District 2 Newsletter

Hello Neighbors

The next City Council meeting is Monday, March 5 at 5:00 pm in the Vincent Griego Chambers, basement level of City Hall:  Agenda.

Legislation of Interest

• R-18-18 Intent to Adopt 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (Benton, Davis):  On Monday, Councilor Pat Davis and I will be introducing R-18-18, a resolution to take the first steps toward adopting the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) for the City.  I previously was the sponsor of the Albuquerque Energy Conservation Code, along with now-US Senator Martin Heinrich.  The AECC was repealed in 2011, at which time the City reverted to the now-outdated 2009 IECC.  Our intention is that the much more up-to-date 2018 code will help the City to once again be a leader in energy efficiency for the benefit of all building owners and occupants. 
• O-18-12 Decriminalization of Marijuana (Davis, Benton):  You may recall that I co-sponsored a bill with Councilor Rey Garduno in 2015 to decriminalize minor possession of marijuana in the city of Albuquerque.  Although that bill passed on a 5-4 vote, it was vetoed by Mayor Berry, and we were unsuccessful in overriding the veto.  I am co-sponsoring with Councilor Davis a similar bill that will be introduced on Monday. The bill will be referred to the Finance & Government Operations Committee for the March 12 meeting.
• O-18-9 Adopting a .375% Municipal Hold Harmless Gross Receipts Tax (Sanchez, Jones):  I support enacting an additional tax to compensate for the State’s removal of “hold harmless” payments to the City.  However it is essential that the Mayor and Council responsibly put it to use.  While I support the tax, I’m very concerned about the talk about all of the revenue going only to public safety.  While public safety is a top priority and I support some of the tax being used for that purpose, we have a lot of other needs in order to provide adequate basic services.

Upcoming Events

• Cruising Task Force:  Community Outreach Event Thursday, March 15 from 6-7:30pm in the Council Committee Room, 9th Floor of City Hall.  Join us to share your experiences and recommendations on how to promote responsible “cruising” and regulate irresponsible recreational driving in the City of Albuquerque.   Core members of the Cruising Task Force will present their preliminary findings and recommendations at the beginning of the event, followed by an opportunity for the community-at-large to comment on and add to the recommendations.
• Valley Area Command Community Policing Council:  Meets every 4th Thursday from 6:00 to 7:30 pm at the Wells Park Community Center.  Next meeting March 22.
• Open Space Visitor Center Events
• Explora Calendar
• ABQ365 Events:  Year-round events in Albuquerque!
• ABQtodo:  More year-round events in Albuquerque!

Community Announcements / Resources

• Behavioral Health Initiative: Stay updated on the progress of this important initiative.  NEWSLETTERS
• Rail Runner Seniors Ride Free: Wednesdays thru September.
• City Traffic Construction Reports Available Online along with the Department of Municipal Development’s (DMD) Interactive Map!
• Downtown Arts & Cultural District Interactive Map: Explore galleries, coffee shops, museums, theaters, restaurants, and more. 
• Air Quality Awareness:  The Environment Health Department has announced an awareness campaign.  Sign up to get Air Quality alerts.
• Free ABQ Images Library hits 5,000 downloads. This is an online collection of professional photos and videos of the Albuquerque area that can be downloaded and used by anyone for free.  

Sincerely,
Isaac Benton
City Councilor, District 2