Eastern Sandoval Citizens Association

IF ANY ESCA MEMBER WOULD LIKE TO JOIN THE ZOOM MEETING SEND YOUR REQUEST TO president@es-ca.org THE PRESIDENT OF ESCA WILL SEND YOU AN INVITATION VIA EMAIL,

EASTERN SANDOVAL CITIZENS ASSOCIATION
Virtual Board Meeting Agenda
14 Dec 2020
4:00 PM
By a zoom invitation

1. Call to order

2. Roll Call

3. Acceptance of minutes

4. Introduction of Guests Speaker

5. MONTHLY REPORTS

A. Treasurer’s Report – Wayne
B. IT Report – Jim
C. ESCA Insurance Status – Peter
D. LPT Report and LPT Board for 2021- Bob

 6. OLD BUSINESS

 7. NEW BUSINESS

A. Survey Members for their thoughts for ESCA 2021 direction, the mission? – Board

8. OPEN DISCUSSION

• • How does the Library invest their extra capital? – Jean
  • Article for January 2021 Signpost – Board

9. Adjournment

Next meeting 11 January 2021, Virtual zoom meeting, AT 4:00PM

Eastern Sandoval Citizens Association (ESCA)
Signpost article
November 2020

Eastern Sandoval Citizens Association (ESCA) Report
By President of ESCA, George Franzen

 Now that the election is over, the Eastern Sandoval Citizens Association (ESCA) is looking forward to 2021. We will be reaching out to newly elected officials at the State and Federal levels, as well as officials at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to ensure a strong working relationship and to press for issues that are important to our community.

 In particular, we will ask our Washington representatives to reintroduce legislation that would prohibit gravel mining on the BLM’s Buffalo Tract. This legislation affects the BLM land immediately north of Placitas neighborhoods, and it has consequences for the air quality and home values of all of Placitas. ESCA will also continue to monitor developments with the Vulcan gravel mine that adjoins several Placitas neighborhoods between Camino Barranca and the I-25 frontage road, including compliance with the 2017 agreement to complete mining and land reclamation no later than May 2027.

 ESCA is also looking at ways to work on behalf of our Eastern Sandoval communities as the COVID-19 pandemic extends into 2021. We plan to survey our members for their priorities for the community, and we welcome ideas from the community at large that are in keeping with our mission. ESCA is an all-volunteer, non-partisan watchdog group that works with all levels of government to protect your interests, and your support is critical to our efforts. We invite you to visit our website at www.es-ca.org.

 And speaking of elections, ESCA recently conducted an election for our board’s At-Large Directors. George Franzen, Wayne Gaede, Jacques Ramey, and Richard Reif were re-elected, and Jim Wiesner was newly elected. District Directors Peter Adang, Jim Harre, John McNerney, and Jean Roberts will continue on the board.

 As we move into the holiday season, all of us at ESCA urge everyone to stay safe and healthy while we work together to end this pandemic.

Eastern Sandoval Citizens Association (ESCA)
Signpost article
October 1, 2020
Eastern Sandoval Citizens Association (ESCA) Report

Current and proposed gravel mining adjacent to Placitas continues to be a key issue for ESCA. We are working with the Las Placitas Association to oppose a possible mine on the Buffalo Tract immediately north of our neighborhoods that the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) new Resource Management Plan may allow. As of late September, BLM had not yet released the plan for public comment.

ESCA is also monitoring developments with the Vulcan gravel mine that adjoins several Placitas neighborhoods between Camino Barranca and the I-25 frontage road. In 2021, we expect Vulcan to begin construction of a berm on the north side of the mine and to begin moving operations to that area, with mining proceeding from west to east. ES-CA continues to monitor compliance with the 2017 agreement, whereby Vulcan agreed to complete mining and land reclamation on the south side of the mine no later than August 2023, and to complete mining and reclamation on the north side no later than May 2027. ESCA had joined with the Sandoval County Commissioners as plaintiffs in litigation to reach the agreement.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped several ESCA activities:

The ESCA Adopt-a-Highway Committee has decided to delay the usual October cleanup on Highway 165 due to health safety concerns.

We’re again supporting the Placitas Artists Series (PAS) with an ad in their program book. PAS is grappling with continuing its concert series and art exhibits online until it is safe to gather in person again.

