Village considers facial recognition equipment
MILAN, N.M. – Four of the five Village of Milan Board of Trustees dealt with numerous topics during the May 20 monthly meeting. Topics included village manager, camera surveillance equipment, and requests for financial support. Trustee Chris Archuleta was absent.
Rumors and village manager
The trustees have hired three managers in the years since Marcella Sandoval’s retirement as long-time village manager. The former manager addressed recent speculations about Sarah Austin leaving her position as Milan manager.
“I came back temporarily [from retirement] to help Sarah who has always given the village 200 percent,” explained Sandoval, who served in that position for 12 years,
“When I was here [as manager] I always had the Board’s complete support. If you lose her, you will be in a world of hurt. I wish you could find a way to keep Sarah.”
The trustees offered no comments in response to Sandoval’s remarks.
(The village hired Paul Pena when Sandoval retired; Jay Ruybalid held the position for a short time; then Mayor Felix Gonzales appointed Sarah Austin as interim manager in November 2019. The trustees unanimously voted to offer Austin the manager position, which she accepted in early 2020. Austin served as transit manager prior to accepting the interim village manager position.)
Two surveillance options
Chief Carl Ustupski, Milan Police Department, described a smartphone app that performs many of the same tasks as body cameras. The app allows officers to record locations, take photos, create videos, and other options in addition to acting as a body cam, according to the chief. He said the company is providing a demonstration and officers will test the equipment in the coming week.
“I like it. We’ll look at the results after we test it out,” said the chief, who is researching funding options if the village decides to purchase the technology.
The Milan Parks Department manager also reported the need for additional technology to discourage vandalism in the five village parks. He described specific advantages provided by one technology company; these include night vision (functions without outdoor lighting), facial recognition, options include indoor and outdoor equipment, and all cameras can be linked (cross-referenced) to identify unwarranted activity on village properties. Many municipalities utilize this system and record vehicle activity at intersections. Initial investment is somewhat expensive, approximately $1,000 per camera, but the village then owns the cameras. The only annual expense is software upgrades. He encouraged the trustees to consider investing in this system to deter ongoing vandalism such as damage to sprinkler heads in the parks.
Department reports
Police Chief Ustupski expressed concern about the turnover rate of Milan employees.
“When I got here, everyone I worked with felt connected,” he recalled and said there was a strong sense of teamwork and shared commitment across departments. (The MPD chief took the Oath of Office in February and began his duties in March.)
“At least four have left since I arrived. Do we [village] do exit interviews?”
He reported that the department responded to an increased number of “violent calls” last month. These were predominantly domestic in nature; department plans include deescalation training to assist officers who are responding to incidents.
He stressed the need for additional training to identify impaired drivers in preparation for the legalization of recreational marijuana. The chief is one of 12 certified drug recognition instructors in the state.
The Natatorium reported 648 participants for April and $1,326 in revenue.
Transit recorded 1,007 total trips in March and 1,009 last month.
Funding
The trustees approved installation of four-foot fencing for the Mirabal Park pond and the park’s perimeter. Transit Manager Melissa Chavez’ funding request, $29,899, was approved for the 2023 fiscal year. The City of Grants contributes $52,000; Cibola County contributes $51,961; the total FY 2023 transit budget is $133,815.
The trustees heard two presentations but delayed decision-making until the May 26 special meeting. The Cibola Communities Economic Development Foundation requested $40,000 for FY 2021-22; the village contributed $25,000 last year.
Grants-Cibola County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Brenda Curtright requested $25,000 to work with Milan on areawide tourism promotional activities.
(The board went into closed session at the end of the approximately 90-minute regular meeting.
The return to open session was not available for viewing online; the Cibola Citizen did not have information as to whether Trustee Archuleta participated in the closed session.)
Upcoming meetings
• Special meeting, Wednesday, May 26, 10:30 a.m., village hall, 623 Uranium Ave., Milan
• Trustees’ Workshop, Wednesday, June 9, 5:30 p.m., village hall
• Planning & Zoning Commission meeting, Thursday, June 10, 4:30 p.m., village hall
• Board of Trustees regular meeting, Thursday, June 17, 5:30 p.m., village hall
Call 505-285-6694 or visit villageofmilan.com for more information.