By Roger Lanse

Anthony Quintana, representing Q €™s Southern Bistro, came before the Silver City Town Council at its July 14 meeting asking Council to approve a public celebration permit application for a summer music festival to be held July 31 and Aug. 1, which involved closing College Avenue between Bullard and Pope streets.

District 1 Councilor Cynthia Bettison expressed concern that the street closure would confuse tourists and others trying to find other downtown events being held the same weekend, particularly the Silver City Arts and Cultural District €™s Clay Gala and Festival. District 2 Councilor Lynda Aiman-Smith agreed, saying they get a lot of heat from residents when streets are closed for a public event, calling the proposed street closure €œmassive. €

However, District 4 Councilor Guadalupe Cano stated, €œThere is plenty of room for more than one event, € and indicated that she was leaning toward approving the request. District 3 Councilor Jose Ray Jr. said, €œWe need different events even if they are going on at the same time, I hope we can pass this. €

Mayor Michael Morones stated €œI find his (Quintana €™s) events to be very economically stimulating and important for the downtown area. I think it actually offers an opportunity to learn what closing College could do. I really hope that we can consider passing this. €

Bettison then asked Quintana to coordinate with the Clay Festival so that both events can be made accessible to their fans.

Council approved the application.

In the public comment part of the meeting, a resident spoke about inconsistencies in enforcing the noise ordinance, County Assessor Raul Turietta stated that certain properties will be re-evaluated by September, and Cissy McAndrew asked for Council to consider ways to deal with the speeding issue on Bullard Street. McAndrew stated, to her, about 1 vehicle in 15 is obeying the speed limit, which is 15 mph.

Aiman-Smith agreed with McAndrew about vehicles going too fast on Bullard and also complained about trucks purposely blowing black smoke at bicyclists and pedestrians, calling it €œvehicle bullying. €

Bettison brought up the issue of safety on Broadway, having witnessed cars passing other cars stopped for pedestrians.

Ray informed the council about a car-bike run this Saturday, July 18, at 10 a.m. at Gough Park to benefit the Gospel Mission. Entry fees will be $10 for cars and $5 for motorcycles.

George Dworin, of the SCACD presented the district €™s fiscal year 2014-2015 final report. According to Dworin, visitors at the Murray Ryan Visitor Center were up 20 percent over last year at 19,034. Requests for information that have been filled numbered 7,162, while 11,515 €œ101 Things to do in Silver City € post cards were distributed. Silver City €™s Facebook page reported a 1,303 percent increase over last year, from 443 likes to 6,216. €œI think it €™s been a great year, € Dworin told the council.

Lucy Whitmarsh of Silver City MainStreet reported on the final quarter of fiscal year 2014-2015 saying the Silco Theater renovation project is on schedule and there should be occupancy by mid-November.

Any concerns about highway medians in town and visibility issues for drivers should be directed to MainStreet at 534-1700, Whitmarsh said.

Two special dispenser permit applications were approved, one for the Clay Gala Fundraiser at Seedboat Gallery on July 30, from 5 to 11 p.m. and another for the Clay Festival to be held Aug. 1, on the 400 block of Bullard street and the 100 block of Kelly Street, from 7 to 10 p.m.

The council approved a Notice of Intent to issue both taxable and non-taxable bonds, totaling $5,485,000, to fund the purchase and installation of new water meters throughout the town. Morones explained, €œWe have a very aged infrastructure system, especially with these (water) meters. If we don €™t do this we €™re going to be doing some substantial cash outlay on getting our meters up to speed. And we are losing so much water, so much billable water, right now. Our losses are really not sustainable. It makes a lot of sense from an accounting perspective. The revenue that the system will be producing, the guarantees that we have in place, the capture of billable water, we €™re going to be made whole and we €™re going to be a much healthier community, with this very upgraded system. €

A parcel of improved real estate located at 914 Pope Street, site of the former Golden Dragon Restaurant, that the town €œended up with, € Morones said, was approved by Council to be listed as €œnon-essential. € Called an €eyesore € and a €œblight, € councilors hope to put it on the market and sell it to a developer who will waste no time putting the site back into production, creating jobs and increasing the tax base.

Also approved was a continuation of an agreement with the Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments. Town Manager Alex Brown stated, €œIt €™s only to the town €™s benefit to continue this agreement. €

Sherry Ann Clements and Robert Donnelly were re-appointed to the Incentive Review Committee.