Senate Joint Memorial 2

SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 2

57th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2025

INTRODUCED BY

Pete Campos

 

 

 

 

 

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR TO APPOINT A TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE NEEDS OF FRONTIER AREAS OF THE STATE AND TO CONSIDER THE EFFICACY OF THE COMMUNITY-OPERATED INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK MODEL FOR THE IMPROVED DELIVERY OF NECESSARY SERVICES.

 

     WHEREAS, the term "frontier area" means the unincorporated areas of a county that are sparsely populated and isolated from larger population centers and services and includes rural communities; and

     WHEREAS, recent public health research has added lack of municipal status as a structural determinant of health, resulting in cumulative health risks for residents due to the lack of health care resources, especially for low-income communities of color; and

     WHEREAS, unincorporated communities do not have their own local officials and remain as informal settlements with diminished legal power to comprehensively address local needs and concerns; and

     WHEREAS, a lack of self-governance at the local level leads to political exclusion and diminished access to not just health resources, but also access to clean drinking water; environmentally safe disposal of wastewater; communication resources, including cellular and internet service; transportation; and public facilities, such as parks, playgrounds, libraries and community centers, enjoyed in more populated areas; and

     WHEREAS, current infrastructure resources are outdated in many rural communities and frontier areas and siloed by systemic structural barriers that negatively affect the provision of services while depending almost exclusively on volunteer labor to deliver essential services to residents; and

     WHEREAS, infrastructure and regulatory systems have become more complex, while the volunteer pool is being reduced through population loss and elderly volunteers aging out or unable to perform required skills, and younger people are unavailable to fill that volunteer gap because of longer commutes for school and careers; and

     WHEREAS, the community-operated infrastructure network model might work well in frontier areas to increase efficiency and reduce overhead costs of individual physical and social infrastructure providers through shared services using economies of scale for administrative, financial management, capital improvement planning, permitting and other services that could be cooperatively managed for several infrastructure providers; and

     WHEREAS, community-operated infrastructure networks could help fill the personnel gaps as well as develop methodologies and strategies for frontier areas to have greater autonomy over local programs and services; and

     WHEREAS, the community-operated infrastructure network model promises efficiencies in the delivery of needed services in frontier areas, economies of scale and trained replacements for the aging volunteer system;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the governor be requested to appoint an executive-wide task force to study the needs of frontier areas of the state, including members from the department of finance and administration, in particular, the local government division and the infrastructure planning and development division; the department of environment; the office of the state engineer; the department of health; the economic development department; the department of information technology; the Indian affairs department; the department of transportation; the acequia commission; community representatives of frontier areas; representatives of councils of state government; and any other state agencies and service providers the governor deems necessary to ensure that the scope and urgency of the study are addressed in a comprehensive, meaningful way; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force study the needs of frontier areas of the state, including:

          A. determination of what government services are currently being provided to frontier areas by locale;

          B. determination of what infrastructures are available in frontier areas by locale, and what human and other resources in each area may be tapped into to improve the delivery of services to and the quality of life of frontier area residents; and

          C. a review of statutes and rules and their application to frontier areas and what can be amended, repealed or enacted to assist frontier areas in the provision of infrastructure and in the establishment of community-operated infrastructure networks, including what resources can be provided by the state; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study assess methodologies for strengthening frontier areas with financial investment and other resources; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study include potential incentives for frontier areas willing to establish community-operated infrastructure networks to increase efficiency and reduce overhead costs of individual infrastructure providers through shared services and consider how the state, councils of government and counties can provide funding to replace volunteers with centralized paid staff who possess the training and skills needed to operate modern infrastructure; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force provide periodic reports of its work to the legislative interim committees concerned with rural economic development and other rural concerns and a final report to the governor and the legislature, with findings and recommendations, by November 1, 2025; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, the department of finance and administration, the New Mexico acequia association, the New Mexico rural library initiative and the New Mexico rural water association.

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