The Plan:

The overall plan I propose is fairly simple:  What do the people want? 

That may sound like a "political response", but the truth is most people want to feel empowered.  You want to know that your idea or issue will be addressed.  This is your town.  It's NOT the Mayor's town, or the Councils town. It is YOUR TOWN.

There are many ways to communicate your ideas and issues to town administration.  You can visit or call the City Hall. You can also use a feature that will become available on the official town website, www.MountainairNM.gov as soon as I'm elected.  Also, I highly encourage neighborhood organizing.  You can get together with your friends, neighbors and family and tell me what your needs are. 

Citizen Action Groups are another tool I would advocate for.  This is effective in putting together a plan in which your needs are balanced with the needs of the community as a whole.

Regardless of how you communicate with me, you can rest assured that if you wish to remain anonymous, you will have the opportunity to do so.  I want you to feel confident your voice will be heard without fear.

My Own Observed Areas to Address:

Crime and Illegal Drug Use:

Police Department:  The police is an integral part of the solutions to our crime and illegal drug problem. I believe that we NEED at least a 4-man police force, with ideally 24-hour coverage.  But citizens must understand that it is not the police departments duty "fix" the problems we face. They are only enforcers of the law.  They have to either witness crime, or have witness testimony to be effective.  Acting on assumptions and rumors actually work against an investigation, solidifying a case against the police when it reaches the courts.  They need our help, as citizens, to witness wrong doings and be willing to sign a sworn statement of our testimony.

Neighborhood Watch:  A neighborhood watch is an important part in effective policing.  Criminals have police scanners. They also have a network of friends that keep an eye on the police force.  It's very easy for criminals to know exactly where an officer is at any given time.  If we have a comparable network of law-abiding citizens helping the police force, we can beat the criminals at their own game.

Holistic Prevention:  I firmly believe that illegal drug use and crime are symptoms of a larger problem. It's wiser to address the larger problem if we wish to reduce illegal drug use and crime in our community.  The larger problem we have here is what psychologists called "learned helplessness."  It's a feeling that no matter what we do our lives won't be get better.  So why try?  By providing opportunities to grow, both financially and personally, we can bring about the changes within ourselves that is necessary to overcome whatever we face. 

My plan is to provide as many opportunities for personal growth as possible.  These will include job training, business training, and confidence building classes, such as martial arts.  Also, depression and lack of motivation are directly linked to the amount of exercise a person gets. I would like to see a full service gym/wellness center in Mountainair so we can build our bodies as we build our minds.

Domestic Violence: This is such a serious issue that I want as much input by the experts as possible. There are many possible solutions and I will work closely with the New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence to uncover and assist in bringing those solutions into fruition in Mountainair.

Public Services:

The first order of business is to raise the professionalism in our employees and volunteers. I will amend the personnel policy to include professional behavior standards, that will reinforce confidence in the publics faith in our employees and volunteers.  These standards will be based on the Core Values set forth by the New Mexico Department of Public Safety.  These Core Values are:

• Respect - We will respect diverse ideas, cultures and ethnicity, rendering service in a fair, courteous and dignified manner.
• Excellence - We will be distinguished as a world class organization, providing superior service, exceeding customer expectations.
• Service - We will be responsive to the citizens of Mountainair and provide the highest quality service available.
• Pride - We will display our pride by demonstrating dignity and self-respect though personal attitudes, actions and appearance.
• Ethics - We will strive to maintain the highest level of ethical behavior possible.
• Courtesy - We will be courteous at all times, without exception.
• Teamwork - We will work together to improve the quality of life for all of the citizens we serve.

Restoring Faith in the Administration:

Empty Promises: First off, limit the promises to something that's doable and DON'T promise something that simply won't happen.  There's a salesman philosophy, "under-promise, over-deliver."  That is very important thing to think about.  I have solutions to many of our problems and issues. But I only make promises that are ethical and ones I can deliver upon. 

