Alamogordo NM
10-26-2026 5:32am

Save the Date: Alamogordo City Commission Meeting Tuesday 630 pm

Alamogordo N M- The Alamogordo City Commission on Tuesday will choose between asphalt and concrete driveways at Fire Station 2 — a decision worth about $81,700 — two months after commissioners tabled the change order and asked for a side-by-side cost comparison.

City engineers are recommending the cheaper asphalt option. If approved, it would push the renovation contract with National Construction to about $1.56 million, roughly 27% above the original $1.23 million bid. The concrete option would bring the total to about $1.65 million, a 34% increase.

The regular meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Donald E. Carroll City Commission Chambers at City Hall, 1376 E. Ninth St. If making public comments arrive prior to 6:30 to sign up. 

Asphalt or concrete

Change Order No. 4 first came before the commission Aug. 25. Commissioners tabled it and directed staff to price both asphalt and concrete driveways and return with a recommendation.

The Community Development Department's Engineering Division concluded that 3 inches of compacted hot-mix asphalt, built over a properly compacted base course with adequate drainage and to city technical standards, can reasonably support the weight of fire apparatus. Community Development Director Shelley Dowhanik-Baron's agenda report recommends that option.

Under the asphalt option, totaling $173,159.84, National Construction would:

  • Replace the south driveway for $41,340.93
  • Replace the north driveway entrance for $114,052.43
  • Pour a 6-inch concrete pad over 9 inches of base course in front of the apparatus bay for $11,862.60, so crews can wash and maintain trucks in bad weather

The concrete option, totaling $254,816.81, would instead pave about 8,350 square feet — both driveways and the apron — with 6 inches of 4,000-psi reinforced concrete over 9 inches of base course, at a cost of $248,912.93. That option would add 42 days to the contract, compared with 35 days for asphalt.

Both options include three smaller items:

  • $2,140.61 for shower pans, which neither the plans nor the specifications called for. The contractor also flagged in July that the plans showed a nonstandard 65-inch shower; the city approved a 60-inch pan instead.
  • $3,356.74 for frosted window film in the living quarters and on north-facing doors, for privacy and to reduce solar heat gain.
  • $406.53 to replace a ceiling-mounted patio light, which the plans placed under a louvered shade structure that had nowhere to mount it, with two wall-mounted fixtures.

The contract has already grown to $1,390,924.47 through three earlier change orders. The money would come from Fund 069, the city's 1994 gross receipts tax fund.

At the commission's Oct. 13 meeting, City Manager Robert Stockwell cited Fire Station 2 that he said suffered from incomplete or rushed initial design, according to draft minutes. Prior city manager Dr Hernandez cities in a public commentary that this project had been ongoing on the books for years and if it had not started matching state grant money would have been lost costing local taxpayers even more. 

$2 million in budget changes

On the consent agenda — items approved together in a single vote unless a commissioner pulls one for discussion — is Resolution 2026-37. It asks the state Department of Finance and Administration to approve revisions to the city's fiscal 2027 budget, which raise projected revenue by $1,058,240 and spending by $2,014,664.

The largest items include:

  • $400,000 from the water and sewer operating fund for a change order to redesign pumps and motors on the ESG project. According to the budget request, the original design was based on daily average flows rather than daily peak demand. The Utilities Director and Water Reclamation Manager caught the problem before construction began.
  • $550,000 in a state capital outlay grant to plan, design and build a small group building at the AFRC.
  • $406,500 to reconstruct First Street, combining a $325,000 state Municipal Arterial Program grant through NMDOT with an $81,500 city match. The commission approved the grant agreement July 14.
  • $345,000 from the Quality of Life gross receipts tax fund for golf course improvements: $45,000 for equipment to apply chemicals through the irrigation system and $300,000 for pumphouse additions and a maintenance building remodel.
  • $120,000 in a state capital outlay grant for a columbarium at Monte Vista Cemetery.
  • $60,000 from the general fund to finish concrete work at Dudley School, including an ADA ramp, parking spaces and sidewalk repairs.
  • $55,740 for library materials, part of a $167,218.90 state library award from the 2024 general obligation bond.

Smaller requests include $9,875 for the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, set for Dec. 4 at Washington Park, which would pay for a snow slide rental ($3,500) and a petting zoo ($4,000), among other things. The Sacramento Mountains Foundation donated $3,500 for the police department's Christmas party and $4,000 for the Mayor's Youth Advisory Commission.

After the changes, the general fund is projected to end the year with about $1.22 million in cash above its required one-month reserve of $1.85 million.

Minutes on city manager's exit, five months late

The consent agenda also includes minutes from a May 5 special meeting that were never brought forward for approval. Note: This is one of several areas brought to the city’s attention via an ongoing open meetings act lawsuit filed by this journalist around possible violations during the hiring process that forced the departure of Dr Hernandez and the hiring of Mr. Stockwell. 

Per the City packet: City Clerk Rachel Hughs wrote in her agenda report that the draft was finished within the required 10 days but was accidentally left off the May 26 agenda, during a stretch with four meetings in two weeks.

According to the draft minutes, commissioners met in closed session that day for 48 minutes to discuss the city manager transition. Afterward, Mayor Sharon McDonald said she favored accepting a settlement that included a 60-day termination period to give the city time to find a new manager.

Mayor Pro-Tem Joshua Rardin then moved to accept additional terms proposed by Dr. Stephanie Hernandez — listed as acting city manager in the minutes — through the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The motion passed 7-0. The minutes do not describe the terms.

Commissioners will also approve minutes from Oct. 13, when they voted 6-0 to put the city's remaining Local Economic Development Act money toward cleanup along White Sands Boulevard. Commissioner Stephen Burnett recused himself from that vote.

Closed session on lawsuits, personnel

The meeting ends with a closed session to discuss eight threatened or pending lawsuits against the city, involving parties named Blalock, Collier, Cuellar, Hubbard, Miller, Romero, Romo and Stonecipher. Clinton Nicely, risk services director for the New Mexico Self-Insurers' Fund, is listed to brief commissioners.

The same item was on the Oct. 13 agenda but was removed before that meeting began. The city attorney's position remains vacant.

Commissioners will also discuss a limited personnel matter involving the city's senior project manager, presented by Human Resources Director Michelle Osborne. Note this project manager is asking the commission to hire an independent consultant or investigator to review his situation with the city. He claims to have been discriminated against and unjustifiably terminated without prior issues written into his personal file for correction. The employee has filed complaints that the city manager, his director and others discriminated against him with the knowledge of the city manager. An FMLA and EEOC complaint may also be pending around this situation. 

Any action would have to be taken after the commission returns to open session.

Also on the agenda

  • McDonald will proclaim Nov. 1 as Extra Mile Day, recognizing residents who volunteer and serve the community.
  • Residents who wish to speak during public comment must sign up with the city clerk. Speakers generally get three minutes.

The agenda and full packet are posted at ci.alamogordo.nm.us. Attendees needing disability accommodations should call the City Clerk's Office at 575-439-4100 at least 48 hours in advance.

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