Developers won’t sue if city delays annexation vote

The developers of a proposed 6,000-acre project on Las CrucesEast Mesa that includes a 4,200-acre annexation proposal won’t sue if the city council doesn’t vote on the annexation at today’s meeting.

The developers released a statement late Friday indicating they will not fight the council if it opts to delay the vote scheduled for today. The statement came a day after the developers hinted that they would take the issue to District Court if the council didn’t vote today.

In between those statements, the state attorney general issued an opinion interpreting the state statute on annexations to mean the council can’t legally vote on the annexation until at least May 16.

“Logos Development does not agree with today’s AG decision, but the applicant stands ready to go forward on Monday, April 23, 2007,” Friday’s statement reads. “It is the city’s choice whether to conduct the hearing then or to continue in accordance with the AG’s new opinion. We stand ready to move forward.”

City Manager Terrence Moore said Friday the council will likely hold off on the vote, but Mayor Bill Mattiace told the Las Cruces Sun-News this weekend that he doesn’t know whether the council will vote today or not.

Though the AG says the council can’t legally act on the 4,200-acre portion of the development today because of the annexation statute, the master plan for the 1,700-acre portion of the development that’s already in the city could still be voted on by the council, because it doesn’t involve an annexation.

Or, the council could opt to delay votes on the entire project.

The meeting begins at 5 p.m. To read the agenda, click here. Click here this evening to watch the meeting live on the Internet.

Yes, our local city council has set up streaming video of its meetings faster than the state Legislature could get it done.

Comments are closed.