Bernalillo County has millions of dollars waiting for commissioners to spread around when they meet up on Tuesday Feb. 20, for their regular meeting. Commissioners will also hear reports from the University of New Mexico Hospital and from UNM Bureau of Business and Economic Research on the impact of the sprawling Santolina Development planned for the Southwest mesa.
Hospital Health
Kate Becker, Chief Executive Officer of UNM Hospital is set to give a patient and financial data report for the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2023. Highlights of the comprehensive report include a wide variety of data including the financial health of the hospital (more than $784 million in operating expenses), length of average hospital stay (6.73 days) and average nursing hours per patient (15.9). The 64-page report gives detailed information on dozens of aspects of this busy hospital.
Santolina Horizon
The potential impacts of the 13,700 acre Santolina Development include 761 new housing units, 1,866 residents and 1,500 new jobs when fully built out over the next several decades., according to the developers. The concept plan for the master plan was adopted by the commission in 2015 after a lengthy public process. The report has lots of data on realistic housing, population and employment expectations for the mega development.
Cha Ching
Much of the agenda is made up of monies for various departments.
- The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office is set to get a $500,000 Bureau of Justice Assistance Grant Award. This chunk of money will go towards providing additional necessary equipment and training for the existing officers to combat crimes. In 2020, BCSO was awarded a little over $1.4 million which was used to buy 20 vehicles, weapons, tasers, ballistic data terminals, radios and law enforcement equipment.
- Commissioners will be asked to approve a financial resolution for more than $21.9 million dollars for the Metropolitan Detention Center Healthcare Authority. The MDC Healthcare Authority is an independent entity that ensures the delivery of medical, dental and mental health/psychiatric services to the MDC inmates. This is part of a joint power’s agreement between the county and UNMH to provide medical and behavioral services to the inmates at the detention center. Another $800,000 is set for the administration of the services.
- The Gateway Center homeless health hub is set to get $3 million dollars to demolish then construct an existing 17,000 square foot suite adjacent to the existing Gateway Housing Navigation Center. According to county documents, this will expand capacity by 50 beds. This will impact over 200 individuals annually. None of the funding will be used for administrative, operational or maintenance purposes. The documents say that the County will make this capital contribution to the City of Albuquerque to help provide quality of life and secure and safe shelter for those experiencing homelessness.
- Serenity Mesa Youth Recovery is set to get $3.5 million to set up an adolescent detox facility at its center on the southwest mesa. The center offers services for adolescents and young adults struggling with addiction.
- In other business: Commissioners will consider donating the Route 66 Visitor Center to the City of Albuquerque, extending the employment contract with the county attorney Walter Kenneth Martinez, Jr., and appropriating $393,740 to the Metropolitan Detention Center to buy 200 handheld radios.
Bernalillo County meetings are conducted at 5pm on the first and third Tuesday of the month in the Ken Sanchez Commission Chambers at 415 Silver Ave SW or via a hybrid manner through GOV-TV or online at Bernco.gov/live or on Bernalillo County’s YouTube channel.