Dear Neighbors,

  August 8 2011

Thank you for the privilege of allowing me to contribute to your neighborhood newsletter.  This year is going by faster then ever and like the old saying goes, “time flies when you’re having fun!”  I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and the recent rains we have been getting.  There have been many things going on in the City of Albuquerque and in our own District 8 that I want to tell you about.

First of all, I want to discuss a recent law suit in which the City of Albuquerque was involved.  As many of you may know, every 10 years the United States Census is calculated. With this data, the City of Albuquerque is required to redraw its City Council districts.  But because of a delay in receiving the census data, the new districts have not been drawn.  

In response to this, the ACLU filed suit against the City of Albuquerque seeking the postponement of the October election so redistricting could occur. 

District Court Judge Nan Nash issued an opinion disagreeing with the ACLU and ordering that the city election continue as planned. 

In her opinion, Judge Nash believed that because the city election process has already started and public funding has been issued, “Enjoining the election until after the redistricting is completed would result in considerable expense, disruption and confusion.”

This means that the redistricting committee will still recommend the new City Council districts and present their plans to the City Council and Mayor for approval.  After the new districts are approved, the district lines will then go into effect immediately.  I agree with the Judge’s opinion and look forward to hearing the committee’s recommendations in the coming months.

Secondly, I am happy to report that our district is about to be the new owners of a dog park.  The Landau Dog Park project has just begun excavation and the park is set to be completed by October of this year.  The construction of this dog park will provide our neighbors with a place where they can go exercise their canine friends in a dog friendly environment.  I believe dog parks are a valuable asset to our community and I am proud to announce this project.  We still need a name for the park so if you have any ideas please let us know!

Finally, I want to update you on the successes of the road expansion of Eubank between Academy and Paseo Del Norte.  Because of this road expansion, Albuquerque’s growing population is getting closer to being able to safely drive from Paseo Del Norte to Academy.  Prior to the construction, this section of Eubank looked like a small road in a busy city.  Now this section of Eubank is starting to look and function like the road it should be.  In the past, this road used to have traffic delays and debris from flash floods.  Once construction is finished, this section of road will have fewer problems due to flash flooding and will provide a safer commute for the citizens living and working in the area.

  As always, if you have any questions or concerns about our district, please do not hesitate to contact my office at 768-3106 or by email at trudyjones@cabq.gov.  

Trudy Jones

September 2009

One of the most used public facilities in District 8 is the Tramway trail network. Recently Councilor Jones and other constituents in the trail area were invited to a meeting to discuss what improvements are needed to make the trail even better. The New Mexico Department of Transportation hosted this meeting as they are the responsible agency for the Tramway trail network because the trail is State owned. The State has been fortunate to obtain $1,000,000 in federal funding to enhance and improve portions of the trail including erosion protection, improvements to pavement drop-offs, reduction in conflict points, and possible widening of the trail to provide for greater separation among users. There is still time to provide comments on the improvements by e-mailing Debbie Bauman at debra.bauman@state.nm.us. NMDOT is anticipating improvements to begin in spring 2010.

District 8 is lucky to have dedicated legislators that have offered tremendous support to the trail and Councilor Jones hopes the infrastructure improvements reflect their commitment. Historically there have been numerous coordinated efforts by the City and State to maintain and clean the trail area. The City of Albuquerque Solid Waste Department has responded to concerns by constituents to clean trash and keep a handle on the weeds in the natural landscape along the trail. Councilor Jones is always happy to help facilitate organized clean up of the area and asks that all users be responsible in their use of this wonderful public facility.

Thank you,

Trudy Jones