By Lynn Janes
The Village of Santa Clara held a regular meeting August 28, 2025. Mayor Arnold Lopez called the meeting to order. Mayor Pro Tem Albert Esparza, trustees, Olga Amador, Peter Erickson and Ralph Trujillo attended.
The council approved the agenda, after moving the closed session. They also approved past meeting minutes and department head reports.
Mayors report
Lopez said he would be gone for a while on an elk hunt but would be available by cell phone off and on and wwouldl leave Albert Esparza in charge. Freeport McMoRan (FMI) would hold its company picnic at Fort Bayard for the second year. Larry Montoya, fire chief, would attend to provide first aid if needed.
Lopez said he had been attending a lot of meetings, and Sheila Hudman, village administrator, was meeting application deadlines for grants. He hoped they received those grants for projects planned in the spring. He had met with FMI and commented about how they help all the municipalities.
The council went into closed session
The council came back into open session and said no decisions had taken place.
Public comment none currently.
New business
Dolores Charon, El Refugio, had come to ask the participation of the village in Domestic Violence Awareness month, as they had participated last year. Charon serves on the El Refugio board. She wanted the village to paint the town purple again with flags, banners and pins. They will have an event at the Women's Club on October 1, 2025, for the kickoff of the awareness month and she invited them to attend. She also requested the police department take their vehicles, because they would like to put purple magnets on them at the event. She went over some of the other events they would hold during the month of October. Lopez told Charon to let them know any way they can help, and they would do so. Charon also had a proclamation she wanted the village to adopt and made arrangements to bring it by city hall, so it could be done at the next meeting.
The council tabled the sale of two city lots with the addresses of 525 and 527 Fort Bayard Street to Cobre Consolidated School District. The village wants to have everything in line on their side and with the school district before the vote.
Resolutions
The council approved resolution 2025-31 to participate in the transportation project fund program and request for match waiver with the department of transportation (DOT). Leandra Esparza, city clerk, said this funding would do Maple Street projects.
Second regular meeting to be held Thursday September 25, 2025, at 6:00 pm
First regular meeting to be held Thursday October 9, 2025, at 6:00 pm
Meeting Adjourned
