The Aztec City Commission voted unanimously to reject an agreement between Aztec Riverside BMX Inc. and the city after an extensive discussion about the track’s location and a timeline for a utilities study.
Residents who attended the meeting also voiced concerns about trash control, the City Commission readopteda 2024 fee schedule, and discussed the classification of hydropower as renewable energy.
Mayor Mike Padilla Padilla asked if the BMX track location was specified in a proposed agreement and Aztec BMX Vice President Wade Anderson said it was not, but he had signed the agreement.
If there was a major problem in that area, Padilla said he wanted to be sure the track would not have to be dug up for infrastructure repairs.
Community Development Director Andrew DiCamillo said the agreement spells out the responsibilities of both parties.
After nearly 20 minutes of discussion between city officials, including their attorney, and Aztec BMX principles, it was put to a vote. The commission unanimously voted against the agreement.
Concerns about residents’ access to their elected officials and growing trash problems in Aztec took center stage during a City Commission meeting Tuesday where citizens pressed leaders to ensure every voice is heard and every neighborhood is cared for.
During public comments, resident Brian Paul criticized the city’s practice of asking groups to choose a single speaker, saying it mutes individual voices and leaves constituents feeling shut out of decision‑making. Moments later, Rebecca Ingersoll urged the city to address trash blowing into the Graceland subdivision and toward the Animas River.
“Each community member has a unique opinion and perspective about items and concerns they felt important enough to address the commission,” Paul said. “Asking them to condense their statements down to a single representative does not allow constituents to access their city officials or have their unique voices heard.”
Residents aren’t being represented or don’t have a voice in the decision-making process, he said.
Rebecca Ingersoll expressed her concerns about trash in the Graceland subdivision, which is near the Dollar General store, 1291 W. Aztec Blvd. She questioned whether the trash was overflow from a trash dumpster and posed a threat to the Animas River.
Ingersoll proposed getting youths or the booster club involved to help with cleanup by adopting a portion of the highway in Aztec.
“It just seems like our trash is getting a little out of control, just something that we need to think about,” she said.
Padilla agreed, saying he and Commissioner Lanier have been involved in some cleanup projects but wind has made it “pretty hard to control” trash. He said when they did the last cleanup very few youth showed up, but they would continue to address the issue.
A spokesman for Aztec Youth Sports said they would be happy to get involved.
Padilla thanked both citizens for their input, telling Paul, “what you said is absolutely correct.”
Padilla proposed readopting a 2024 fee schedule that would change electric and other fee rates.
“It’s really not going to hurt us,” Padilla said, adding that Commissioner Katie Buchholz had asked about impact in a budget meeting.
Lanier concurred, saying their budget discussions about interest rates indicated City Commission would have more than adequate money to offset a lesser amount of fee revenues coming in.
“At the end of the day it’s a win for us financially, and I believe it’s definitely one for our citizens,” he said.
Looking at the numbers, Buchholz said there’s a 38% difference on some of the services and a 12.7% on others and the GRT report showed it was 16% below budget. She said the gross receipts tax cannot be controlled, but “it’s not just the utilities that are going to affect the budget that we’re improving … it’s the GRT, as well.”
Padilla said, “just for clarification, the utilities doesn’t touch our GRT, right.”
Commissioner Austin Randell said one could argue lowering fees will help the GRT by encouraging more local spending.
Padilla said the GRT is “strictly an estimate… we’re going to miss some, we’re going to hit some.”
When Tractor Supply is up and running it will “just blow us out of the saddle,” Padilla said. “Our gross receipts are going to be good.”
The commission voted to reset the fees to 2024 rates.
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