ABQ City Council

Aging baby boomers, zealously guarding their property values, have joined forces with the proverbial little old ladies in tennis shoes now in charge of some ABQ neighborhood associations to try to thwart housing reform at today's city council meeting. 

On the other side are progressives forming an odd couple alliance with the development community to urge the council to authorize casitas up to 750 square feet as well as duplexes on the grounds of single family homes, a major alteration in policy but one that has gained steam in the face of a stubborn housing dilemma.

The casitas have sparked fears that the city will be overrun with developers seeking to lure homeowners into persuading them to build high end rental casitas that would do little to resolve the homeless problem and create unsightly development.

On the other hand, supporters say the casitas are an obvious solution to house elderly parents, young people priced out of an expensive housing market and also create a low level revenue stream for homeowners.

The votes appear there on the nine member council to authorize Mayor Keller's casita proposal, although the amendment process could reshape the policy to address concerns before a final vote tonight. 

The boomers and influential neighborhood associations came of age in a much different ABQ, one with more economic vitality and a growing population. Now for the first time both have stagnated, giving rise to a new generation of voices who are inheriting this dramatically different city order. 

So tonight's casita vote is a dividing line between the old ABQ so fondly missed but recognition of the new ABQ that is confronted with challenges unimagined by the boomers and the neighborhood associations. In this case the old must give way to the new. It always does. 

MIRED IN POLITICS

Another final vote of import is expected at today's council session, this one on the proposal to abolish the strong mayor form of government and replace it with a council/manager set up. 

Councilors have been too coy to get a firm grip on whether they will approve this revision of the City Charter and send it to voters for a decision in November. Still, if commonsense has not entirely fled Government Center, we expect proponents will come up short of the six votes needed to authorize a public vote. 

If such a change is seen by a majority of the council as sensible, then the formation of a Charter Review Task Force (like the one we had in 2009) would be the appropriate venue to discuss it--in a nonpartisan environment and with robust public involvement.

As it stands the plan from Councilors Louie Sanchez and Renee Grout is mired in politics. The rush to rid the city of a powerful mayor is coming from them--two of Mayor Keller's harshest critics. Sanchez, a conservative Democrat, who has many admirable populist qualities, has been passionate in his dislike for the incumbent. But you don't change a half century of governance based on personal pique. 

We don't doubt Councilor Grout's concern for her community but she is a Republican, a natural opponent of Keller's, as well as a first term councilor with no previous government experience. In the case of this radical proposal, her reach is clearly beyond her grasp. 

It's true that the wonders of living in ABQ are deeper below the surface than they once were but they are still there and need more nurturing and TLC. Housing reform does that as does keeping the faith in a governmental system that has fundamentally worked.

PET PROJECT