Bernalillo County will start off its New Year by picking a new chairperson, spending some money to acquire property to house a voter machine warehouse and accepting millions in opioid settlement funds. Commissioners will meet at 5pm tonight, Jan. 9 in the Ken Sanchez Commission Chambers at 415 Silver SW.
Agenda Highlights
Commissioners are on track to approve negotiations to buy 5.14 acres with a 75,808 square foot building off Vassar NE for $8.8 million to be used as a voter machine warehouse. The property has housed Brinks Security, Inc. and Bank of Albuquerque Mortgage. The acquisition will include a transfer of an existing lease with Brinks which will provide revenue through June 12, 2025. County Clerk Linda Stover has said that the county needs more space to store machines and this facility has improved functionality, security, parking and will include most of the existing furniture.
Another big-ticket item on the agenda is the final approval to accept more than $17.9 million in national opioid settlement funds being distributed by the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General. According to county documents, about $9 million of the funds are from Walmart, Kroger $5.1 million, Walgreens and CVS both pitch in more than $1.1 million each with several smaller chunks coming in from lesser-known defendants to bring the county’s share to $17,909,805 dollars. As of December 31, 2023 the county had already received $22 million in total settlement payouts. County documents say in part that the funds should help fund effective evidence-based, culturally and trauma-responsive promising practices to address addiction, homelessness due to addiction, homelessness due to addiction and prevention, intervention and treatment programs and facilities.
Acequias are set to get some attention. Commissioners will be considering approving the Acequia Madre Master Plan which will develop a two-acre outdoor education site near Central Avenue and the Rio Grande. The project will be done in three phases. The first phase will cost about $890,000. This is a project in collaboration with Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, city of Albuquerque and the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority. General improvements to the site will include placemaking and gateway features, landscaping, environmental improvements and acequia and lateral ditch improvements.
For all things Bernalillo County including meeting dates, agendas and supporting documents log on to Bernco.gov