Policy Goals and Achievements

Good Governance

Councilor Jones has worked with others in the Council to ensure that the City provides a high return on taxpayer investment and operates openly in all it does. Councilor Jones believes that the City should be operated in an efficient and open manner to ensure that citizens receive quality and efficient government services. As a Council member she continues to work to guarantee that the City wisely uses its funds in providing services to District 8 and the City as a whole.

Safety

Councilor Jones is committed to providing funds to protect Albuquerque citizens and honoring those who help to protect Albuquerque and the United States as a whole. She has helped to pass resolutions providing for a Party Patrol Program, Forensic Science and Investigatory Programs, and a Veterans Memorial to honor New Mexico’s fallen in Afghanistan and Iraq . She continues to be very active in Veterans Memorial Park because of her strong belief in honoring those who protect the public safety of the community. Councilor Jones has worked with APD to provide funding for more police vehicles and a new state of the art helicopter.

Foothills Police Station:

The Albuquerque Police Departments Foothills Substation located at 12800 Lomas NE serves the Foothills Area Command that is bordered by San Antonio Blvd. to the north, the Sandia Foothills to the east, Kirtland Air Force Base to the south, and Eubank Blvd. to the west. This busy substation has recently had a new roof installed and a new HVAC system to improve the heating and cooling. Safety improvements at the substation have included new bullet proof glass and the resurfacing and fencing of the parking lot. New carpeting and remodeled bathrooms and showers have improved the comfort level for our officers. For the substation's important field work, a camera trailer was purchased to be moved around and used in the Foothills Area Command, increasing safety throughout the community. Councilor Jones has funded these renovations with her set-aside funds for public safety.

Fire Station 16:

The Albuquerque Fire Rescue Station 16 is located at 4727 Juan Tabo NE and serves the north Albuquerque community. Recent  improvements included installation of a secure fence and a repaved parking lot and the addition of a storage room for equipment to keep carcinogens away from firefighters and minimize our firefighters exposure to potentially harmful substances and improve their quality of life. For services provided from this station, technical equipment including a thermal imaging camera and a no smoke exhaust system have been purchased. Also, for the wilderness rescue services, technical equipment has been purchased to improve the safety of their operations. 

James Dwyer Substation:

James Dwyer Memorial Police Substation is located at Montgomery and Landau just one block east of Tramway. Newly installed LED lighting in the parking lot has made the area brighter and safer. An enclosed parking lot at the substation has been constructed to allow APD Open Space a facility where they can fully operate their important services. 

Community

Councilor Jones has been involved in numerous community-enhancing projects. She worked closely with others on the Council to encourage Community Gardens. She has made it a focus to improve the services at the Bear Canyon Senior Center, Holiday Park Community Center, and the Juan Tabo Library. These facilities provide important services to the residents of District 8. Councilor Jones has prioritized community and governmental services that improve the quality of life for taxpayers in District 8.

Bear Canyon Senior Center:

Completion ceremony celebrating the major remodel of the center was a huge success with more than 600 people in attendance for the day’s festivities.  During the remodel the center was enlarged to include a new administrative office area and an enclosed atrium area.  The HVAC system has been upgraded to refrigerated air and all bathrooms made ADA compliant.  The parking lot has been resurfaced while improving ADA parking and access along with creating a new drop-off plaza and entry drive.  In addition, the irrigation system and landscaping have been upgraded.  The center’s fire suppression system was updated and electrical system and technology upgrades were added.  To top it off the building received a fresh coat of stucco and paint along with all new furniture.   This project was funded through General Obligation Bonds in the amount of 1 million dollars along with a state grant and District 8 set aside funds. More recently Councilor Jones has funded new cabinets for the center and new state of the art atrium doors.

Holiday Park Community Center:

Holiday Park Community Center was fully redone. It was originally built in the 1970s as an open air shelter and enclosed and expanded in the 90s.  It has now been renovated into a full service Community Center!   The building is approximately 18,000 square feet with a game room, computer lab, a fitness room with state of the art equipment, exercise room for yoga and dance, craft room, mini gym with basketball facilities and two meeting rooms with kitchen access.  Holiday Park currently provides the largest before and after school program in the City.  The new facility will allow Family and Community Services to meet the expanding need to serve more children while being able to offer a wider range of services to all segments of the community. This facility was funded with 3.6 million dollars from general obligation bonds and District 8 set aside funds.  All of the amenities in this facility are free to all ages so please come and visit this beautiful new facility.

Juan Tabo Library: 

Improvements to the Juan Tabo Library, located at 3407 Juan Tabo NE, were completed in 2016. With a ribbon cutting ceremony that was attended by community members, we showcased the new Community Room which is available for use by the public. The new HVAC System, carpeting, and furniture improved the comfort for library patrons. Accessibility was improved by remodeling the bathrooms to be ADA compliant. The layout and functionality of the library was improved with new book shelving. Exterior of the building looks great with new stucco and a new entryway. Recent updates included the landscaping and improving the space to be more conducive for family use and an improved front desk area and staff areas.

Median Landscaping:

All Medians in City Council District 8 are complete. District 8 is the only Council District in the City to have all of its medians landscaped. 

Academy Hills Park Improvements:

Academy Hills Park improvements include a new 6-foot wide asphalt walking/jogging path around the perimeter of the park, a shorter path with a natural surface that parallels it at the upper end of the park. Two additional picnic tables with benches were also added. Eleven additional benches were added. Five of these are ‘Tribute Benches’ that have been sponsored by the public and the neighborhood. In addition, 27 new trash cans & 6 new ‘mutt mitt’ dispensers were installed. New plantings included 69 new trees and 213 shrubs. Finally, a new piece of public art was installed at the east side of park facing Eubank.

Adjustments, upgrades, repairs and additions to the irrigation system were done to both help prevent water waste and to allow to irrigate properly when and where water is needed. We will be able to accurately track water use and eliminate the water runoff that plagued the old system. The slope across the concrete drainage was heavily planted with drought resistant trees and the turf there is over seeded with native grasses which require much less water than traditional park turf grass.

Canine Skyline Dog Park:

The National non-profit park conservation organization, Trust for Public Lands, recently listed Albuquerque in the Top Ten Cities for dog parks; there are 2.3 dog parks per 100,000 residents in Albuquerque. Canine Skyline Dog Park is District 8’s first dog park and Councilor Jones was proud to get this amenity added for her constituents in December 2011. It is located at 12700 Montgomery Blvd NE at the intersection of Montgomery and Spanish Bit just one block east of Tramway. The park is approximately 2 acres.

Other Parks projects:

• Sunset Canyon Park - improved trail, installed a new playground, and  added a shade cover over the playground.
• Eisenhower Park - installed a new pool slide.
• Casa Grande Park - shade covers installed at playground.
• Matheson Park - new irrigation was added to cut back on water waste. Also, new benches, new trash cans, and permeable pavers were added.
• Councilor Jones also used her set aside funds to contribute to the 911 Memorial currently underway.

Sustainability/Environmental Efforts:

• New Irrigation systems installed to improve coverage and reduce water waste at the following parks:
  • Academy Hills Park
  • Matheson Park
  • Oso Grande Park

• LED lighting was installed at the following facilities to cut back on energy consumption and provide better lighting for its users:
  • Juan Tabo Library
  • Foothills Police Station
  • Holiday Park Community Center
  • James Dwyer Substation Parking lot
  • Bear Canyon Senior Center

• Albuquerque Neighborwoods Program
  • John B. Roberts Neighborhood
  • Oso Grande Neighborhood