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BernCo at a Glance
E-newsletter
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Stay Up-to-Date with State Mandates
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In order to prevent and mitigate the effects of the spread of the virus, and to ameliorate the unsustainable resultant strain placed upon the state’s health care system and personnel, counties where the virus is more prevalent will operate under more restrictive public health measures. Likewise, counties where the virus has been or is being suppressed will operate under less restrictive measures. Counties will operate under one of three levels: Red, signifying very high risk; Yellow, signifying high risk; and Green, signifying medium risk. (Bernalillo County’s status is currently red. This includes City of Albuquerque and other municipalities within the geographic boundaries of Bernalillo County.)
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- Foremost, please stay home if you are sick. Period.
- Masks are mandatory in public, non-compliance can result in a $100 fine
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For updated travel restrictions click here.
- Practice social distancing -- be aware of your surroundings and others near you
- Adhere to the six-foot rule and stay at home except as needed for grocery shopping, medical assistance and exercise
- Limit group contact to five or fewer people
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash
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New Mexico Department of Health:
- New Mexicans with COVID-19 related questions should call the coronavirus hotline at 855-600-3453
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Non-COVID-19 related questions or concerns, call 833-551-0518
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NMDOH COVID-19 Public Dashboard -- the data dashboard includes county-by-county breakdowns of positive cases by age, gender and ethnicity.
Information and resources from the CDC regarding coronavirus COVID-19: www.cdc.gov.
To read or download CDC fact sheets click here.
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The answer to this question and many more are in the Policies for the Prevention and Control of COVID-19. Click here to learn more.
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Bernalillo County Animal Care Services has made some operational changes to align with the latest public health order, effective Dec. 2.
- The facility remains closed to public access.
- All transactions for licensing and general services will be handled via the general information line at 505-314-0281.
- Animal services officers will be responding to emergencies and threats to public health and safety.
- Non-emergency animal-related issues will be handled by officers via phone and video conference.
- Citizens finding stray animals are asked to contact the enforcement line and not bring animals to the shelter as staffing levels are reduced.
- Adoption of animals will continue to be by appointment only. Citizens interested in adopting an animal need to fill out an interest card located on https://www.bernco.gov/animal-care-services/ and a staff member will call to set up the appointment.
- Citizens looking to reclaim their animal should call the general line 505-314-0281 to set an appointment to pick up the animal.
- Citizens needing to relinquish an animal must contact 505-975-5945. Approval will be made on a case-by-case basis by an intake specialist. Please do not bring animals to the facility without prior approval.
- Animal Care Services is asking for the public to be patient during this time as staff are working diligently to protect animals in their care and respond to the public’s requests.
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Bernalillo County is offering more emergency financial support through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act federal stimulus package for qualifying small businesses in the unincorporated areas of the county and some not-for-profit organizations within the city limits of Albuquerque. This is the fourth round of stimulus grants offered by the county totaling more than $10 million.
The grants will be up to $20,000 for qualifying small businesses and nonprofits through the Bernalillo County small business grant to reimburse the costs of business interruption caused by required closures. This program is intended to help reimburse the significant, temporary loss of revenue to these qualified businesses during this pandemic, and to assist businesses in retaining and paying employees. Bernalillo County has determined these payments are necessary expenditures due to the public health emergency. Read more.......
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The Office of the Assessor has mailed out the business, livestock and manufactured home personal property reporting forms for 2021. The deadline to submit the completed forms to the Assessor’s Office is Feb. 28, 2021.
Business personal property, livestock and manufactured home owners must complete a report every year and submit to the Assessor’s Office. Owners must report equipment used for businesses, current manufactured home information or individual livestock located within the boundaries of Bernalillo County. In order to avoid monetary penalties and a possible audit, property owners need to submit their reports on-time.
For the business community, filing business personal property reports can be done online using the e-file system located on the Assessor’s Business Personal Property webpage. The business personal property reporting, livestock reporting and manufactured home reporting forms can also be located on the assessor’s webpage and can be emailed or mailed to the Assessor’s Office.
The deadline to submit the completed forms to the Office of the Assessor is Feb. 28, 2021. If any additional information is needed, please call the Assessor’s Office at 505-222-3700 or visit www.bernco.gov/assessor.
