Title: Experiences of a New Mexico City on Including Public Health & Safety in the Master Plan
Author:
Section/SPIG: Community Health Planning and Policy Development
Issue Date:
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| If you throw a dart at the middle of the straight line part of the border between Texas and NM and hit about 1/8" slightly SW of that line you will be in Roosevelt County. Its largest town is Portale |
Each county in New Mexico is mandated to have a volunteer Health Planning Council. One of the major responsibilities of each Council is to identify the health status of its citizens. This can include, but is not limited to, such issues as: gaps in consumer knowledge about available services; safety issues such as unsafe roads, lack of safe cross-walks, sidewalks, and ADA access compliance; issues involving vacant and unsafe buildings, abandoned vehicles and other heavy equipment; health disparities such as access to health care providers, specialists, uninsurance, and undocumented worker access to health care. Once issues are identified and prioritized, then the Health Council must identify solutions and find resources to help overcome identified problems. This requires coordination and cooperation with other agencies, community based organizations and city and county governmental agencies.
In Spring 2004 the New Mexico city of Portales, Roosevelt County, contracted with an outside firm to evaluate the needs of the city and surrounding county. A “comprehensive work group” was formed to provide input and general assistance with development of a 20-year Comprehensive Plan. Unfortunately, no one in the public health community was included in this work group, nor were they aware that such a work group had been initiated. By November 2004 a draft Comprehensive Plan had been developed. This plan included a tentative timeline for implementation of recommendations. In late November 2004 the Roosevelt County Health Planning Council (RCHPC) became aware of the proposed plan and asked for a copy for review and comment. Fortunately, the period for public comment had not expired, and the RCHPC was able to make useful contributions to the plan.
RCHPC identified the need for a health planning council member to to be part of the comprehensive work group. Among the important public health issues identified by RCHPC are:
- Students of all ages living within one mile of their respective schools must walk to school. Most students, all ages, have to walk on, and cross over busy streets. There are very few cross walks, no pedestrian bridges except one at the University, and very few sidewalks in Portales.
- The elderly have few safe sidewalks to walk on.
- There is no safe way for pedestrians to cross the railroad tracks from one part of town to the main downtown area, the university and the high school.
- There are no safe walking and bike riding paths for city residents to utilize. The inclusion of such would greatly enhance citizen ability to get more exercise thus decreasing their susceptibility to such conditions as obesity and diabetes.
- Big-rig trucks drive through town and park on city streets and in the residential neighborhoods. These big rigs in residential neighborhoods create multiple health and safety issues, as well as causing extensive damage to downtown and residential roadways.
- There are many abandoned and vacant buildings and houses in the Portales and in the county; many of which have abandoned equipment on them. These locations are breeding grounds for disease and pose great risk to public safety, especially for children and animals.
These issues are not unique to the city of Portales or Roosevelt County. The solution is for members of the public health community and other interested citizens to become active members of their County Health Planning Council, attend City and County Planning and Council meetings and become active members of special task forces or work groups. Local newspapers, radio and television stations need to be monitored daily for issues important to the overall health, safety and well being of the community. The public health community needs to have an active voice in identifying and educating local policy makers about the importance of these and related issues and the impact these issues have on the well being of the overall community.
City and County Planning and Council meetings are open to the public. The more who attend, the more seriously policy-makers will consider issues of public health and safety. Interested individuals can get started by requesting a copy of the City or County Comprehensive “Master” plan. Then review it, discuss what it contains and what it does not contain with other public health professionals and make recommendations to benefit the public’s health.
The Master Plan for the city of Portales was expected to be available in late April. At the time the CHPPD newsletter was submitted, RCHPC was trying to get a copy of the plan to see if their input had been reflected in the final recommendations.