ALAMOSA — The Alamosa City Council will be addressing a variety of issues during Wednesday night’s meeting, including a proposed annual registration fee of $500 for vacant buildings located in Alamosa’s central business district. 

At the Oct. 2, council meeting, a unanimous vote for Ordinance No. 22-2024 established a requirement for all vacant buildings in the central business district to be registered each year with the city. During Wednesday night’s meeting, council members will vote on a resolution to either set that annual fee at $500 or consider other options.   

According to communication sent to council members, the staff recommends a $500 fee per year to cover the costs associated with vacant property such as disconnected utilities, accumulation of trash, old newspapers and junk plus repeated instances of vagrancy or trespassing, all of which have a negative impact on the community and require significant staff time to address, including staff with Public Works Department and officers with Alamosa Police Department.  

With legislative changes causing the loss of mental health services being provided for people detained at the Alamosa County Detention Center, the council will also consider a proposed agreement between the Alamosa Police Department (APD) and the Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office (ASO) to mitigate the gap in services. If approved, APD co-responders will spend a total of 16 hours a month at the jail assisting with mental health issues. In exchange for access to co-responder services, ASO will agree to pay APD $1,000 a month. 

The homeless coalition will also provide council members with an annual update. 

Council meetings are held in council chambers on the first and third Wednesdays of the month and begin at 7 p.m. The meeting is at Alamosa City Hall located at 300 Hunt Ave. in Alamosa. The Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85753492744 or by calling 1-719-359-4580, Webinar ID: 857 5349 2744.