Giving some help to residents for human waste clean up, sending a message to the state Legislature to reconsider a couple of mental health bills and some lively drumming in honor of Black History Month were the top items at the regular meeting of the Albuquerque City Council on Feb. 20.

Clean Up Help

Councilors unanimously passed a bill to create a program to collect and dispose of human fecal matter residents may find on public and private properties. 

According to City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn, a co-sponsor of the bill, there are at least 3,842 unhoused individuals in Albuquerque. The city operates only one 24/7 year-round public toilet in Feibelkorn’s midtown district. She and co-sponsor Nichole Rogers say that as long as there is a lack of restrooms available, this service is essential for the safety of residents and visitors. 

“Defecation happens—whether you like it or not,” Fiebelkorn said during her closing remarks.

Disposing of human bio waste is not as simple as washing it into the city’s sewers and storm drains. Proper disposal must avoid polluting water sources and spreading disease and should maximize the rate of decomposition. The National Library of Medicine found that viruses like Hepatitis A and coronavirus may be present in human fecal matter. From Dec. 18, 2022 to Dec. 18, 2023, the city’s 311 center reported about 400 calls to collect human feces, according to a press release.

Councilor Louie Sanchez said that leaving human waste on public or private property is a crime and should be treated as such. He said this bill is indicative of the state of the city. 

The bill directs the city administration to find and supervise a specialized biohazard contractor; direct the contractor to clean up human feces on public and private properties; coordinate with 311 to create a system where residents can report locations for the contractor to be dispatched to and track the location of where the human feces are found and the number of reports of human waste.

Mental Health Help, Please

Councilors approved sending a memorial message to the State Legislature to reconsider two bills that failed to pass that would give judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys the power to refer those accused of crimes for mental health evaluations immediate access to treatment resources. The memorial was passed on an 6 to 3 margin.

Councilors Joaquín Baca and Brook Bassan sponsored the memorial saying that the two legislative bills would allow courts to order a timely determination as to whether a defendant is competent to stand trial and to order treatment measures if necessary.

Councilor Bassan said these bills would have been a path to provide treatment to a visible and vulnerable population. The bills were aimed at determining a criminal defendant’s competency to stand trial; establishing programs for competency restoration; and continually providing state-funded mental health examinations. The bills also proposed that individuals who are found incompetent are provided access to mental health treatment, substance abuse and alcohol treatment.

“I do think it’s so important and appropriate that we don’t always just penalize people if they have other issues and needs, but we also need to really prioritize the opportunity to provide services and not just talk about it,” Bassan said during the meeting. “I really hope that the Governor does call a special session and moves forward with some progress on this so that we can as a state start providing more services and evaluation in addition to making sure that our streets and communities become safer.” 

Councilor Baca added that our community shouldn’t ignore the mental health needs of our community members. 

“This includes the mental health of those charged with crimes. We know that many crimes are committed due to underlying mental health issues,” he said in a release after the meeting.

Drum On

Councilor Rogers sponsored a proclamation for Black History month.

Tim Green, Culture Change Leader from the city’s Office of Equity and Inclusion, and three drummers opened the meeting with some lively rhythmic music that got a round of applause and had spectators clapping. 

Green said his job was to look at the city’s cultural and structural barriers and he gave a presentation about the many Black movers and shakers that have fought over the years for economic justice, housing, education and employment and who shaped the city. They include: Henry Outlay, Jesse Waddles, Dr. Lenton Malry, Alvorn Cilfton, Anita Edmon, Loretta Loftus, Mary Juzang, Morris Huling and Charles Becknell, Sr.

Green ended his presentation with a call to action with three items: that the City of Albuquerque actively combat the tri-cultural myth that only Anglo, Hispanic and Native Americans are part of the city’s culture and include African-Americans; encourage Albuquerque Public Schools to hire more Black educators and for APS to prioritize the implementation of the state’s Black Education Act  and the Indian Education Act.

Not Tonight

There was also no discussion or action on an item in the letter of Introduction to send a message of no confidence in Police Chief Harold Medina. Councilors postponed an agenda item to a future meeting that would streamline the city’s process for taking down dilapidated buildings.

How to participate 

The next City Council meeting is set for Monday, March 5, at 5 p.m. in the Vincent E. Griego Chambers, on the basement level of the Albuquerque Government Center. The meetings are broadcast on GOV-TV or on the city council’s YouTube channel. The full council agenda can be found here.