With the state’s legislative session set to start in about two months, the Albuquerque City Council is preparing its priorities for state lawmakers and is expected to discuss what will make the cut during Monday’s meeting.
Councilors discussed the resolution for the council’s legislative agenda during the Nov. 4 meeting but deferred it for further review.
Among the council’s list of around 20 proposed legislative priorities focusing on public safety, behavioral health and homelessness, are requests for stricter penalties for certain criminal offenses, rent stabilization programs and low-income utility rates assistance. One priority calls for behavioral health and addiction services to be an “alternative to jail for some non-violent offenders.”
Councilor Brook Bassan, a cosponsor of the resolution, said she hopes councilors can work together Monday night to simplify the lengthy list.
“The legislators have a lot to do, and so for us to sit there and tell them, ‘Go ahead and read this endless list of dreams,’ seems to me a little tedious, so I think that we’re trying to change that up a little bit,” Bassan said. “I think we also agree that we don’t want to get in the way of other councilors if they would like all of that on there.”
The proposed council resolution also includes Mayor Tim Keller’s administration’s legislative agenda with an extensive list of crime and homelessness initiatives. Some of the policy priorities include:
- Establish medical check protocols between the University of New Mexico Hospital and the Metropolitan Detention Center
- Require parole/probation officers to notify police and victims when offenders are released
- Implement “Duke City Stats” to other jurisdictions in crime strategy and tracking
- Establish vacant and dilapidated building policies
Staci Drangmeister, a spokesperson for Keller’s office, said the mayor and administration engaged with residents to hear their concerns and hopes for the city — notably during a series of meetings the mayor’s office hosts called Constructive Conversations.
“It’s not surprising the things that we hear the most are folks are concerned about crime and homelessness and housing,” Drangmeister said. “So our priorities reflect what we hear from the community generally in those bucket areas.”
According to Drangmeister, the crime initiatives are based on what the administration sees as the challenges law enforcement officers and criminal justice system employees experience daily and how the city can improve collaboration by sharing crime statistics across the state.
Other agenda items
Two proposals to require more accountability from Keller’s administration that did not make it on the agenda for the council’s last meeting are also expected to be considered during Monday’s meeting.
Read more about the bills here.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
WHEN: 5 p.m. Nov. 18
WHERE: Vincent E. Griego Chambers in the Albuquerque Government Center, 1 Civic Plaza NW
VIRTUAL: GOV-TV or on the city’s YouTube channel
Nonprofit journalism like this depends on readers like you. This story is supported by City Desk ABQ, a nonprofit newsroom project of Citizen Media Group supporting news and politics coverage that inspires readers to participate in local democracy. Become a supporter to keep City Desk free and support nonprofit, independent journalists covering politics and policy f0r New Mexico newsrooms.