Mid-Region Council of Governments |
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The Mid-Region Council of Governments is following and monitoring news regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19), and we're working to ensure our communities continue to receive our services. Upcoming meetings at MRCOG may be canceled or will have teleconferencing options available. Be sure to check the MRCOG website for updates regarding meetings. The MRCOG Regional Planning employees are working from home, but we are still available to provide assistance for your community's needs!
The Regional Planning Program is available via email:
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Sandy Gaiser, Regional Planning Manager
Channing Hofman, Regional/RTPO Planner
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Maida Rubin, Senior Planner
Payton Showalter, Regional Planner
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MRCOG Economic Development |
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Free Financial Training Program beginning March 15, 2021! |
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We have space available for a few more!
MRCOG's Small Business Training Program will help businesses be better prepared to access funding and will help them grow. This training is for any type of business who is ready to start using QuickBooks Online and would like supportive guidance.
The course features 7 sessions:
- Intro to Financial Concepts, Record-keeping & Taxes, QuickBooks
- What do you sell? Products/Services and NMGRT
- Understanding your Chart of Accounts
- Accurately Categorizing Transactions
- Reconciling Accounts (Checking/Savings/Credit Cards)
- Deep Dive into Checking/Credit Card Accounts
- Understanding Financial Reports (Profit & Loss, Sales Tax Liability)
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Village of Corrales Zoning Ordinance Update |
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MRCOG Regional Planning Staff are working with the Village of Corrales to update their zoning ordinance. MRCOG, Village Staff, and a steering committee will conduct various analyses to propose text changes to the ordinance that will enhance clarity and usability, and to make Corrales’ sign regulations content-neutral. Proposed edits will be presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Village Council.
How does a municipality know when it’s time to update an ordinance?
There are a few hints that often demonstrate a need to update a zoning ordinance.
The first hint that a community should update their zoning ordinance is an increase of variance applications for the same request, such as a reduction in setback standards or the size or height of a sign. Granting a variance allows the property owner permission to deviate from the regulations of the ordinance. If a community is granting the same type of variance, this could mean that the regulations need to become more flexible to meet the needs of the community given the existing built environment.
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The second hint is when a lack of clarity in the ordinance language leads to inconsistent implementation of the ordinance or necessitates repeated ordinance interpretations. Over time it becomes necessary to update or add new definitions of land uses that were previously less common and had gone undefined, such as “tiny homes.”
The third hint is when there is new case law, either at the municipal, State, or Federal level. For example, the Supreme Court ruled in the 2015 case Reed v. Town of Gilbert that municipalities can no longer regulate the content of signs. This means that rather than regulating “political” signs differently than “business” signs, municipalities can only regulate based on size, placement, and time frame.
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If you have ordinance-related questions, general or specific, we’re happy to answer them!
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Upcoming RTPO Meeting
April 15, 2021
9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Held Virtually on Zoom
The RTPO Committee meeting agenda will be posted to the MRCOG website no later than 7 days in advance.
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Because of current health considerations, this meeting will be conducted through Zoom. More information about this will be sent out prior to the meeting.
For more information regarding the RTPO meeting please contact Channing Hofman, RTPO Planner at [email protected].
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RTPO Overview, Call for Projects, & SCORP
For an overview presentation of the RTPO's structure, responsibilities and upcoming projects, click HERE
For an overview presentation of the upcoming call for projects and funding opportunities, click HERE
And for an overview of the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) and how it pertains to transportation, click HERE
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Rural Development Innovation Center |
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"The Rural Development Innovation Center is hard-wired into USDA’s customer-driven approach in helping communities achieve prosperity across rural America. The Center applies cutting-edge techniques to provide innovative products and services to its rural customers."
Subscribe to Innovation Matters, a biweekly listing of funding and learning opportunities in rural America.
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March 10 and 11, 2021 from 9:00 AM- 12:00 PM
"As the workforce ages, most organizations are looking at fairly large numbers of employees reaching retirement age and leaving the organization. Additional uncertainty around public health and other potentially destabilizing events make it imperative that leaders and teams share information and prepare for an easier transfer of job knowledge and duties."
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March 16 and 21, 2021 from 10:00 AM- 12:00 PM
"Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are computer-based technologies to collect, integrate, analyze, query, model, and visualize geographic data. GIS is widely used to explore the relationships between where features are (location, size, and shape) and what they represent (descriptive information known as attribute data). This course provides an introduction to the concepts, principles, and theories of GIS, with emphasis on the nature of geographic information, data models and structures for storing geographic information, geographic data editing and manipulation, and simple spatial analysis and modeling techniques. Upon completion, students will have the ability to identify geospatial products/applications, conduct typical GIS analyses, and understand the differences between raster and vector data models."
March 24, 2021 from 9:00 AM- 11:00 AM
Course Objectives: After successful completion of the workshop, student can
- Explain compound interest
- Compare and calculate nominal and effective interest rates
- Explain equivalence of cash flows
- Analyze engineering alternatives
- Determine an asset's replacement period
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Mid-Region Council of Governments
809 Copper Avenue, NW, Albuquerque, NM 87012
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