Tuesday’s City Council meeting was a bittersweet one. On the positive end – thank you to members of City Council for their strong support in naming the Municipal Annex the “Janell Whitlock Municipal Complex.” We were also glad that members of Janell’s family were able to join us on Tuesday.
However, we were saddened by the fact that it was the final council meeting for two dedicated members – Leo Estrada and Jason Shirley.
Leo was first appointed to Council to represent former Councilor Nunley. He was then elected in an open election and served for more than five years.
As a Councilor, Leo was very involved in the Bob Forrest Youth Sports Complex Committee. He was also an avid supporter of the West Bypass and served on the City’s ad hoc committee working on this project. Leo always understood the need to balance focusing on quality of life improvements with infrastructure issues. He served this community very well, and we hope he’ll remain highly involved.
Jason Shirley became a member of City Council in 2012 and was an extremely active Council member throughout his term. He was especially active in Carlsbad’s Arts and Culture events, such as MainStreet and the civic center. He was one of the individuals responsible for creating “Cavernfest.”
Jason also served on our budget committee, and he has been involved in economic development efforts such as the Eddy Lea Energy Alliance and the Carlsbad Department of Development. We know he will continue to remain highly involved in all civic affairs. Leo and Jason are both very dedicated to this community and are outstanding individuals.
We also want to announce the retirement of our Parks Superintendent, Luis Renteria, who served the City of Carlsbad for more than 42 years. He spent his entire professional career with the City in the Parks Department. He served as Park Superintendent since 2002. Luis was very active in Beautification projects and played a major role in Carlsbad’s status as a “Tree City USA.” And in the fact that Carlsbad is well known for its beautiful parks. We wish him the best in his retirement.
COVID-19, unfortunately, doesn’t seem willing to fade away. News reports recently have indicated an uptick in cases, both at the local level and nationally. COVID-19 tests are still being offered in a wide variety of locations- including at the Walter Gerrells Performing Arts Center on Monday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Commercial Business Services Inc. is also offering free testing. Please call (575) 234-1174. Finally, New Mexicans can obtain free tests through a service called Vault. Visit https://learn.vaulthealth.com/nm. Also, a COVID-19 vaccine clinic is still being offered every Monday morning at the civic center.
Sincerely,
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway