During their regular meeting Monday, the Bayard City Council voted to continue Police Chief Cornel Stemley’s paid administrative leave, rescinded employment offers to two potential police officers and heard an update report from the Stantec Engineering firm on various road improvement projects. Additionally, a request to use the Bayard Little League field this weekend was denied. Shortly after calling the meeting to order, the council excused themselves to a back …
While new Police Chief Cornel Stemley outlined how he hopes to restructure the Bayard Police Department during a City Council work session Monday evening, Bayard councilors were quick to question several aspects of his plan. Their primary pushback centered around one urgently repeated phrase: “We want to see boots on the ground.” Stemley, who spent the last several years of his career working as a justice studies professor, spoke at …
By HANNAH DUMAS Daily Press Staff Two new members of the Bayard City Council made their presence felt at the council’s regular meeting Monday afternoon, forcing 2-2 splits on several votes and tie-breakers cast by Mayor Chon Fierro. The council revisited a tabled motion from the last meeting about a potential time change for council meetings. While new Councilors Jose Diaz and Frances Gonzales pushed for meeting times to change …
After several canceled meetings, the Bayard City Council met again Monday at the Bayard Community Center for the first time in more than a month and a half. While the meeting was mostly dominated by resident comments and concerns, Clerk-Treasurer Kristina Ortiz also gave notice of a “fraud incident” the city fell victim to earlier this year and provided long-awaited clarification regarding a money order that former Chief of Police …