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Record of Proceedings

Hobbs City Commission Regular Meeting - September 8, 2026

City Commission — Tuesday, September 8, 2026
BodyHobbs, New Mexico
SessionCity Commission
DateTuesday, September 8, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
Meeting Thumbnail
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Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:00

Anybody else for public comments?

0:02

No, we can

Speaker 2

0:03

never find the water table.

0:05

I didn't

Speaker 3

0:05

just put that in the right.

0:07

That

Speaker 1

0:07

was my auto field.

Speaker 3

0:08

I needed one of them.

Unassigned speaker

0:10

Join meeting.

Speaker 1

0:11

Thank you.

0:14

Very good.

0:14

Are we all set?

0:18

I think I hear you.

0:22

I was pressing the other one again.

Speaker 4

0:24

Okay, perfect.

Speaker 1

0:28

There it is.

0:30

All right.

0:34

All right.

0:35

Well, we sure appreciate everybody being here tonight.

0:37

Thank you so much.

0:40

It is six o'clock, so we'll call this meeting to order and we'll have roll call.

Speaker 4

0:45

Mayor Senna.

Speaker 1

0:46

Here.

Speaker 4

0:47

Commissioner Smith.

Speaker 1

0:48

Here.

Speaker 4

0:48

Commissioner Mills.

0:49

Here.

0:50

Commissioner Fields.

Speaker 1

0:51

Here.

0:51

Come

Speaker 4

0:51

Mr.

0:51

Kaleto.

Speaker 1

0:52

Here.

Speaker 4

0:52

Commissioner Penick.

Speaker 1

0:54

Here.

Speaker 4

0:54

Commissioner Gerth.

Speaker 1

0:55

Here.

0:56

All right.

0:56

Tonight we're going to switch it up a little bit.

0:58

So we'll have the invocation by Commissioner Pennick and the pledge by Commissioner Fields.

1:02

We appreciate you, gentlemen.

Speaker 2

1:06

Please bow.

1:08

Father God, we're so grateful to be before you this evening, Lord.

1:11

I pray that you give us wisdom and guidance, Father God, to make decisions that's pleasing unto you and what's best for the people of Hobbes.

1:23

Keep us safe.

1:23

I pray that you watch over our first responders and our military men and women.

1:29

Thank you for your gift on the cross that we may be forgiven of our sins, Father God.

1:33

We love you.

1:33

We praise your name in Jesus' name.

1:35

Amen.

1:35

Amen.

1:37

I pledged to the flag of the United States of America.

1:42

And to the Republicans,

Speaker 3

1:44

one

Speaker 5

1:45

nation under God.

Speaker 1

1:52

Thank you so much, Commissioners.

1:54

And now we'll have approval of the minutes.

1:57

If you've had a chance to look them over, we'll entertain a motion.

2:00

Moved by Mayor Pro Tim Calderon.

2:02

Second.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Fiscal Sustainability█████████████████████████████████████████████52%
Water And Wastewater Management███████████13%
Public Engagement███████8%
Transportation Safety████5%
Budget Equity Analysis███4%
Engineering And Infrastructure███4%
Public Health███4%
Procedural███3%
Parks and Recreation███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Hobbs City Commission Regular Meeting - September 8, 2026

The Hobbs City Commission met on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the City Commission Chamber. The meeting included public comments, a detailed discussion on long-term financial sustainability, and several action items. The commission approved all consent agenda items and most action items, with two airline subsidy resolutions passing 6-1.

Consent Calendar

  • Resolution No. 7823: Adopting Uniform Advisory Board Parliamentary Procedure Guidelines.
  • Resolution No. 7824: Deleting obsolete library books.
  • Resolution No. 7825: Authorizing an electrical power line easement with Southwestern Public Service Company.
  • Resolution No. 7826: First Amendment to Infrastructure Development Agreement with Property Management Plus, LLC.
  • Resolution No. 7827: First Amendment to Infrastructure Development Agreement with Stuard Development, LLC.
  • Resolution No. 7828: Partial relinquishment of ground leases for Lot 8A of Hobbs Industrial Airpark South.
  • Resolution No. 7829: Authorizing grant submission to the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.
  • Item 7: Purchase of 27 NEMA TS2 traffic signal controllers from MoboTrex, LLC for $155,986.56.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Angelica urged the city to keep park lights on until midnight, opposed Flock cameras (citing misuse by law enforcement), and criticized McDonald's for using city water to clean parking lots during water restrictions.
  • Lorraine Viegas questioned the purpose of additional smart water meters, expressed concerns about water rights sales (11.6 million barrels annually), and called for more public engagement and town halls beyond the Westminster 5G tower issue.

