April 16, 2020

Hello Friends and Neighbors in Twin Parks and PANA,

I really appreciate your passion regarding the Twin Parks area, and your concern for the park is valid. It is a beautiful park with a long history of serving its neighborhood. Also you have my respect for your feelings about Twin Parks since I also am very protective of the park in my own neighborhood.

The Department of Municipal Development (DMD) will be holding a public meeting to discuss various solutions to relieve flooding in the Pueblo Alto neighborhood and to receive public input. There has been no decision on what, if any, changes will be made to Twin Parks. This is why the meeting is important – public input is needed. We will get a report on options from the DMD and everyone will be able to make their comments. It does not serve either neighborhood to continue to alarm the neighbors about a non-issue, as DMD has repeatedly said they will not move forward with any mitigation without input. In addition, I have not recommended or endorsed any actions related to Twin Parks, including as a site for detention ponds. I have said this repeatedly. Any claims to the contrary are simply not true and nonproductive.

The April 14 letter from MTPNA referred to EC-17-371. This legislation was not introduced by my office. It was a recommendation from the Mayor to use Bohannan Huston to develop a design to abate the drainage issues. The EC (Executive Communication) does reference a detention pond, but it also references a Surge Pond, upsizing of pipes, new inlets, right of way acquisition, surveying, and all the necessary work required for the project. This is the scope of the project, and this language is designed to be broad so that it allows Bohannan Huston to assess all possible options. The language in this EC in no way determines what work will be done to abate the flooding issue.

The letter also references that a public meeting has not been scheduled yet, and there is a good reason it has not been scheduled. Because of Governor Lujan Grisham’s restrictions on public gatherings due to COVID-19, it is impractical to schedule a meeting at this time. We do not know when these restrictions will be lifted. We would prefer to have an in-person public input meeting over a virtual one because we want to make sure any interested neighbors can attend. A virtual meeting may leave out those who are not tech savvy or do not have access to the appropriate technology. This is not an attempt to put off the public meeting; it is simply where we are at for the time being.

I ask you to be patient as we all go through this pandemic together, and know we want to do everything we can to honor the neighborhoods and the constituents in them. A date for the meeting will be set as soon as we are allowed to do so. Please know there is no attempt to bypass the neighbors as we move forward.

I have met and spoken with many of you at your front doors while campaigning in 2013 and 2017, during neighborhood meetings, chatting at our monthly Coffees or our D7 Town Halls, and numerous other places. I have always worked hard to communicate honestly and will continue to do so. I have not abandoned the promise I made in December 2013 to honor the trust voters have given me. I take it very seriously.

Sincerely,

Diane Gibson

City Councilor

Albuquerque District 7

DG Twin Parks Letter Apr 16 2020