Councilor wants peer to abstain on development vote

Las Cruces City Councilor Ken Miyagishima will ask one of his peers to abstain from voting on annexation and master-plan approval of The Vistas at Presidio later this month.

Councilor Gil Jones disclosed at a meeting last month a relationship he has with the man who wants to develop 6,000 acres on the East Mesa. Jones’ brother and Philip Philippou are married to sisters.

Councilors are scheduled to vote on the development at their May 21 meeting.

In an e-mail sent Sunday to a listserve he maintains, Miyagishima wrote that he has known Jones for several years, and said he’s “very intelligent” and “hard working.”

“However, on May 21, 2007 at our city council meeting, I will be asking Councilor Gil Jones to abstain from voting on this annexation,” Miyagishima wrote. “It may pass the ethical test from the city council, but I believe this extended family member situation will make it difficult for Gil to assure the public he is not biased.”

Jones told me last month he disclosed the relationship because he believes it should be known publicly, but he doesn’t believe it affects his ability to objectively review the project and does not require that he abstain from voting on it.

“It would be easy for me, every time something came up with Philip, to dart out of the room, and there are other councilors who do that,” Jones told me last month. “I feel compelled to do what needs to be done. I feel like I can be objective.”

City rules require councilors to publicly disclose situations they believe present potential conflicts, but it’s up to them to decide whether they should recuse themselves.

Jones has generally been friendly to development in his time on the council, and Philippou’s group has accused Miyagishima, a potential mayoral candidate, of aligning himself with the anti-growth movement to further his political career. Miyagishima has said his only focus at this time is shedding light on Philippou’s project.

Miyagishima to hold meeting on project

Miyagishima is hosting a district meeting on the development on Saturday. The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at the Good Samaritan Auditorium, 3025 Terrace Drive in Las Cruces. The meeting will include presentations from city officials and will allow 75 minutes for questions from those in attendance.