District 2 Newsletter

Hello Neighbors,

The next City Council meeting is Monday, March 19 at 5:00 pm in the Vincent Griego Chambers, basement level of City Hall:  Agenda.

Legislation of Interest

• O-18-11 Adopting Amendments to the IDO (Benton, Jones) will have a second hearing at the LUPZ committee on Wednesday, March 28.  These amendments generally focus on errors and omissions within the adopted IDO document.  Council staff is working on additional amendments in response to public input.   You may send comments to the committee through the Council Clerk, Crystal Ortega at [email protected]. 
• O-18-12 Decriminalization of Marijuana (Davis, Benton) will be on the Council’s agenda on Monday, April 2.  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.
• R-18-18 Intent to Adopt 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (Benton, Davis) will be heard at the Finance & Government Operations (FGO) Committee meeting on April 9.  This is 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  The AECC was repealed in 2011, at which time the City reverted to the now-outdated 2009 IECC.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. 

Upcoming Events

• Valley Area Command Community Policing Council:  Next meeting March 22.  Meets every 4th Thursday from 6:00 to 7:30 pm at the Wells Park Community Center. 
• 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.  

Projects

• Project List
• Indian School Road:  I have secured funding for a Complete Street study and plan for Indian School Road, between Carlisle Blvd and Broadway Blvd. 
• Kirtland Community Dog Park:  There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony for this recently completed project on Saturday, March 24 at 11:00 am.
• Santa Barbara Martineztown Pedestrian Improvements:  The study is complete and the report and recommendations have been finalized and posted online.  I will be planning a public meeting to get input from the neighborhood on prioritizing projects.

Sincerely,
Isaac Benton
City Councilor, District 2