The upcoming general election also bears changes due to the pandemic, and ESCA urges everyone to have a plan for how to vote safely. Your vote is always important, but it is especially critical in this election. You can vote by absentee ballot, go to an early-voting convenience center, or vote on election day. The New Mexico Secretary of State website (www.sos.state.nm.us) has all the information you need, including an online application for an absentee ballot that will allow you to vote by mail or by placing your ballot in a secure dropbox at the early polling locations. Please be sure to send your ballot early so that your vote will be included when counting begins on October 26, seven days before the election. You can also visit the Sandoval County clerk’s office to request an absentee ballot. Their website is www.sandovalcountynm.gov.

ESCA also has an election coming up, and members will have an opportunity to review candidates and to vote by email. If you haven’t yet renewed your membership or you would like to join us, please visit our website at www.es-ca.org. Your support is critical to our efforts, because we are the “Watch Dogs” for eastern Sandoval communities. We are a nonpartisan civic organization that works with all levels of government to protect your interests.

NOTES FROM A SPECIAL JOINT BOARD MEETING LPA & ESCA 23 JULY 2020

The Eastern Sandoval Citizens Association (ESCA) and the Las Placitas Association (LPA) held a joint meeting via Zoom on Thursday, July 23, 2020 to discuss action following the release by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) of the Rio Puerco Resource Management Plan (RMP) next month.

In attendance were LPT President Sandy Johnson, ESCA President George Franzen, LPT Member Scott McKenzie, LPT Member Joan Fenicle, LPT Member and ESCA Director Richard Rief, ESCA Director John McNerney, ESCA Director Jim Harre, ESCA Director Jacques Ramey, ESCA Director Bob Wilkens, ESCA Director Wayne Gaede, and guests Brenda from the office of US Representative Deb Haaland, Sandoval County Commissioner Kathy Bruch, Candidate for New Mexico House of Representative Jessica Velazquez, Mary-Rose de Valladarez from Washington DC, and Chris Daul from the office of Commissioner Bruch

The LPA Plan for RMP Release:

1. Article for the August Signpost: Both LPT and ESCA have submitted articles outlining the pending release of the RMP.

2. Meet with ES-CA re. their level of participation: This meeting today.

3. Contact Land Grant: Joan Fenicle is in touch via email with Land Grant representative Rebecca Skartwed.

4. Contact Santa Ana and San Felipe: Breda McKenna is in touch with Santa Ana and will get the contact information for San Felipe from Mary-Rose de Valladarez.

5. Contact our County Commissioner: Sandoval County Commissioner Kathy Bruch and her Aide Chris Daul is present at this meeting.

6. Assign specific tasks and develop a time line.

7. Check federal register*: When published, the RMP will appear in the federal register. It could be anytime but is likely to be August 21 or 24. It will signal the beginning of the 30 days for public comment and 60 day for Gubernatorial response. It is being monitored daily by Mary-Rose de Vallardez.

8. Prepare a postcard for mailing to all homes in Placitas: LPA is working on producing and mailing, it still needs copy and a headline. ESCA will share if the total cost.

9. Get Neighbors website message planed and out

10. Contact Deb Haaland’s office: Representative Haaland’s aide Brenda is present at this meeting. She has introduced HB 2640 prohibiting mining on the Buffalo Tract. It is co-sponsored by Representative Ben-Ray Lujan.

11. Contact our Senators offices: Brenda will coordinate with Senator Martin Heinrich’s office. He has introduced SB 526 prohibiting mining on the Buffalo Tract, companion to HB 2640.

12. Create KUPR spots and schedule airings: Scott McKenzie will coordinate this.

13. Alert the Governor’s office: George Franzen will contact the Governor’s office. She will likely support the prohibition of mining in the Buffalo Tract.

14. Call local BLM office for information (in progress) -have Farmington extension info: Sandy Johnson will inquire if the copy of the RMP received by the Farmington BLM office is a draft or a final copy.

15. Check Bulk Mail Permit: Done. Prices for bulk mailing to constituents were discussed.

16. Call Bill Devin: Done. Bill Devin is a mews writer for the Sandoval Signpost and will have an Article in the August issue.

17. Explore reasons for requesting extension: lack of public meetings, some lack of access for parts of the community to broadband with the closure of the library and community center. Essentially, an extension might be justified by the COVID-19 crisis.

18. Consider filing for an injunction when all else fails: ESCA Director and lawyer Peter Adang will be asked if he could advise us about this.

