Report: Incumbents keep Eldorado seats

According to a leaked report, Eldorado Water and Sanitation District Board incumbents James Jenkins, Roberta Armstrong and Steve Wust have been re-elected, defeating challengers Lucian Niemeyer, John Hawkins and William Bodle, respectively. Jenkins and Armstrong will serve four-year terms, and Wust a two-year term.

Newcomer Jerry Bradley beat opponent Tom Willmott for a two-year term, according to the unofficial election results, released Wednesday by district Vice President Jerry Cooper. Calls to Cooper for comment were not immediately returned.

"It's unfortunate we lost, but we'll just keep going," Hawkins said. "We got a lot of people interested in the water company and what it's doing. I think that's important."

According to the unofficial results, Wust will continue to serve as secretary and Jenkins as president. Cooper, whose name was not on the ballot, will remain vice president until 2011.

These results do not include 45 provisional ballots. The final election results are expected to be certified today.

Council delays hearing on water rate hike

Some city councilors are hoping the federal government will soon negate the need for water-rate increases in Santa Fe. Others want to adopt an increase as soon as possible. Instead of holding a public hearing as planned Wednesday, officials delayed the matter for two weeks.

Four councilors managed early Wednesday to postpone the matter until March, but later in the night, the mayor broke a tie vote to get it back on the agenda Jan. 28. Bill sponsor Rebecca Wurzburger had been absent from the earlier vote.

The council was set to weigh the increases based on needs for system upgrades and long-term projects such as the Buckman Direct Diversion.

Councilor Patti Bushee led the charge to stall the rate increase because she believes federal help is on the way. The city has asked for $60 million as part of President-elect Barack Obama's proposed economic stimulus package.

Voting with Bushee were Councilors Carmichael Dominguez, Ronald Trujillo and Matthew Ortiz. Councilors Wurzburger, Chris Calvert, Miguel Chavez and Rosemary Romero want to move toward rate increases.

"I don't think this is anyone else's problem," Romero said. "It's our problem, and it's going to take courage to solve our problem."

Trust extends comment period

After urging from the public, the governing board of the Valles Caldera National Preserve has extended to Feb. 12 the comment period on a multiple-use and forage-resource plan for the 89,000-acre property.

Gary Bratcher, the new executive director of The Valles Caldera Trust, noted the board had already extended the typical 30-day comment period, which began Dec. 19, by two weeks, "because it is a rather lengthy document."

The plan looks at how to increase public access to the preserve while maintaining a working cattle ranch and protecting natural resources such as forage.

The 250-page plan can be downloaded from the trust's Web site, www.vallescaldera.gov.

To request a copy of the document, call 505-661-3333, send an e-mail to comments@vallescaldera.gov or send a request to P.O. Box 359, Jemez Springs, NM 87025.