TULAROSA — The Village of Tularosa Board of Trustees cleared the way for a long-delayed water infrastructure project, approved three new hires, and weighed a proposal to honor a fallen Vietnam War soldier during its regular monthly meeting.

Land deal moves water project forward

After years of searching, the village has found roughly 40 acres it can buy for a supplemental water source project, avoiding the eminent domain process officials had previously considered. Trustees voted to use $465,500 from the village’s COVID-era state and local fiscal recovery funds — drawn from a $750,000 pool set aside for the project — to pursue the purchase.

The property, located off Old Mescalero Road, comes with an existing well and some water rights, though officials said neither will be used for the water project itself. The engineering firm Bohannon Huston, which has been searching for a suitable site for months, plans to install a reverse-osmosis treatment system there.

One trustee pushed to delay the vote until engineers could appear in person to answer questions about the property’s exact location, water rights and cost, and a motion to postpone briefly split the board before failing. The village attorney told trustees the vote only authorizes staff to negotiate — the final purchase agreement will still require formal board approval.

Village adds three employees

Trustees approved three personnel actions:

• William Magee, hired as a field maintenance worker at $16 an hour. The utility supervisor described him as eager to learn and already operating the village mower.

• Amy Beltran, approved as utility billing clerk at $16 an hour. Officials said she has held the position for three weeks and is already working independently.

• Jennifer Bookout, appointed deputy clerk at $24 an hour. She will work closely with the planning and zoning department and is shadowing the village clerk while training toward state certification.

A trustee questioned how the village would fund the new deputy clerk position given recent budget discussions; staff said the cost would be covered through a budget adjustment without exceeding available funds. Officials also explained that the added positions were needed because a current part-time staffer is expected to reduce her hours once the school year begins.

Capital asset policy adopted

Trustees adopted two resolutions, numbered 2025-2026-19 and 2025-2026-20, establishing formal policies for tracking village-owned capital assets — including inventory tagging, depreciation reporting and quarterly reviews for property valued over $5,000. Officials said the changes are meant to resolve a finding that has come up repeatedly in village audits.

Proposal to honor fallen soldier

Trustee Mark Garwood asked the board to consider dedicating the grassy section of the park near the community center — separate from the adjacent Veterans Park memorial — in honor of Specialist First Class Steven Arosco, a Tularosa native killed in the Vietnam War at age 19 after shielding fellow soldiers from an explosive device. Garwood said Arosco appears to be the only Tularosa resident listed on New Mexico’s Vietnam War casualty roll and offered to help fund a memorial pillar. Board members asked Garwood to research whether other local Vietnam War casualties should also be recognized before a formal vote at a future meeting.

Planning and zoning permits approved

The board approved three permits recommended by the planning and zoning department:

• An RV storage workshop at 3 Maran Drive for Robert and Teresa Granados

• A garden shed on an existing pad for Peter Tubbs, within the village’s historic district (the exact street address was unclear in meeting records)

• A re-roofing project at 103 Sierra Blanca Avenue

Staff also discussed updates to records procedures, including plans to combine paper and electronic permit files once the department moves into a new office, and to replace outdated carbon-copy permit cards that have been in use since 1998.

In a separate update, officials said a special-use permit issued for a cell tower is now facing an appeal asking the board to reconsider its approval. The matter is expected to return to the agenda next month.

Other business

• The board approved a Fourth of July community event at the Tourist Soccer League Field from 6 to 9 p.m., featuring food trucks, games, music and fireworks, with village firefighters assisting.

• Trustees approved letting a longtime police dispatcher carry unused vacation hours into July rather than be paid out, after she cut short medical leave to help cover staffing. Officials said the move would save the village roughly $1,000 to $2,000 compared with a cash payout.

• The Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium requested use of Veterans Park for its annual Luminaria event on July 25. The board said it will hold a special meeting beforehand to formally approve event logistics.

• A homeowner on Brittany Lane has come into compliance on a manufactured home installation, having obtained a septic permit and installed the system; her water meter will be installed once a required deposit is paid.

• A separate request to extend village sewer service to another property was tabled. Staff said the sewer main currently runs only to Gilles Lane, and officials want a special meeting to assess capacity at the village’s sewer plant, noting that other nearby homeowners would likely seek connections if the line were extended.

• Officials said the New Mexico Department of Transportation plans to begin construction within about a month on a project removing a merge lane near a highway yield sign at the edge of the village.

• The village attorney is preparing a court petition to appoint a guardian for a homeowner facing a property abatement order, after officials raised concerns she may not fully understand the legal proceedings against her.

• Staff reported new solar flagpole lights have been installed at Village Hall, the police department and a senior facility, with a fourth planned for the park once a brighter fixture is found. New flags, including one marking the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States, have also been ordered.

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