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Published: 18 August 2017 18 August 2017

Grant County Commission at work session 081517 reviews agenda for regular meeting 081717

Editor's Note: This article will combine comments and agenda items of the two meetings. This is part one of a multi-part series.

img 3607HMS Chief Executive Officer Dan Otero, second from right, receives proclamation declaring Aug. 12-19, 2017 as National Health Center Week. From left are commissioners Gabriel Ramos, Alicia Edwards, Brett Kasten, Billy Billings and Harry Browne.

Photo and article by Mary Alice Murphy

At the Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017, meeting of the Grant County Commission, the members reviewed the agenda for the regular session to take place Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017.

The first item of business was the expenditure report. In the absence of Financial Officer Linda Vasquez, Randy Hernandez of Accounts Receivable, gave the report. The reports for the past month, ending Aug. 9, 2017, had expenditures totaling $2,399,213.60, which included two payroll periods with a total of $447,396.75.

Expenditures over $10,000 included $55,791.07 to Southwest Solid Waste Authority for June 2017 tipping fees; $16,546 to Artesia Fire Equipment for eight sets of bunker gear for Pinos Altos Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department; $101,959.41 for oil for road special projects; $109,519.34 for progress billing for the LS Mesa Fire Station; $59,702.40 to White Sands Construction for progress billing for the Tu Casa facility; $27,670.90 to HCP Systems for June and July 2017 medical management services at the Detention Center; $13,203.67 to Innova Emergency Medical Associates for inmate medical billing at the emergency room; $25,613.03 to Wright Express Fleet Services for June 2017 fuel charges; $$16,500 to the High Desert Humane Society for the April-June 2017 animal control services; $12,118.71 to the Silver City-Grant County Chamber of Commerce for July and August Conference Center management fees; $16,997.59 to SWCA Environmental Consultants for the cultural and biological services for the Mangas Creek low-water crossing; $18,000 to New Mexico Association of Counties participation feew for fiscal year 2018; $43,239.64 to Bob Turner Ford Country for a 2017 Ford F-150 with equipment for Stonegarden grant, which is fully reimbursable; $16, 252.07 to Ascent Aviation for July 2017 jet fuel and Aug. 2018 refueler lease; $30,000 to Corre Caminos for the fiscal year cash match paid from DWI funds; $47,323 to Hidalgo Medical Services for the Senior Program advisory fund transfer; $52,244.27 to Tyler Technologies for 2017/2018 Eagle Assessor and Treasurer software renewals; and $14,300.21 to Morrow Enterprises for the final billing on North Hurley Road Colonias project.

County Manager Charlene Webb explained that the transfer to HMS was one of the last transfers for HMS to take over the senior centers in the county.

The report was given only once at the work session. Discussion at a prior meeting had come to the consensus that once a month was sufficient.

Commissioner Gabriel Ramos asked if local vendors would be able to bid on vehicles for the county, including for the Sheriff's Department. Webb said the local vendors could not provide the particular vehicle mentioned in the report, but that local dealerships were applying to be able to provide similar vehicles.

Commissioner Harry Browne asked about a $24,000 item for documents in the long report that was not listed in the extraordinary expenses. Hernandez explained it had been in a previous report before the end of the fiscal year, but the vendor had never received the payment, so the county had to void the expenditure and reissue the check.

Commissioner Alicia Edwards said she thought the cost for Tyler Technologies was excessive.

Commissioners considered a proclamation declaring Aug. 12-19, 2017 as National Health Center Week. Browne commented he was glad they would approve it, as it had been celebrated at HMS the previous evening.

At the regular meeting, after approval of the proclamation, Hidalgo Medical Services Chief Executive Officer Dan Otero received the proclamation and said he is an advocate for the proclamation. "We received the proclamation in Lordsburg and in Silver City. We began our celebration in the two towns on Monday. In the evening in Silver City, we had U.S. Congressman Steve Pearce present to share his support for our efforts. We also saw two videos from U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and read written statements from U.S. Reps. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Ben Ray Lujan. New Mexico Rep. Rebecca Dow was also in attendance and spoke. Without HMS, many would not have accessibility to health care. We bring federal funding into the community. We are happy to collaborate with Gila Regional Medical Center and the Independent Physicians Association."

At the regular meeting commissioners approved an audio-visual system for the Conference Center for a cost of $108,000. Webb said the equipment would be used in the large event room and the small event room and would include a building-wide paging system. "The funding comes out of the gross receipts tax bond fund that can be used only for the Courthouse, Tu Casa and the Business and Conference Center."

Commission Chairman Brett Kasten said the county was getting close to having expended all the funding.

"We have about $300,000 left, but we still have Tu Casa to complete, and we have boiler and roof issues at the courthouse," Webb said. "The bond issued was for $6.2 million."

Kasten emphasized the funding is not recurring and must be used only for the three specific projects.

Browne said he would like to compliment Jacob Zamora for helping him figure out why a duplex receptacle cost so much. "He called and found out it includes the installation and pulling cable."

Under agreements, Community Development and Planning Director Michael "Mischa" Larisch explained the first agreement is with Energy Control Inc./Opterra Energy Services for an investment grade energy audit and project proposal. "This is the actual agreement to do the energy audit."

Webb said the County Attorney Abigail Robinson had reviewed the agreement and made some changes.

Larisch confirmed Browne's comment that the agreement does not obligate the county to pay anything if there is no purchase.

The item was skipped at the regular meeting to be looked at again in September.

