Las Cruces Utilities to open new customer service center on East Mesa

Courtesy photo
LCU employees Jeanette Morris, Joe Padilla, and Estela Sauceda pore over the diagram of the construction changes at the building that will become the new LCU East Mesa Customer Service Center on Bataan Memorial West. By mid-May customers can come by the new East Mesa office, near Mesa Grande Avenue, to pay their utility bill or start utility services. For the Bulletin Coming in May, a new customer service center will open to provide services for an estimated 10,000 Las Cruces Utilities (LCU) customers living on the city’s East Mesa. As a result, out near Mesa Grande Drive, a small cheerful yellow building with lots of parking is getting a modest renovation. New blue-grey commercial quality carpet is going in and the interior lemon-colored paint still smells fresh. Add office furniture, computers, phones, and LCU Customer Service staff, and that empty building will be transformed into a new center to provide all the utility services area residents access who now drive to city hall. They will be able to set up new gas, water, wastewater, and solid waste service connections, pay bills, ask for billing assistance, and get account information. “We hope this office will provide convenience to the residents on the East Mesa, especially those previously served by Jornada Water and Mesa Development Center,” explains Estela Sauceda, LCU customer service supervisor, who toured the new location with Joe Padilla, senior collections representative, and Jeanette Morris, customer service representative. Five LCU customer service representatives will move from city hall to the new location at 5195 Bataan Memorial West to help provide the same services currently available at the downtown location. “We’re excited to branch out to this side of town,” said Sauceda. “Customers can more easily get assistance and drop off their payments closer to home.” Sauceda says, “The new East Mesa Customer Service Center is considering having slightly different hours than their city hall location to better accommodate the public. The hours of operation options are either opening early or closing late.” For now, the East Mesa Customer Service Center will begin with a 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. schedule. Operating hours will be evaluated and revised based on customer input and convenience. Sauceda welcomes customer input and encourages feedback regarding hours by emailing her directly at esauceda@las-cruces.org. The new location has a one-year lease with a four-year extension and room for growth, with a backroom that employees can expand into if needed. Now, the wait is on for office furniture and to figure out who gets the desk with the view of the glorious Organ Mountains. Las Cruces Utilities provides gas, water, wastewater and solid waste services to approximately 100,000 Las Cruces residents and businesses. Reach them at 575-528-3500 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.