Alamosa moves ahead with recall of DA Alonzo Payne

ALAMOSA City Council took a major step to recall 12th Judicial District Attorney Alonzo Payne Wednesday night when it passed an ordinance allowing the city administration to spend money on the recall effort. 

Councilor Charlie Griego was the lone opposition. 

In other action the city council moved to a public hearing a proposed Downtown Pedestrian Safety Zone.

On the recall of Payne, City Manager Heather Brooks and Chief of Police Ken Anderson recapped their presentation from the March 2 council meeting. It included the city’s reasoning for amending its existing Fair Campaign Practices Act ordinance that would allow Alamosa to spend up to $10,000 to support the recall campaign.The $10,000 includes cash and staff time spent researching or participating in a recall. The agenda item with all the background information can be found here. 

The city does not anticipate spending the entire $10,000. 

Brooks said that “we have information coming to us almost daily.” 

At Wednesday’s meeting the city administration presented some of that new information, including 3 cases of alleged animal cruelty with graphic images –  a horse in Costilla County that was left to die in the mountains; a dog that was ensnared around the midsection; and a puppy mill in Conejos County. The animal abuse and negligence allegations were presented to Payne but  not pursued, according to the city. The photographs and information can be found here. 

Neither Payne nor 12th Judicial District staff attended the meeting. 

The city also claimed  that a recent embezzlement charge filed against former District Attorney Robert Willett was“retaliatory behavior and abuse of power” by Payne. 

The city council’s move will allow city staff to now work on the recall election “up to the point of the certification of signatures.”

The recall campaign needs a minimum 5,000 signatures  of registered voters from across the six-county 12th Judicial District before it can be submitted to the Colorado Secretary of State’s office.  Before signatures are collected, volunteers must be found and the specific language used on the petitions drafted before it can be certified. Once certified, petition circulation will be addressed. “We want it to come from across the Valley,” said Brooks. 

Updates will be provided at every upcoming city council meeting. The city has also added a section to their website, that will be updated regularly. 

Saguache County Sheriff Dan Warwick and Alamosa County Commissioner Vern Heersink were in attendance, while Costilla County Sheriff Danny Sanchez attended via Zoom. 

Pedestrian Safety Zones 

City of Alamosa Development Services Director Rachel Baird presented on first reading the new implementation of a proposed speed enforcement zone that would double fines for speeding along Main Street. She called it a two-prong enforcement. 

The Main Street Planning Commission has expressed concern about speeding along Main Street. Baird said that at every meeting this is always the largest topic of discussion. 

More community outreach and signage along Main Street would be placed in order to clearly advertise the enforcement of speeding and doubled fines within that zone. Alamosa is also installing pedestrian beacon crossing signals to help with pedestrian safety.

A public hearing is set for April 6.