2007 Annual Report Executive Summary
City of Deming Enterprise Community
The year was filled with activity and progress as the Southwest Regional Transit District’s first run with the first bus route from Deming, NM to Columbus, NM was completed. Also the new community amphitheatre was completed.
Deming Literacy Center was recognized twice during the year as they received national accreditation through the National Pro Literacy Program of America, and, they were selected as the Exceptional Literacy Program for 2007 for the State of New Mexico by the NM Literacy Coalition.
Solitaire Homes, a local mobile home manufacturing plant that moved their operations to Deming with the help of our Local Economic Development Act status opened their doors in 2001 and in 2007 were the first mobile home manufacturing plant to become an Energy Star Green Mobile Home Plant in the southwest United States. Solitaire Homes in Luna County is one of four plants in New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma and is the number one producer of Solitaire high end mobile homes. The plant created 130 full time jobs in 200l and they now employ over 200 Luna County residents full time.
Luna Energy, the electrical power generation plant started generating power in late 2007 and has created 40 jobs and millions of dollars in revenues into our community. The Luna County Housing Corporation, a local housing advocacy group created through the EC, struggled to gain sustainability but has shown it’s worth this year by engaging in MFA housing rehabilitation projects, applying for tax credits for a low income 40 unit housing project and by acquiring enough land in Columbus, NM to build up to 8 single family low income homes, as well as acquiring land in Deming, NM for 8 single family low income homes.
Deming Helping Hand, a program to help those in need, opened it doors in their new location this year. Helping Hands provides assistance with utilities, food, clothing, furniture, etc. to low income residence in Luna County. Cancer Support of Deming and Luna County has been in existence for three years now and helps cancer warriors and their families get to and from their medical appoints by either providing the transportation, or provide monetary assistance for air, train and bus travel and lodging.
Through projects within the EC strategic plan we have been able to secure funding from local, state and federal sources during this last year. We received a CDBG grant to build a daycare center at the community college so that more people can take advantage of our community college classes. We continue to be a partner in providing a second chance to our youth and many adults in our community. Our senior center continues to assist our senior population with much needed programs. Our mini-grant program continues to be a positive leveraging of funds and technical assistance for our smaller non-profits who struggle with start-up needs or growing pains.
The Mimbres Valley Authority City of Deming Enterprise Community (MVA) is excited about our accomplishments in 2007 and look forward to a successful 2008 in the EZ/EC program. We continue our focus on the needs of our community and strengthening partnerships while leveraging funds to make the best use of both financial and human resources. We are a remarkable cross-cultural rural community. Our Enterprise Community consists of two communities within six census tracts covering over 2,965 square miles in Luna County, New Mexico. Luna County is situated on the U.S.-Mexican border and is home to the only 24-hour port of entry in New Mexico. The City of Deming and the Village of Columbus are the two communities that make up Luna County. We continued to focus on education & training, economic development/opportunity, community development, health and recreation, and housing; the five basic categories of our Strategic Plan. Our Enterprise Community Designation provided an avenue for worthwhile activities, successful accomplishments, and positive differences to be made possible again this year in our community.
City of Deming EC Summary Page City of Deming EC Funding Page