By Rodd Cayton
Human waste belongs in toilets, Corrales resident Paul Ortega says. Speaking at the Sept. 22 Village Council meeting, he implored councilors to pass an ordinance to that effect. Ortega said that since April, he and his wife have been dealing with a neighbor who has repeatedly defecated outdoors and discarded used toilet paper on the property.
“I want to be clear that this is not an assumption based on finding toilet paper,” Ortega told councilors. “I personally witnessed it. On May 27, at approximately 6 in the morning, I saw our neighbor outside without pants. I watched him wipe himself with the toilet paper, throw it on the ground, and then urinate. I witnessed similar behavior again on May 30th.”
Later in the meeting, planning and zoning administrator Laurie Stout read a draft human waste ordinance, opening discussion by the council. “(It’s) a little surreal that we have to have this conversation,” Stout began, before outlining the proposed ordinance, which would make it “unlawful to deposit or bury human feces anywhere within village limits other than into an approved and permitted on-site disposal system or maintained portable toilet.”
Stout told councilors she had assumed there was language in the municipal code that would bring Ortega some relief, but found there wasn’t.
The proposed ordinance lists the hazardous potential of human feces, the absence of a municipal water system, the village-wide use of wells for drinking water and other needs and Corrales’ need to comply with the Clean Water Act among reasons it is necessary.
In response to a question about the neighbor’s mental health, Stout said the matter has been referred to New Mexico Adult Protective Services.
“But in the meantime, this problem is happening, and it’s something that truly is easily remedied,” she said. “If he does it again, and we’ve got a law in place, he gets to explain to our judge.”
Councilors agreed to consider the ordinance at a future meeting.
Also at the meeting, code enforcement officer Dennis Edeal told councilors that village-led cleanup of an Old Church Road property will begin Sept. 30 with the removal of about six unregistered vehicles, dilapidated sheds, metal beams, cylinders, and debris stacks. Councilors approved a clean and lien order last fall for the property, subject of numerous complaints centered on health concerns and a potential fire hazard.
The property owners had been given time to perform some of the cleanup work.