HOUSE MEMORIAL 90

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2014

INTRODUCED BY

Antonio "Moe" Maestas

A MEMORIAL

RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF GENERAL AVIATION AND SMALL-TOWN AIRPORTS TO ECONOMIC GROWTH; REQUESTING A BUSINESS IMPACT STUDY.

     WHEREAS, promoting economic growth and business diversity in the small to medium-sized towns around New Mexico is critical to building a balanced, dynamic state economy; and

     WHEREAS, nationally, businesses that are seeking to locate to small and medium-sized towns analyze locations for how accessible they are for business travel and product movement as a threshold element in their planning; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico's abundant open air space and generally good weather are strong selling points to attract aerospace research and development firms; and

     WHEREAS, the department of transportation's aviation division estimates that New Mexico's airports have a backlog of over seven hundred million dollars ($700,000,000) in capital improvement or renovation needs; and

     WHEREAS, the annual budget available to address the infrastructure needs at New Mexico's airports is approximately twenty-six million dollars ($26,000,000); and

     WHEREAS, the department of transportation's aviation division is poised to conduct the update of the state aviation system plan, which it does every five years; and

     WHEREAS, in the past, the state aviation system plan has not included an evaluation of how business or tourism sectors are affected by the conditions of New Mexico's airports and the facilities and amenities that these airports may need;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the department of transportation's aviation division be requested to include an evaluation of how the business climate for New Mexico is affected overall by the condition of and services provided by New Mexico's airports; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department of transportation's aviation division, the economic development department and the tourism department jointly review the facilities and services provided by New Mexico's airports and provide a report by October 1, 2014 to the appropriate interim legislative committee with recommendations regarding needed investments in New Mexico's airports that would have the greatest impact on improving the business and tourism environment in New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the director of the aviation division of the department of transportation, the secretary of economic development, the secretary of tourism and the co-chairs of the New Mexico legislative council.

- 3 -