The Las Cruces Sun-News
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — The Yellow Dot Program, which provides emergency first responders with basic information that could prove to be life saving at a crash scene, will be discussed by the Las Cruces City Council when it meets 1 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 700 N. Main St.
The program has been implemented in at least 22 states, and helps identify medical and other noteworthy conditions of passengers in vehicles, or on motorcycles, that have been involved in an accident.
It’s not the first time implementation of the program has been suggested.
“I first brought it up several years ago, when I was a city councilor,” said Mayor Ken Miyagishima. “A few months ago, (Las Cruces resident) Jane Grider brought it back up to me and it will be coming back to the council.
“It would be a good program for the city, but it would be even better if we can get the county behind it, too. That’s what we’ll discuss on Monday.”
There would be no cost involved for program participants. The program aims at providing first responders with pertinent personal and medical information when they arrive at the scene of a crash. That information can lessen the time it takes to provide medical care for an injured person, especially if they are unconscious or otherwise unable to speak at a crash scene. The yellow dot would be placed in the lower left corner of the rear window of a vehicle, and would be used by first responders to help identify the vehicle that is enrolled in the program.
Also, an accompanying folder would be placed in the vehicle’s glove box, where medical information of the driver, or passengers, might be found.
Also at Monday’s work session, city administration and staff members will present information on the proposed budget for city government for the 2013 fiscal year, which begins July 1.
“The proposed budget has been developed and will be presented by Budget Manager Dick Gebhart,” City Manager Robert Garza said. “He will outline highlights and items of potential interest to the City Council. City department heads and administrators will be present to respond to questions and provide clarity on any items of interest.
“Staff will present the final budget to the City Council for adoption on May 7.”
Immediately following the work session, a public hearing on the proposed budget and the city’s Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan (ICIP) will be conducted in Council Chambers at City Hall.
“The New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration requires the city to hold a public hearing to gather input and respond to questions from the general public,” Garza said. “Staff will present the line-item budget overview as well as the Capital Improvement Plan overview for any community members who attend and express interest in these topics. City Council members are not required to attend this meeting but will be provided a summary as they contemplate the final budget proposal.”
The work session will start with a presentation to council on regional mental health issues. Ron Gurley, executive director of the Forensic Intervention Consortium of Doña Ana County, will update the council, and will discuss the importance of mental health services in Las Cruces.
Following the work session and public hearings on the proposed budget and ICIP the council will convene in closed session to discuss the possibility of tendering an offer for the former Las Cruces Country Club property. For several years, the city has been courted as a potential buyer for the approximately 110-acre country club property.
Two weeks ago, city administrators and staff members presented information about some of the potential costs to purchase, operate and maintain the property, if the city were to buy it. The country club has been closed since late November and its board of directors has begun listening to offers for the property.
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