 *search the Federal Register:  ps://www.federalregister.gov/documents/search?conditions%5Bterm%5D=rio+puerco+resource+management+plan

*Federal Register:  https://www.federalregister.gov/

George Franzen
President, ESCA

EASTERN SANDOVAL CITIZENS ASSOCIATION

PRESS RELEASE

AUGUST 2020 SIGNPOST

BY: ESCA

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN THE BLM RELEASE THE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE PLACITAS BUFFALO TRACT

The pending “Protect the Buffalo Track Legislation” is still in play awaiting congressional action, but in a parallel action the BLM, Bureau of Land Management, is once again hinting that they will release its plan for our Buffalo Track 3,000 plus acres within the near future. The 800-1,000-acre new gravel mine slated for the north east corner of the Buffalo Tract is still EXPECTED to be the preferred option. Even though Placitas turned in 17,000 comments opposed to it when the draft plan was released 12 years ago.

We EXPECT to get no advanced notice when the plan is released, just a notice in the Federal Register, and if we are lucky a Public Notice to the Sign Post. When it is released, we again get to comment but the window for the final comment period is unknown. We will apply for a longer public comment period than 30 days due to covid19, but we must be ready for a 30 day public comment period. With Covid-19 there will be NO opportunity for a community meeting, so we need to be organized to get comments in on time.

The Las Placitas Association along with the Eastern Sandoval Citizens Association will alert all our members to the start of the comment period with an email. And the homeowner’s associations network will be activated for 18 HOAs. Those notices will provide the how, when, and where to provide your comments. If possible, LPA will mail postcards to all.

The key point to cover in your comments is that the BLM does not take into consideration cumulative effects of dangerous airborne particulates when they award leases. Placitas already has a large active mine in the community and 3 additional mines surrounding it. We already have health concerning particulate air pollution, excessive water consumption, industrial noise, a thousand-acre decades old bare abandoned mining site, and degradation to property values in our residential community.

Any new mine must be considered ONLY WITH THE CUMULAIVE EFFECT that mine will contribute to our already overburdened community. This is an environmental justice issue. The BLM’s own mineral data shows there is a 60-mile swath of gravel from south of Santa Fe to south of Albuquerque. Much of that gravel deposit is in uninhabited areas. Further damaging our community for convenience of the gravel miners is untenable.

Find information about the mining conditions and the effect it has on Placitas with maps at the LPA and ES-CA.org web sites. An excellent white paper available on both sites; Land of Enchantment or Gravel details air pollution, water consumption, property value data and descriptions.

Dear readers:

The information below was gained from one of our members in the Washington, D.C. area, who checks in regularly. The person receives information about events in that affect us in New Mexico and the Placitas area. This is an edited summary of current events that affect the gravel mining in the Bureau of Land Management, immediately to the north of Placitas:
“I learned late this week that the much-condensed and revised Rio Puerco RMP (allowing gravel mining on the Buffalo Tract) is about ready to go to the BLM Santa Fe office now and then the requisite meetings with BLM Washington will occur in July. My understanding is that the final draft allows mining on the Buffalo Tract. The targeted date for completion of the entire process, including the Record of Decision (ROD) is October 2020.

  Other important points:

BLM is apparently pursuing approval process aggressively. The BLM is aiming for governor and public consistency reviews (respectively 60 and 30 days) in the July time frame. This would be the time when the governor and staff are busy with the special session that is planned.

Thereafter, it is possible that the Secretary of the Interior himself may intervene and sign the Record of Decision (ROD) to obstruct a challenge that could result in an IBLA review of the Administrative Record. If the DOI Secretary were to sign the ROD, we would have to go to District Court for relief.

Thus, there is an urgent need to move forward with passage of legislation as quickly as possible.”

  Next ESCA Board Meeting: June 8, 2020 – Due to the Governor’s order limiting gatherings, board meetings are now held online. See the next meeting’s agenda for details (under Recent Posts). To contact ESCA, please click here.

