Park Owner Fails to Maintain Water System, Again Commentary By Gary Perry

In 2024 the California owner of Amber Skies Mobile Home Park, Alamogordo, was investigated by the New Mexico Attorney General for failure to maintain the park's water system. The system due to aging pipes and saddles experienced continued water breaks often leaving residents without water. After the Attorney General's office completed their investigation, the owner agreed to fix the issues or face trial by the state Attorney General for violations of New Mexico consumer laws.
Recently a resident of Amber Skies became concerned over the quality of the park's water and contacted the Alamogordo utilities department. A representative from the utilities department took samples of the park's water. As a result of the samples, he recommended the park's system be flushed to improve the age of the water in the system.

He then contacted Amber Skies management for permission to come onto the park's property to flush the system. Amber Skies agreed, but only if the park would not be billed for the water to flush the system. Following is the exact quote from the inspector's report after his meeting with the park resident.

"After the meeting, I contacted the management of Amber Skies Mobile Home Park and explained the situation. They gave the City permission to flush from their fire hydrants as long as they would not be billed for the flushed water."

Alamogordo utilities department agreed not to charge Amber Skies for the water needed to flush the park's system. Moreover, they agreed to provide future flushing at no charge for the water.
In New Mexico, if the mobile home park owns its water system, such as Amber Skies does, the park owner is responsible for maintaining the system to include the quality of the water in the system... at the owners' expense, not at the city taxpayers' expense.

Alamogordo taxpayers should not be covering the cost of the city water, in addition to their own water bills, for the park owner to maintain his private park water system, which he is required to do by New Mexico regulations, but refuses to, unless he gets free water.

Amber Skies residents pay lot rent for "services" which includes the owner's responsibility for maintaining the park's water system. The lot rents generate in excess of $600,000 annual revenue to the California owner. The owner, as of June 1, 2026, increased lot rents again generating another approximately $50,000 in annual revenue to him. He pays $10,000 in annual property taxes based on Otero tax records. He can afford to pay for water to maintain the park's private water system.

Allowing the owner to get free water is an injustice to Alamogordo taxpayers and should not be allowed by the City of Alamogordo, especially for someone who has a documented record of failing to maintain the park's water system until forced to do so by the state Attorney General.Instead of bowing to the demands of the park owner for free water, why doesn't the city authorities enforce state laws and regulations, especially if it involves potential health issues, such as water quality?

In the past excuses have been given such as "it's private property" yet city code enforcement comes onto the private park property to issue warnings and citations for residents who water on the wrong designated days!