By Rebecca Hauschild

Artesia residents looking for Mayor Jon Henry over the next couple of months won’t find him at City Hall. He’ll be in Santa Fe working in his other elected position – state representative for District 54.

Henry reported during the city council’s Jan. 14 meeting that he would be absent for 60 days during the 2025 New Mexico Legislative Session, which began Tuesday, Jan. 21, and continues until March 22.

Henry was elected to the Legislature in the November 2024 election. He had been serving as an Eddy County commissioner but could not seek re-election due to term limits.

He will not be paid as a state lawmaker. Legislators receive a daily stipend to cover their expenses during the session, based on the distance they must travel to the Capitol.

“We’ve put a pretty good plan in place so I can stay connected and understand how things are going,” Henry said during the council meeting. “We have some really great things happening in this city. Let’s focus on the positive and please continue to help us be great.”

In other business:

• The city’s police and fire departments reported fewer staff vacancies. The police department needs to fill only two positions, and the fire department needs to fill five. The fire department currently has four candidates in training. At one point, the department was down 11 employees, according to Fire Chief Kevin Hope.

• City officials said they will be proceeding with plans to build an outdoor pickleball court. The court will be financed by a $650,000 grant and a loan of approximately $68,000 from the New Mexico Department of Finance.

• The council approved a public celebration permit for the Dueling Pianos event to be held Jan. 30 at the Ocotillo Theater in Artesia.

• Mayor pro tem Jeff Youtsey reported that bids are out for new hangar and taxiway work at Artesia Municipal Airport.

• Artesia Police Commander Pete Quinones reported the department would conduct three-weeks of “saturation patrol” seeking DUI violations.

• The council approved the donation of 11 old radios to be split between the House Volunteer Fire Department in House, New Mexico, and the Quay County Fire Marshal in Tucumcari.

• The council approved the Annual Records Certificate of Destruction List and adjustments to the 2024-2025 Budget including finalized numbers for a water trust board grant/loan and $150,000 for a solid waste trailer to move waste daily from Artesia to Sandpoint Landfill in Carlsbad.

• The council scheduled a public hearing Feb. 25 on three applications for liquor licenses: New Mexico Company Operations LLC, doing business as: Hermosa Shell, 1304 S. 1st St.; New Mexico Company Operations LLC, doing business as: Western Way Shell, 101 N. 1st St.; New Mexico Company Operations LLC, doing business as: West Main Shell, 2601 W. Main St.