The trucks were lined up and the tents were set up for each of the four Las Cruces Utilities (LCU) Sections – gas, water, wastewater, solid waste. It was a Wednesday night, and the Spring class of the Las Cruces Neighborhood Leadership Academy stopped by to learn how water reaches their tap, what happens to wastewater from their homes, how solid waste is removed from their neighborhoods, and how to make sure that they are up to date on their gas safety.
The City of Las Cruces hosts the Neighborhood Leadership Academy to provide first-hand information about City services and programs to residents, and to encourage greater engagement and connection with the city government and various departments.
The agenda changes weekly and allows the class of residents to peek inside the wide array of City departments that serve the public. On this evening, LCU employees proudly showed off their different Sections. “Our goal is to improve the transparency of what we do. We field questions from attendees, explain the services LCU provides, and then neighborhood leaders can share that information back with the people they know,” said Utilities Director, Jorge A. Garcia, Ph.D., P.E.
The Solid Waste Section employees brought out the trash trucks, the Green Grappler, and a residential side loader. The Wastewater Section provided a display set up with a model of the wastewater treatment facility enclosed in a glass case to explain what happens to water washed down the drain or flushed down the toilet. The Gas Section focused on gas safety and how to respond if you smell gas in your home or business.
“Tours like this are the best way for citizens to see the scope of what their city offers; at LCU these resident leaders can ask questions directly to the people who work to supply natural gas to homes and businesses and pick up their trash every week,” explained Jamey Rickman, community outreach manager, who organizes the Neighborhood Leadership Academy.
The 15-week Academy is free but limited to the first 35 people who apply. Anyone who lives in the city limits and is 18-years of age is eligible to apply to the Neighborhood Leadership Academy. Learn more at http://www.las-cruces.org/en/departments/administration/communityoutreach/leadershipacademy.
Submitted by Las Cruces Utilities
You can reach Las Cruces Utilities at 528-3500 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Las Cruces Utilities provides GAS – WATER – WASTEWATER – SOLID WASTE services to approximately 100,000 Las Cruces residents and businesses.