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At the Dec. 8 County Commission meeting, Commissioners Lonnie Talbert and James Collie were recognized. Both commissioners’ terms end Dec. 31. |
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Commissioner Lonnie C. Talbert has served as a representative of District 4 on the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners for eight years, first elected in 2012. He is the current chair of the Board of Commissioners, elected in January 2020 along bipartisan lines, reflecting his willingness to work with all commissioners regardless of party affiliation. Commissioner Talbert has served on multiple committees and boards for the county, including the Albuquerque Economic Development organization, the Rio Metro Transit Board and the ABC Community School Partnership. He has used his experience, such as current chief operations officer at Southwest Capital Bank, as a financial administrator to promote the fiscal wellbeing of Bernalillo County, including the recovery in 2014 from poor investment strategies. He has supported numerous progressive measures, including the gender-pay equity amendment in 2020, the immigrant-friendly county declaration in 2017, and facilitating a gun safety dialogue in 2018 and also supported many economic development initiatives, including the hosting of the European political delegation in 2017, and the approval of additional grant funds for small businesses during COVID-19. Commissioner Talbert has also served the community in other ways, including chair of the 2009 United Way of Central New Mexico campaign, a state goodwill ambassador as a New Mexico Amigo, and chairman of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce.
Thank you, Commissioner Talbert, for your service to Bernalillo County.
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Commissioner James M. Collie has served as a representative of District 3 on the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners since January 2020, after being appointed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. He previously served the community as a member of the County Planning Commission, ABC Library Board and Board of Directors for the Menaul School. Commissioner Collie’s leadership has advanced community health, behavioral health, and criminal justice coordination discussions between local government and community stakeholders. He sponsored the creation of the Sheriff’s Office Advisory and Review Board, to allow the public to have “a conversation about mutual concerns,” and sponsored the Community Workforce Ordinance, requiring the hiring of New Mexicans before out-of-state labor by contractors on county public works projects and o-sponsored resolutions for the continued support of adult charter schools and for state legislation that would remove racially restrictive deeds and covenants.
Thank you, Commissioner Collie, for your service to Bernalillo County.
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Bernalillo County’s Public Art Board is supporting the creative economy through its proposals process as artists continue to face the economic challenges caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The deadline for submitting proposals for the 2020 calendar year is Dec. 31.
Artists can submit proposals for a variety of media and styles including two-dimensional and three-dimensional works. There is a limit of three artworks per artist proposal. Submissions received through Dec. 31 will be reviewed at the February Arts Board meeting. Submissions received on or after Jan. 1, 2021 through May 31, 2021 will be reviewed at the July Arts Board meeting.
New Mexico is known throughout the world for its diverse and innovative creative community and the county’s art in public places ordinance sets aside 1% of the budget of capital improvement projects for works of art. Additionally, surplus funding from capital projects goes towards the 1% for the arts common fund which allows the county to purchase art for publicly accessible facilities through an unsolicited proposals process.
In 2021, the Bernalillo County Public Art program is moving forward with capital improvement projects for works of art. Projects include the second phase of the “Outposts” public art project, the South Valley Pool, Bernalillo County @ Alvarado Square, Bridge Boulevard and the Sunport Boulevard reconstruction project.
For more information about the unsolicited proposals process or the Bernalillo County Public Art Program, contact Kent Swanson, Bernalillo County public art coordinator, kswanson@bernco.gov.
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Silver Horizons will again offer free groceries to low-income senior citizens (60+) at 4 drive-thru grocery pickup opportunities in county. |
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The drive-thru grocery pickup opportunities are from 10 a.m. to noon as follows:
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Monday, Dec. 21 - Rio Bravo Senior Center parking lot, 3910 Isleta Blvd SW (map)
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Tuesday, Dec. 22 - Sherriff’s Posse Outdoor Facility, 10308 2nd St NW (map)
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Bernalillo County commissioners received a recap and final update on the 2020 census count in the county and thanked every worker who made Bernalillo County count.
