sa国际传媒官网网页入口

It may be November, with wintery conditions setting in, but one city councilor鈥檚 mind is on mandating cooling units across the city of sa国际传媒官网网页入口.

Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn is introducing a bill to amend the city鈥檚 uniform housing code, which would require landlords to provide adequate cooling to all units.

鈥淭his is a really simple bill. We鈥檙e just adding cooling to the list of basic necessities in a rental structure,鈥� Fiebelkorn said on Friday. 鈥淲e want to make sure that everybody in our community has certain basic amenities in the house or the apartment that they鈥檙e living in, and we did not have cooling on that list, and we need to add it.鈥�

The proposed amendments would require every unit to have cooling facilities that maintain a room temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.

New Mexico鈥檚 tenant rights require landlords to provide heating but do not explicitly require landlords to provide cooling.

This isn鈥檛 the first time Fiebelkorn has taken on landlords.

In 2022, she introduced the 鈥淩esidential Tenant Protection Ordinance,鈥� which would have terminated fees for tenants deemed unreasonable. It failed on a 5-4 vote.

She鈥檚 optimistic this new legislation won鈥檛 receive pushback.

鈥淭his is a very narrow bill that does not do anything besides add a requirement for cooling of 80 degrees or less for rental units. And it鈥檚 hard for me to imagine how anyone can oppose that,鈥� Fiebelkorn said.

While empathizing with the need for cooling, Alan LaSeck, the executive director of the sa国际传媒官网网页入口-based Apartment Association of New Mexico, took some issue with the bill.

鈥淲hile we fully recognize the intent behind the proposed ordinance, its implementation will present significant challenges for sa国际传媒官网网页入口. The city鈥檚 unique climate and infrastructure sets it apart from neighboring cities and states, particularly due to the widespread use of evaporative coolers,鈥� LaSeck said. 鈥淢ore than 43% of sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 apartment buildings were constructed before 1980, and many of these units have not been retrofitted with central air conditioning.鈥�

He also said the mandate would complicate things for landlords during the non-summer months.

鈥淲hile we agree that cooling is essential during the hot summer months, transitioning between seasons 鈥� particularly in spring and fall 鈥� would also be difficult for properties relying on evaporative coolers under this mandate,鈥� LaSeck said. 鈥淭he ordinance stipulates that it would take effect just five days after publication by title, which is an impractical timeline for completing the necessary renovations that could take months or years.鈥�

Fiebelkorn said the bill is being introduced because summers are getting hotter and longer. She also said she was putting the bill forward now so if it passes, landlords will have an adequate amount of time to install cooling units before warmer temperatures set in.

鈥渟a国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 summers have become increasingly hotter and longer, with rising temperatures and prolonged heatwaves, creating an emerging need for cooling systems to be required in all rental units,鈥� the bill states.

Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 there were 17 days where the temperature hit 100 degrees or higher in 2023 鈥� the highest number in 35 years. In 2024, there were at least five days where the temperature hit 100 degrees or higher.

The bill says 鈥渆xtreme heat can cause serious health issues, including heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and other heat-related illnesses, especially affecting vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, and individuals with underlying health concerns.鈥�

In an email Friday morning to constituents announcing the bill, Fiebelkorn鈥檚 office said, 鈥淭he impacts of climate change are becoming more and more pronounced in the summer with higher temperatures, urban heat island impacts that raise nighttime temperatures, and higher temperatures continuing late into the fall season.鈥�

The bill will be added to the letter of introduction on Monday.