Establishing local behavioral health services is among the agenda items the Roswell City Council is scheduled to consider this week. The councilors’ regular monthly meeting begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Chaves County Administrative Complex, 1 St. Mary’s Place, Joseph K. Skeen Building, commission chamber.
LifeHouse Carlsbad Inc., a nonprofit organization that offers similar services in Carlsbad and Eddy County, would provide local opioid abatement and treatment to Roswell and Chaves County from a building at the Roswell Air Center that used to be the New Mexico Department of Health’s Southeast Region operations site.
This agreement follows a decision made in December 2025 by the councilors to use $1.8 million in opioid settlement money for this purpose. It calls for LifeHouse to “establish a full Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic,” the draft agreement states. “This clinic is anticipated to employ approximately 40 people and serve approximately 200-plus people monthly.”
Councilor Cristina Arnold met a representative of LifeHouse about a year ago while attending an out-of-town conference. Arnold talked to the representative and organized a workshop for local officials and stakeholders.
Philip Huston, executive director of LifeHouse Carlsbad Inc., came to Roswell this past July to present an outline about what his organization could bring to Roswell and Chaves County, a region with only minimal care available for those with mental health and substance abuse care needs.
The staff report states that entering into this agreement with LifeHouse “is a prudent way to spend opioid funds in a way that will lead to improved health outcomes for the community.”
Other reasons cited by city management within the staff report contend that having this type of care provider will foster long-term job creation in the medical field and add a Roswell Air Center tenant that would occupy a large building that has “sat vacant for years.”
The opioid money would be used based on settlement rules.
Members of the Roswell Legal Committee recommended in February that the contract between the city and LifeHouse be approved by the councilors.
Industrial Revenue Bond proposal
Property on East Second Street would be the location of a Community Solar Project and is also being considered by city officials for an industrial revenue bond of up to $4.8 million to assist with the construction of this type of alternative energy production site.
Gallagher Solar LLC seeks to build and operate a 2.7-megawatt electric power generation station at 1612 E. Second St., under the New Mexico Community Solar Act.
This program authorizes subscriber-based solar projects in New Mexico and provides residents, businesses and non-profits access to solar energy without having to install rooftop panels and offers 15-20% savings on customers’ utility bills through credits for energy subscriptions by these utility users to these community solar producers.
“The company shall make payments in lieu of taxes to the city and the school districts located within the city as agreed upon by the company and the city, which arrangement shall be as set forth in the transaction documents approved by the bond ordinance,” as stated in the draft resolution, which was recommended by the Roswell Legal Committee, also in February.
The Industrial Revenue Bond Act authorizes New Mexico counties and municipalities to issue revenue bonds to finance industrial or commercial projects. These bonds “encourage economic development by providing property and gross receipts tax exemptions, as the local government holds title to the project during the bond term,” the New Mexico State Legislature explained.
Other items
• Professional design to remodel Roswell Fire Station 2: The Roswell Fire Department is asking for a local contribution that would pay for necessary architectural and engineering design for Fire Station 2 to accommodate female employees as well as modernize the facility to meet current operational standards.
Fire Station 2, at 501 E. McGaffey St., was constructed in 1957.
The project will add “gender-separated sleeping quarters, restroom and shower facilities, locker rooms, and associated support space necessary to provide equitable accommodations for all personnel,” according to the staff report.
Getting started with design work now ensures responsible project planning and positions the city to execute the full $1.5 million remodel project without unnecessary postponement, said Roswell Fire Chief Steve Chavez.
Members of the Roswell Finance Committee recommended approval of the $150,000 from the Public Safety Fund during this meeting this past Thursday.
• Asset management plan: Long-term water and wastewater utilities needs were analyzed by Souder, Miller and Associates. The company studied and made recommendations about the “recommendations for managing the lifecycle costs associated with these assets” and “addresses level(s) of service goals and critical assets” for these services, the report about this plan submitted to the committee explains.
This draft plan was recommended by the Roswell Infrastructure Committee in February.