District 2 Newsletter

Hello Neighbors,

Due to the holiday on Monday, the next City Council meeting will be next Wednesday, January 23 at 5:00 pm in the Vincent Griego Chambers, basement level of city hall.

Legislation

• O-19-48 Limiting the Use of Single-Use Plastics and Polystyrene (Benton, Davis, Gibson, Borrego) was introduced on Monday and referred to the Finance & Government Operations (FGO) committee.  Stay tuned for the date of the FGO hearing! See a fact sheet on the proposed ordinance.
  
  I want to express my thanks to the students who came to our meetings and spoke passionately about the importance of such legislation to their generation’s future. As co-sponsors, we commend them for exercising their organizing power to benefit our entire community.
  
  Their heartfelt comments and personal actions encouraged us to push forward despite the expected pushback from some of the most frequent distributors of single-use items like plastic shopping bags, straws and styrofoam containers.
  
  As an “older” person, I can confirm that times sure do change! Only a generation or two ago food containers, most shopping bags, food containers and straws were biodegradable (and most beverage bottles were recyclable).  Perhaps consumers today do marginally benefit from the convenience and low cost of cheap, single-use plastic replacements for those items. But that’s a questionable trade for a much greater long-term cost paid as our environment suffers, and the health of the earth’s food chain for animals and humans is compromised by degraded plastic waste. 
  
  It’s time overdue to reverse course, and as consumers step up and pay for the marginal true cost of our consumption. Future generations will in turn reap the rewards of sustainability.
   
• R-19-117 Establishing a Census 2020 Complete Count Committee (Borrego, Benton, Pena, Sanchez) will be on the agenda for a hearing and action at the City Council meeting next Wednesday.  Creating a policy for the City and establishing a Complete Count Committee for the 2020 Census is an important step in the process.  To be clear, the census is a count of every person, regardless of citizenship.  An accurate count is essential for the allocation of representation on elected bodies, boards, and agencies that have population based representation.  The annual appropriations of federal intergovernmental funding for health, education, transportation, child and elder care, emergency preparation and response, and social support programs of all kinds depend on complete and accurate age, population and other ethnic and demographic information that is gathered through the census.

Upcoming Events

• BioPark Half Price Weekend:  The BioPark will be offering half off on all single admission tickets January 19 and 20.
• Legislative Town Hall: State Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino will hold a Legislative Town Hall on Saturday, January 26 from 1 - 3 pm.  It will take place in the Main Library downtown at 5th & Copper, in the auditorium in the basement.  Free parking is available in the City's parking structure across the street. 
• Rail Yards Inspired Art Exhibit @ South Broadway Cultural Center:  Thru January 26.
• Candelaria Nature Preserve Public Meeting: January 30 | 3:30 - 5:30 pm | Public input meeting for the Resource Management Plan for the public open space surrounding the Rio Grande Nature Center.
• One ABQ: Youth Job & Volunteer Fair: February 2 | 10:00 - 2:00 pm
• Silver Avenue Bicycle Boulevard Review (Yale to Paseo del Bosque):  Feb 5 | 5:50 - 7:00 pm | Public meeting to review draft design concepts and recommendations.
• Valley Area Command Community Policing Council:  Meets every 4th Thursday from 6:00 to 7:30 pm at the Wells Park Community Center.  Community policing is a two-way street; get involved!
• Open Space Visitor Center Events: We have the best open space system in the country!
• ABQ365 Events:  Year-round events in Albuquerque.

Community Announcements/Resources

• CNM FUSE Makerspace:  Learn about the community and opportunities!
• Rail Runner's Seniors Ride Free:  Wednesdays all year!
• One ABQ: Youth Connect:  Fall activities and programs for youth in Albuquerque.
• S.H.A.R.P. Program to Clean Up Needles and Syringes: Get information about reporting needles on public property.
• 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. 
• MurosABA.com: Directory of murals in Albuquerque

Projects

• Silver Avenue Bicycle Boulevard Review (Yale to Paseo del Bosque):  Feb 5 | 5:50 - 7:00 pm | Public meeting to review draft design concepts and recommendations. 
• UPDATE: Rio Grande & Candelaria Roundabout  We are experiencing a delay on the start of construction of the roundabout due to the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority's (ABCWUA) need to replace infrastructure in the area prior to construction.

Sincerely,
Isaac Benton
City Councilor, District 2