Discussion Items

  • Long Term Financial Sustainability Options: City Manager Manny Gomez, Assistant City Manager Todd Randall, and Finance Director Deb Corral presented an analysis of the city's revenue challenges. Key points included:
    • The city is not in a crisis but faces structural revenue shortfalls due to House Bill 6 (HB6), which reduced gross receipts tax (GRT) revenue from oil and gas businesses.
    • Since HB6, the city's GRT rate has remained essentially unchanged since 2002, while costs have risen. The current GRT rate is 6.5625%, one of the lowest in New Mexico.
    • Revenue has flatlined, with significant volatility (e.g., a 32% drop in 2021). The city relies on a 30% reserve (mandated minimum 8.33%) to buffer swings.
    • Unfunded capital needs total $363 million over five years, including $100 million for road maintenance, $10 million for facilities, $49 million for water/sewer infrastructure, and $200 million for fleet replacement.
    • Options to increase revenue include raising the local option GRT (up to 0.6125% without a public vote, generating ~$14.7 million/year) or going to a public vote for a higher increase (up to 1.0625%, generating ~$25.5 million/year).
    • Mayor Jonathan Sena expressed support for a GRT increase as an investment in public safety, infrastructure, and the city's future.
    • Commissioner Smith noted the rate was 7.1875% in 2004 and called for a return to that level to cover operating costs (targeting 90% of GRT for operations) and address capital needs.
    • Commissioner Fields urged exhausting all efficiencies before raising taxes, citing the burden on citizens.
    • Commissioner Calderon appreciated the presentation and looked forward to staff bringing back options.
    • Commissioner Mills emphasized the choice between growth (like Midland/Odessa) and decline (like Snyder, TX or Encino, NM).
    • Staff was directed to prepare a range of options and consider a public work session before bringing an ordinance for publication.

Key Outcomes

  • Resolution No. 7830: Authorized submission of grant applications to the New Mexico Finance Authority Water Trust Board for three water/sewer projects (total ~$1.3 million, 100% grant). Passed 7-0.
  • Purchase of Smart Water Meters: Approved $572,780 for final phase of water meter upgrade (790 meters, 3/4-inch to 6-inch) via state pricing agreement. Passed 7-0. (Commissioner Mills suggested a data privacy policy for future use of smart meter data.)
  • Purchase of Fleet Vehicles: Approved $131,801.50 for two replacement utility vehicles (F-250 and F-450). Passed 7-0.
  • Resolution No. 7831: Authorized MOA with Lea County for commercial airline subsidy (United) for FY2027 (city share $2,720,982, already budgeted). Passed 6-1.
  • Resolution No. 7832: Authorized MOA with Lea County for JSX airline subsidy (total $2.8 million, mostly grant-funded; city share $275,000). Passed 6-1.
  • Resolution No. 7833: Approved professional services agreement with Hobbs Municipal Schools for middle school athletic programs ($75,000, plus $75,000 for facility upgrades). Passed 7-0.

Upcoming Meetings

  • Monday, September 21, 2026, 6:00 PM
  • Monday, October 5, 2026, 6:00 PM
  • Monday, October 19, 2026, 6:00 PM

Meeting Transcript

Anybody else for public comments? No, we can never find the water table. I didn't just put that in the right. That was my auto field. I needed one of them. Join meeting. Thank you. Very good. Are we all set? I think I hear you. I was pressing the other one again. Okay, perfect. There it is. All right. All right. Well, we sure appreciate everybody being here tonight. Thank you so much. It is six o'clock, so we'll call this meeting to order and we'll have roll call. Mayor Senna. Here. Commissioner Smith. Here. Commissioner Mills. Here. Commissioner Fields. Here. Come Mr. Kaleto. Here. Commissioner Penick. Here. Commissioner Gerth. Here. All right. Tonight we're going to switch it up a little bit. So we'll have the invocation by Commissioner Pennick and the pledge by Commissioner Fields. We appreciate you, gentlemen. Please bow. Father God, we're so grateful to be before you this evening, Lord. I pray that you give us wisdom and guidance, Father God, to make decisions that's pleasing unto you and what's best for the people of Hobbes. Keep us safe. I pray that you watch over our first responders and our military men and women. Thank you for your gift on the cross that we may be forgiven of our sins, Father God. We love you. We praise your name in Jesus' name. Amen.

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