2000 Annual Report Executive Summary
City of Deming Enterprise Community
Luna County has just completed its second year as an Enterprise Community - a year that has been filled with accomplishments as well as challenges. Luna County's application for EC designation was a collaboration between the local city and county governments and the public schools. This collaboration has grown into a larger partnership over the last two years involving local, state and federal agencies and organizations as well as the continued involvement and investment of community residents. We feel that this last year has been a year of progress for the communities of Luna County, due in very large part to the EZ/EC Initiative. Following are some of the activities, accomplishments and differences that are being made possible in our community with the help of our EC designation.
On June 28, 2000, Vice President Gore announced the selection of four communities to participate in the Southwest Border Task Force Pilot Program. Deming was one of the four communities selected to participate in this program. The planning processes and organizational infrastructure that are in place in our community because of our EC designation were key to our selection. The purpose of the program is "...to coordinate a Federal response to the needs of distressed communities in the Southwest Border Region". The Task Force launched the pilot program in September at a conference held in Washington, D.C. Representatives of our community were present at the conference, and a Memorandum of Agreement Signing Ceremony was held in our community that same month. We were honored to have representatives of the President's and Vice-President's offices address our community at the ceremony. The pilot program has helped our community gain the attention of the various Federal agencies, and in November we were afforded the opportunity to meet with the Federal partners at the Southwest Border Training Conference held in San Diego. This project could help to generate hundreds of jobs in our community as well as millions of dollars in revenue.
The Luna County Emergency Youth Shelter opened its doors on August 14, 2000. As of December 31, 2000, the shelter housed 35 youths aged 12-17 whose length of stay ranged from overnight up to 100 days. The Youth Shelter is serving a definite need in our community. In October of this past year our new centralized 911 dispatch center came on-line. Prior to the system becoming operational, 911 calls were routed to the appropriate agency at their respective sites. The new system allows dispatch personnel to be housed in one center. Dispatchers that represent the different emergency service agencies are in one room and are now able to share vital information and each is aware of what is going on in any emergency situation.
Luna County has secured the $1,000,000 needed to renovate the building that will house the new Mimbres Valley Learning Center. Our EC status played a major role in our getting the grants that are making our new learning center possible. Renovations are scheduled to begin in February 2001 and the Center should be operational by August 2001.
We continue to move forward in our strategic plan, meeting goals and setting new ones, always trying to reach farther and higher in an effort to improve the quality of life for our entire community. We seek to build a future and to provide a solid foundation for those to come. Thanks to the EZ/EC Initiative the dreams of our community are becoming realities.
City of Deming EC Summary Page City of Deming EC Funding Page