the town is able to begin graveling dirt roads, which also makes eventually paving easier and less expensive because that provides the paving bases.
“We’re trying to take care of all of the roads within the town,” Brennan said. “We’re doing the chip sealing and painting on our own and the money that we’re requesting pays for the gravel and other material that you need to do it. Having our own equipment will save ourselves in the long run.”
Recreation and quality-of-life projects are also sprinkled throughout the list, with almost $5.5 million earmarked for various projects.
Topping that list is $1.9 million for the Edgewood connected trail system, which is a hike/bike/equestrian byway that allows users to get from one end of the town to the other.
Another $1.64 million for Edgewood Commons Recreation project, which is a state land trust area with a master plan that includes a town center, recreational trails, public buildings, land, the expansion of the healthcare facility, economic development, and residential opportunities.
The Edgewood 7 trail is slated for $750,000, with $475,000 going toward community center improvements, $200,000 to finish a pedestrian bridge project and $50,000 for a concept and feasibility study for a community pool.