Public Notice Regarding B – Town Bike Rally

The administrative leadership of the City of Belen is informing all that due to safety concerns, the upcoming B-Town Bike Rally that was scheduled is not approved by the City and the permit has been denied.

It has been determed that there will be significant challenges that pose a threat to public safety. As the leadership of this City, our utmost priority is the safety of all citizens. We have made this decision keeping in mind the risk factors involved for both praticipants and residents and after consulting with other public safety entities in Valencia County, neighboring counties, and statewide.

Please read the full statement below.

The administrative leadership of the City of Belen is informing all that due to safety concerns, the upcoming B- Town Bike Rally that was scheduled is not approved by the City. The permit has been denied.
It has been determined that there will be significant challenges that pose a threat to public safety. We have considered factors such as the number of participants, the potential risks associated with the event and the number of resources needed to manage an event of this type safely and effectively due to recent events in NM and surrounding states.
As the leadership of this city, our utmost priority is the safety of all citizens. We have made this decision keeping in mind the risk factors involved for both the participants and the residents of the area. Given the complexity of the event, and after consulting with the other public safety entities in Valencia County, neighboring counties and Statewide. We feel that the current situation poses a significant, clear and present danger and could compromise the safety of everyone involved.
We have also taken into considerations the precedent set by other municipalities within New Mexico who have found these rallies to pose significant risks and have cancelled similar events.
We understand that this may be disappointing news to participants who were eagerly looking forward to the event.
However, we urge you to understand that this decision was not taken lightly, and it is necessary to ensure public safety.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in this matter.
James C. Harris Roseann Peralta Charles Cox
Chief of Police City Manager Fire Chief