The self-response rate in Bernalillo County was more than 68%. Self-response rates for all of New Mexico was 58.7%. Self-response is defined as those who were counted online, by mail-in paper form, or by phone. More than 99% of New Mexicans participated in the Census count.
United States Census Partnership coordinator in Bernalillo County outlined the final figures for the census count.
National and regional response rates and indices are as follows:
Response Rates
- National Self-Response Rate: 67%
- Projected Self-Response Rate: 65.6%
- Response Rate in 2010: 66.5%
- Bernalillo County Self-Response rate: 71.7%
First Nationwide Census Available Online
- No down time
- No data breaches
- Average Response Time: 9 minutes
How did people respond?
- Internet (easiest and preferred): 79.86%
- Mail: 18.3%
- Phone: 1.85%
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Did You Know Taxpayers Can Monitor the Performance of County Departments? |
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Departmental performance measures and objectives drive the Strategic Plan. Each department has a performance page outlining its mission, services, prior initiatives, planning and research data, and current performance data and trends. Departments focus on tracking short and long term goals to improve operations and make informed decisions by analyzing data. The goal is to be accountable and transparent by sharing this data with the community.
To learn more about departments’ services, projects, and performance trends, click the tiles below.
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Never Hesitate to Call 911 if You Need Help |
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Bernalillo County Fire Department and Bernalillo County Behavioral Health Services encourage you to watch this incredibly important Docu-Series about the alternatives to suicide. Please know there are resources available to anyone suffering from a behavioral health crisis. And we encourage a call to the many available resources that Bernalillo County has to offer for you or someone you know.
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Applications are now open for the Cultivating Bernalillo County ‘Grow the Growers’ program, a comprehensive farm training and business acceleration initiative designed to attract new and emerging farmers into professional food production.
The Grow the Growers program is based at the historic Hubbell Open Space in Bernalillo County’s South Valley. In order to learn diverse farm production and business operation methods, Grow the Growers participants also work with partner farms to enhance their educational experiences.
We are now accepting applications for the 2021 training season! The deadline to apply is Jan. 4, 2021. Join us!
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Bernalillo County’s subscription-based information system called govDelivery, is now available for public sign up.
GovDelivery allows any subscriber to choose and receive news and information about county departments and events.
In the initial phase, participants can receive information from these departments and areas:
- Behavioral Health
- ABC Community School
- Office of Senior and Social Services
- Assessor’s Office
- Treasurer’s Office
- Public Art Program
- Gutierrez-Hubbell House
- Open Space
- Natural Resources
- Movies in the Park and Bernalillo County Events
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Recent BernCo News Releases
(click each news release below to read in full)
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Dec. 9, 2020 - The Bernalillo County’s Parks and Recreation Department will begin to landscape medians near the intersection of Alameda Boulevard and Rio Grande Boulevard, beginning Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2020. The project is scheduled to be completed by Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020
Dec. 29, 2020 - The Bernalillo County Department of Behavioral Health Services has developed numerous programs and services, in Bernalillo County, impacted thousands of community members and is continuing to expand with the allocation of $10 million to help support local providers for capital, startup, and expansions of behavioral health services.
Dec. 2, 2020 – Bernalillo County, in partnership with the City of Albuquerque, today announced the opening of a third wellness hotel in the city to provide more housing options to support vulnerable individuals experiencing homelessness.
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Thank you for reading BernCo at a Glance |
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For assistance, please contact: |
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- Bernalillo County Treasurer's Office: (505) 468-7031
- Metropolitan Detention Center (general inmate info): (505) 839-8700
- Roads and traffic: (505) 848-1504 or (505) 848-1503
- Animal Care Services: (505) 468-PETS
- Property Maintenance (report a park or facility that needs cleanup): (505) 224-2119
- Schedule a large item pick-up: (505) 892-1200
- Department of Behavioral Health Services customer service: (505) 468-1555
- Court of Wills, Estates and Probate (general info): (505) 468-1232
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Schedule an appointment: call (505) 468-1229 or email, probate@bernco.gov
- Unclaimed & Indigent Cremation Program: (505) 468-7295
- Accounts Payable general inquiries: (505) 468-7020
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All other calls: (505) 468-7777 or email, contactcenter@bernco.gov
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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