District 2 Newsletter

Hello Neighbors,

The next Council meeting is Monday, May 20 at 5:00 pm in Council Chambers, basement level of city hall:  Agenda

Legislation

• O-19-54 Ranked Choice Voting (Benton, Davis, Winter) would establish a ranked-choice voting system for municipal elections, eliminating the need for run-off elections.  Councilor Harris, Chair of the Finance & Government Operations (FGO) Committee, canceled the May 15 meeting.  Councilor Harris introduced a competing bill to put the issue on the ballot.  Since O-19-54 has now been delayed in committee, it is unlikely that it would be able to go into effect prior to the election. I will attempt to pull from committee at Monday’s meeting, which will require six votes.
• P-19-2 Proposition for 11 Council Districts (Benton) has been delayed in the FGO committee by the chair's cancellation of the May 15 meeting.  I will also attempt to pull this item out of committee a Monday's Council meeting.  P-19-2 is a proposition to be submitted to voters in the November municipal election to change the City Charter to increase the number of Council districts from the current nine to eleven.  If approved by the City Council, the proposition would go before the voters to decide in the November 5 municipal election. Read my op-ed here.
• O-19-64 Complete Streets Ordinance Update (Benton) will be introduced Monday and will have its first hearing at the Land Use, Planning & Zoning (LUPZ) Committee on June 12 at 5:00 pm in the Council Committee Room, 9th floor of city hall.  Friday was Bike to Work Day and I enjoyed a bicycle commute with Mayor Keller to Civic Plaza where we also celebrated the signing of the City’s pledge for Vision Zero. Vision Zero is a commitment to strive to eliminate pedestrian traffic deaths. We also announced the update to the Complete Streets Ordinance that I will be introducing on Monday night.  The update strengthens the provisions and also emphasizes the importance of good pedestrian and bicycle facilities in under invested neighborhoods.
• R-19-138 FY20 Operating Budget (Jones, by request): Council will continue to consider the final operating budget for Fiscal Year 20 (July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020) on Monday night and at a special meeting on May 28.

Upcoming Events

• Valley Area Command Community Policing Council (CPC):  Next meeting May 23 at 6:00 pm @ the Johnny Tapia Community Center at Wells Park
• Rail Yards Market: Sundays 10 am - 2 pm
• Downtown Growers Market: Saturdays 8 am - noon @ Robinson Park
• ABQtodo: Events and activities in Albuquerque
• ABQ365: Events and activities in Albuquerque

Community Announcements/Resources

• CNM FUSE Makerspace:  Learn about the community and opportunities!
• 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. 
• MurosABQ.com: Directory of murals in Albuquerque

Sincerely,
Isaac Benton
City Councilor, District 2