On the evening of
Tuesday, May 22, 2021, Chaparral High School held the first community meeting
for the Chaparral Community Master Plan. It took place from 6:00 P.M. to 7:30
P.M.
The focus of the meeting was to explain to the community
of Chaparral the process of master planning that will happen within a time frame
of 18 to 24 months. The planning committee will base their choices on the
results of surveys that will be conducted from the beginning of June to the end
of October. These surveys will be filled out with the help of several Chaparral
High School students that will aide this process.
“Myself and a team of seven others will help give out the
surveys. We’re hiring seven temporary employees for summer help that is funded
through contract funding through Otero county,” stated Susan Gelvin, the Advance
Planner for the Dona Ana County.
Applications were given to several students at Chaparral
High School that were over the age of 18. These students will help the members
of the committee that is organizing the plans for Chaparral.
“The purpose of the meeting was to start community
discussion about the plans toward their visions about the future,” stated
Gelvin.
The meeting came to an end with a Q & A session where
the discussion got heated.
“The public questions at the end I answered those because
I knew those questions were potentially going to be some positive and some
negative. I felt that I was the most appropriate to answer the question because
of my position at the county to try and address those questions,” said
Charles McMahon, the Deputy Assistant County Manager for Dona Ana
County.
“I’m optimistic that this will be a successful project.
We have the resources to complete the plan, there is public interest in this
plan, and hopefully, we will be able to change the minds of those who are
optimistic about the plan,” said McMahon. “For it to be successful, the public
has to be behind this project.”
The students from Chaparral High School will work through
the summer and into the fall until the next meeting in November. By that time,
all information will be collected and evaluated to begin the in-depth planning
to help the community.