IF ANY ESCA MEMBER WANTS TO JOIN THE ZOOM MEETING THE PRESIDENT OF ESCA WILL NEED TO SEND YOU AN INVITATION VIA EMAIL, SEND YOUR REQUEST TO
president@es-ca.org

EASTERN SANDOVAL CITIZENS ASSOCIATION
Virtual Board Meeting Agenda
8 June 2020
4:00 PM
By a zoom invitation

1. Call to order

2. Roll Call

 3. Acceptance of minutes

 4. Introduction of Guests Speaker

 5. MONTHLY REPORT

A. Treasurer’s Report – Wayne
B. IT Report – Jim
C. Membership Chair & HOA Coalition Report – Scott
D. LPT Report – George

 6. OLD BUSINESS

A. Simple tri-fold brochure – Scott
B. Plan for Insurance Policies – Peter

7. NEW BUSINESS

 8. OPEN DISCUSSION

Article for July 2020 Signpost

9. Adjournment

 Next meeting July 6 2020, Virtual zoom meeting, AT 4:00PM

IF ANY ESCA MEMBER WANTS TO JOIN THE ZOOM MEETING THE PRESIDENT OF ESCA WILL NEED TO SEND YOU AN INVITATION VIA EMAIL, SEND YOUR REQUEST TO
president@es-ca.org

EASTERN SANDOVAL CITIZENS ASSOCIATION
Virtual Board Meeting Agenda
11 May 2020
4:00 PM
By a zoom invitation

1. Call to order

2. Roll Call

 3. Acceptance of minutes

 4. Introduction of Guests Speaker

 5. MONTHLY REPORT

A. Treasurer’s Report – Wayne
B. IT Report – Jim
C. Membership Chair & HOA Coalition Report – Scott
D. LPT Report – George

 6. OLD BUSINESS

A. Simple tri-fold brochure – Scott
B. Brick for the Placitas Library in memory of Dick Ulmer from ESCA – Georg

7. NEW BUSINESS

Review of ESCA two Insurance policies, General Liability – Directors and Officers Liability – Peter

 8. OPEN DISCUSSION

Article for Jun 2020 Signpost

9. Adjournment

 Next meeting 8 Jun 2020, Virtual zoom meeting, AT 4:00PM

 To all our Eastern Sandoval County friends, a gentle hello and a virtual handshake to everyone. Like you, we are weathering this pandemic and all that it entails. And we are always monitoring what is happening in the Placitas area regarding land-use issues and more.

  Here are some reminders of topics that we are still following – even as we hold virtual monthly meetings:

A proposed development that would create 16 townhomes in the vacant area immediately west of The Merc shopping center is the type of multi-family development that has not been seen in Placitas for decades. The Eastern Sandoval Citizens Association requests community input about the project because it goes to the heart of the question of what type of community Placitas wants to be. The townhomes, proposed on land east of The Merc, are proposed by Vineyard Homes, the builder and the McCallister family – the owners.

  Meanwhile, the passage of the Buffalo Tract Bill – which has passed out of committees and is awaiting to be attached to a Bill to be brought to the floor of the House and Senate – would preserve much of the Bureau of Land Management tract north of Placitas. In the words of Rep. Deb Haaland, who carries the bill in the House:

“Passage of the Buffalo Tract Bill in committee brings us one step closer to passing this community-driven effort to protect public health, water and cultural resources in Sandoval County. Local community organizations understand that continued vigilance and a strong community push are needed to get this legislation over the finish line. Community solidarity is absolutely essential to this process.”

Next ESCA Board Meeting: May 11, 2020 – online conference
Due to the Governor’s order limiting gatherings, board meetings are now held online.
See the next meeting’s agenda for details (under Recent Posts).

 To contact ESCA, please click here.

IF ANY ESCA MEMBER WANTS TO JOIN THE ZOOM MEETING, THE PRESIDENT OF ESCA WILL NEED TO SEND YOU AN INVITATION VIA EMAIL.
SEND YOUR REQUEST TO:
president@es-ca.org

EASTERN SANDOVAL CITIZENS ASSOCIATION
Virtual BOARD MEETING AGENDA
April 13th, 2020

4:00 PM

By a Zoom invitation

1. Call to order
2. Roll Call
3. Acceptance of minutes
4. Introduction of Guests, Max Ramey
5. MONTHLY REPORT –ISSUES – UPDATES

• A. Treasurer’s Report – Wayne
• B. IT Report – Jim
• C. Membership Chair & HOA Coalition Report – Scott
• D. LPT Report– George

6. OLD BUSINESS

• A. Simple tri-fold brochure – Scott
• B. Brick for the Placitas Library in memory of Dick Ulmer from ESCA — Richard

7. NEW BUSINESS

• Appoint member to the LPT Board — Board

8. OPEN DISCUSSION

• Article for May 2020 Signpost

9. ADJOURNMENTNext meeting:

 May 11th, 2020, Virtual Zoom meeting, AT 4:00 PM