City approves only month-to-month SEC agreement

On Friday, May 17, the Socorro Electric Co-operative’s 25-year franchise agreement with the City of Socorro would have expired.

On Tuesday night, Socorro City Council adopted a resolution to continue the Socorro Electric Co-operative franchise agreement on a month-to-month basis. The agreement includes continuing with the same rate structure between both entities.

The resolution’s wording specifically states: “It is understood that this resolution is NOT an exclusive agreement for the delivery of electricity to the City of Socorro by the Socorro Electric Co-operative, as any such exclusivity would be unconstitutional.”

NNSA 1978 Chapter 3, Article 42, Section 3-42-1a reads: “A municipality no franchise ordinance shall be in effect for more than 25 years. The municipality may contract with the public utility for such services as are necessary for the health and safety of the municipality and may pay a sum agreed upon by the contracting parties for such services.”

The resolution also notes that upon the energization of the City of Socorro electric utility, the city expects the Socorro Electric Co-op to remove their service poles and lines from city property as the city expands its municipal electric utility through the city limits.

In other business, the council honored three young students, Madison Dean, Tracer Montoya and Madison Dotson as the winners of this year’s Socorro Consolidated Schools Bus Safety coloring contest. The award-winning art will be made into yard signs area residents can display on their lawns. This past year, there were 52 vehicles who violated the school bus stop arm signs.