SJM 2 — FRONTIER AREAS TASK FORCE

SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 2 57TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEWMEXICO - FIRST SESSION 2025 INTRODUCED BY Pete Campos 6 8 10 A JOINT MEMORIAL REQUESTING THE GOVERNOR TO APPOINT A TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE NEEDS OF FRONTIER AREAS OF THE STATE AND TO CONSIDER THE EFFICACY OF THE COMMUNITY-OPERATED INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK MODEL FOR THE IMPROVED DELIVERY OF NECESSARY SERVICES.

167 WHEREAS, the term "frontier area" means the unincorporated e t 17 areas of a county that are sparsely populated and isolated from w l n d 18 larger population centers and services and includes rural = = 19 a l communities;

and i a e r 20 WHEREAS, recent public health research has added lack of a t m m 21 municipal status as a structural determinant of health, d r e 22 resulting in cumulative health risks for residents due to the c e s k 23 lack of health care resources, especially for low-income e a n b 24 communities of color;

and u [ WHEREAS, unincorporated communities do not have their own .230085.2 local officials and remain as informal settlements with diminished legal power to comprehensively address local needs and concerns;

and public facilities, such as SJM 2 Page 1 parks, playgrounds, libraries and community centers, enjoyed in more populated areas;

and e t 17 WHEREAS, infrastructure and regulatory systems have become w l n d 18 more complex, while the volunteer pool is being reduced through = = 19 a l population loss and elderly volunteers aging out or unable to i a e r 20 perform required skills, and younger people are unavailable to a t m m 21 fill that volunteer gap because of longer commutes for school d r e 22 and careers;

and c e s k 23 WHEREAS, the community-operated infrastructure network e a n b 24 model might work well in frontier areas to increase efficiency u [ and reduce overhead costs of individual physical and social .230085.2 - 2 - infrastructure providers through shared services using economies of scale for administrative, financial management, capital improvement planning, permitting and other services that could be cooperatively managed for several infrastructure providers;

and WHEREAS, community-operated infrastructure networks could help fill the personnel gaps as well as develop methodologies and strategies for frontier areas to have SJM 2 Page 2 greater autonomy over local programs and services;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the governor be requested to appoint an executive-wide task force to study the needs of frontier e t 17 areas of the state, including members from the department of w l n d 18 finance and administration, in particular, the local government = = 19 a l division and the infrastructure planning and development i a e r 20 division;

the office of the a t m m 21 state engineer;

the economic d r e 22 development department;

the department of information c e s k 23 technology;

the department of e a n b 24 transportation;

community u [ representatives of frontier areas;

representatives of councils .230085.2 - 3 - of state government;

SJM 2 Page 3 B.

a review of statutes and rules and their application to frontier areas and what can be amended, repealed or enacted to assist frontier areas in the provision of e t 17 infrastructure and in the establishment of community-operated w l n d 18 infrastructure networks, including what resources can be = = 19 a l provided by the state;

and i a e r 20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study assess methodologies a t m m 21 for strengthening frontier areas with financial investment and d r e 22 other resources;

and c e s k 23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study include potential e a n b 24 incentives for frontier areas willing to establish community-community-operated u [ operated infrastructure networks to increase efficiency and .230085.2 - 4 - reduce overhead costs of individual infrastructure providers through shared services and consider how the state, councils of government and counties can provide funding to replace volunteers with centralized paid staff who possess the training and skills needed to operate modern infrastructure;

and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force provide periodic reports of its work to the legislative interim SJM 2 Page 4 committees concerned with rural economic development and other rural concerns and a final report to the governor and the legislature, with findings and recommendations, by November 1, 2025;

eSJM t2 17Page - 5 -25 w l n d 18 = = 19 a l i a e r 20 a t m m 21 d r e 22 c e s k 23 e a n b 24 u [ .230085.2