Collective Responsibility: Secondly, if we want to tackle as many of our problems as possible, we have to do it as a community.  It's a partnership between all of us, the Citizens of Mountainair, the Chamber of Commerce, the School District and Board, the Rotary, and all of our churches.  The Town Administration is only one of the many that is responsible for the solutions to the issues we all face.  My number one promise is I will work diligently to get as many people and organizations involved.

Accountability:  I believe that the Town should be held accountable for its actions to the citizens.  I would like to see an independent citizen advisory board that will serve as a "watch dog" and report any unethical behavior to the town council and the public.

Transparency: I currently maintain the official town website, www.MountainairNM.gov.  When elected I will make sure that public records, and each action of the Town Council makes be posted regularly.  Furthermore, I will strive to reduce the barriers that citizens may have in viewing documents personally at Town Hall.  There will be nothing hidden from the people of Mountainair.

Infrastructure:

Sewers: There is a plan and engineer already hired to redesign and rebuild our sewage treatment plant. I will assess the situation and move forward with this plan.  Many citizens are not aware of this so it will be my duty as your Mayor to keep you informed on the progress of this plan (transparency in government). 

Gas:  I've been told our gas lines have more or less been brought up to code.  Once I become Mayor, I will take an inventory of our infrastructure and create a plan around it.  One of the problems with gas, though, is that because of the irregular and non-payments by some of our citizens, the town is paying more to the gas supplier than it is bringing in through gas revenues.   I would like to hold a series of meetings with the community on how to solve this problem.  There are two points of view that I've heard from the citizens.  The first is to simply increase the gas rates so that the gas service pays for itself.  The other is to sell the gas service to a private company, like the EMW (Estancia Moriarty Willard) Gas Company.  Both options have their pros and cons, but I think it's a decision that will require a lot of community input.

Water:  As Mayor, I would take inventory of our water system and address any issues that I might uncover. At this point in time, I am not aware of any water issues. If have concerns with the water system, please let me know. Email me: dennis@dennisfulfer.com

Roads: It doesn't make sense to pave our roads if we have to rip it up to fix the sewer, water, and gas lines.  But once these are complete, roads will be the next logical step in our infrastructural improvements.  Beware of any politician promising to pave our roads.  It's an old song and dance that we've all heard at every election and it hasn't happened.

CDBG Grants: Community Development Block Grants are the main source of funding for capital improvements.  It is given out by the state and it can be used to pay for our infrastructure as well as other capital improvements (fixing buildings and parks, etc...)  As Mayor, I will capitalize on this opportunity and use the funds to make all the improvements necessary in Mountainair. Any infrastructural improvements we make will increase the quality of life for us all.

Partnerships with the Private Sector:  It's in the news that the state is not funding many projects.  In my research, I found that there are numerous private businesses, such as the BNSF railroad and the Edison Group (wind farm), have set up non-profit foundations to give money to towns like Mountainair.  I will maximize the use of this private money to assist in covering the cost of infrastructure repairs and development.

Parks and Recreation: 

Parks and Recreation Committee: I would like to put together a committee of citizens who will advise City Hall about City Park, the MAC (campgrounds), as well as programs for the youth. 

Recreation Center: I would like to establish part of the MAC as a community recreation center, that will include sports activities, such as basketball, volleyball, and martial arts classes, as well has a game room and computer center.

Health and Wellness: I would like to see a full gym/wellness facility at the new Recreation Center, which would include weight training, circuit training and aerobic classes, as well as the martial arts classes mentioned above.

Economic Development:

The Internet Solution:  The internet has opened up money making opportunities that before have been out of reach.  My plan is to maximize the opportunities that this tool offers.  I would see that training be provided to those who wish to learn how to make money from the internet.

Business Incubator: A "business incubator" is an organization that helps business get started. This includes offering affordable rent and office equipment (to reduce start up and operating costs) and provide training in marketing, advertising, bookkeeping, and business planning.  The MAC campgrounds is a perfect place for such an organization. For instance, the commercial kitchen there can be rented at an hourly rate, to assist part time bakers or "breakfast burrito" makers.  The South Valley Economic Development Center is a prime example of a business incubator and will serve as a model of what I intend on at the MAC.

Jobs:  There are two ways to create jobs, starting a business that will hire locals (which is where the business incubator can help with), and bringing in firms from the outside.  Both require that we have a workforce that have the capacity to be trained and have the work ethics to serve as a high quality workforce.  Workforce training will build those qualities in our workers.  I propose a community partnership between the Town of Mountainair,  the Mountainair Chamber of Commerce and the Mountainair School District to develop and implement a plan to create a Workforce Training Program.

Bringing the Community Together:

Public Discussions: We need to build trust and understanding between the different constituencies that have been divided by recent events.  I will work to promote as many community events that will bring people together to share ideas, argue, debate, and walk away with an understanding and respect for the "other side."

Community Gardens:  Community gardens have been a huge success in bringing communities together in many blighted inner-city areas. In Mountainair, iCreate, Inc. is a non-profit that has facilitated people coming together through their program called SEEDS.  Community gardens are an excellent way to experience each others company and build on friendships that grow with the garden.  In addition to this, the idea of a Farmers/Gardeners Market that would help supplement income and help distribute higher quality organic vegetables that will nourish the citizens of our town.  Having more community gardens and a market is something I would like to expand on during my time as Mayor.

Empowering the Citizens:

At the last Town Council meeting I went to, there was only about 6 people in attendance.  We were the "regulars", just like an episode of Cheers!  People tend to only care about town management when it directly effects them.  Of course, it's their prerogative to participate.  But I wonder why some choose not to. Besides a simple lack of interest, many folks believe that it's a waste of their time cause no one will listen to what they have to say.  This is called a lack of empowerment. They feel powerless against their elected officials.

Citizen Action Groups: Empowering our citizens is vital to the development of our community.  I propose the creation of citizen action groups that will come together and brainstorm ideas about how to make Mountainair a better place for us all. 

Youth Action Group: The youth of our community often feel left out of any discussions.  I hear many adults say, "we need to do something for the kids", but the what that "something" is remains elusive.  We can make presumptions, but we should simply be asking the youth what they wan.  Then we must act in accordance to their wants and needs! A youth action group, made up of youths, by the youths, will be one of the first things I form as Mayor.

Other Plans:

Recycling Plant: The Town of Mountainair recently started a recycling project. The reason for this project is because our contract with our waste management vendor is based the weight of our dumpsters, not a flat rate.  One of our biggest trash items, and one of the heaviest, is paper.  But one of the problems of this program is that the bins fill up quicker than we can deliver them to the recycling plant in Albuquerque.  I see part of this problem as an opportunity.  Paper and cardboard is an excellent material to convert into compost.  This compost is essential for improving our soils.  The community garden, local gardeners and town beautification projects that I propose could save hundreds of dollars by simply composting our own wastes!   The cost of making compost is cheap.  We can place large compost bins at the north side of the airport (fenced in, of course, so paper isn't strewn across the pasture.)  And it would only require contracting with locals who happen to own skid-steer loaders to turn it every few months.  This injects money into our economy by supporting local contractors, save on transportation and labor costs of taking all the paper/cardboard all the way to Albuquerque, and save on the cost of buying compost from stores in Albuquerque.

Beautification Project:  For the past two years, we've had a successful "clean up day."  I would like to see this expand to be EVERY DAY.  Through partnerships with the many organizations in our community, we can accomplish this expansion.  It can be as simple as picking up trash along Highway 60, and weed wacking the overgrown weeds, or as ambitious as repainting the water tower with a Mustang (much like Los Lunas's tiger on the side of their water tank.)  We can build pride in our community simply by cleaning it up.