The next agreement under consideration at the regular meeting was to be the amended joint powers agreement of the New Mexico Central Arizona Project with the Interstate Stream Commission.

Browne said he had heard that Luna County had passed the JPA, but the commissioners believed that if they did not pass it, they would no longer be members of the entity. "That is not the case."

[Editor's Note: The public comments and discussion at the regular meeting will be covered in a separate article.]

A memorandum of understanding between the county and Western New Mexico University will have WNMU paying about $65,000 for half the Conference Center digital sign plus gross receipts tax and the county paying for half, plus the Ace Hardware portion of the sign.

Browne commented that he thought the sign needed a cap and it would be better not to give the university a lifetime benefit from the sign. Webb said that whatever is going on at the Conference Center or at WNMU will be on the sign, the same as Western has on its digital sign.

Kasten suggested a mutual agreement with Silver City, Western and the county. Webb said the county is controlling the use of the sign.

Browne said he didn't want to depend on good faith. Edwards suggested an agreement among the three that would supersede item No. 3 in the agreement.

"We will work on a three-part agreement with much tighter language," Webb replied.

During the discussion on the digital sign for the Grant County Veterans Memorial Business and Conference Center, Edwards asked for clarification and got it that the funding for this expenditure was also part of the bond that could be used only for the three projects, "with the addition that WNMU will pay for part of the sign." Commissioners approved the expenditure at the regular meeting.

The next item addressed a grant agreement with the Department of Finance and Administration Local Government Division for the state of New Mexico Enhanced 911 Act grant program. It funds the public safety answering point in Grant County, which also provides E-911 services to the county, including related reimbursements for travel, training and geographic information system software and hardware. The grant is for $167,029.

The fifth amendment to the agreement with Summit Food Service LLC, which provides the prisoner food service contract for the Detention Center, shows the annual increase in the per meal cost. Edwards asked how often the county goes out to RFP for the service. Webb said a contract can go for up to eight years, but the county can go out to RFP at any time. "The Detention Center has been happy with the service." It was approved at the regular meeting.

Commissioners approved at the regular meeting the annual agreement with Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments to provide services to Grant County, which is a member. Webb said at the work session that the Executive Director Priscilla Lucero is "a huge asset to the community."

At the regular meeting, Ramos thanked Lucero, who was in attendance, "for the multimillions you bring to Grant County."

"I couldn't be more proud to work with the local organizations," Lucero said. "We continue to struggle with budget constraints. I have been 30 years with the COG."

Commissioner Billy Billings also said thank you to Lucero.

Edwards noted that it is not just local governments that Lucero assists. "She is also invaluable to the non-profit community. When I was executive director of The Volunteer Center and we were trying to get The Commons constructed, "we ran into a barrier, and you made it happen," she said to Lucero.

An agreement with ONSOLVE to provide Code Red, also known as Reverse 911, was approved at the regular meeting.

At the work session, Emergency Manager Gilbert Helton explained that all the communities, including Grant County, Silver City, Santa Clara, Bayard and Hurley, participate in the funding proportionally by population. "Our total is $6,000. If there are floods, fires, evacuation orders, inmate escapes, the areas impacted are called by phone and text message."

Edwards asked: "So if I get a call, how to I get directions for what to do?"

Webb said, if it were a fire, residents would be told to evacuate to the Conference Center or to wherever, for example.

Helton said the system could be utilized by the incident commander, the sheriff or Randy Villa, General Services director.

"Code Red is managed by Central Dispatch, but any incident manager can request it," Helton continued. "Central Dispatch can send the message to a specific area."

Kasten said it "was a really big deal after the Quail Ridge Fire,"

Villa said it also eliminates an overload of calls to Central Dispatch.

Kasten said continuing education is needed for people to sign up for it, in order to utilize it.

"All of our local drills include Code Red," Helton said. "Those who can send the messages are well educated. Yes, the municipal fire departments are educated. We will do an education program to get everyone to opt in."

Browne asked if there were any way to tie Code Red into the flood advisories that he gets on his cell phone.

"We can do that," Helton said. "I will explore it after this MOU is approved."

Browne said he would support the effort.

Helton said he has held several drills and would head next to Gila Regional Medical Center to plan its next drill.

Commissioners at the regular session approved a consent agreement to finance and purchase motor graders through Caterpillar Financial Services Corp.

Webb said the agreement is for Road Department blades. "It allows us to trade in our old blades and purchase news ones for the next five years. It's a two-part process, we are purchasing new ones and selling the old ones back. It also uses non-recurring funds set aside by the county for the purpose. The different costs reflect the trade in value of the ones replaced."

Browne noted it was an essential county service, but asked if the funding could be used for anything else. Kasten said, "No, by our choice."

The next item approved by the commissioners addressed the purchase of a county-owned backhoe to replace the one stolen from the Tu Casa site. Road Department Supervisor Earl Moore said the new one would have a tracker on it that would call his phone if it moved. "The new graders will also have GPS trackers on them."

Ramos said he would like to see GPS on all the county-owned vehicles.

Webb said it was on all the Maintenance Department vehicles. Moore said the blades "tell me the idle time, the mileage and how long it was used."

Browne said he was glad to see the insurance had covered all but $21,000 of the new backhoe purchase. Kasten said, as it wasn't a new backhoe, "we had probably used it for $21,000 worth."

Under resolutions a considerable amount of back and forth occurred on the Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan. Larisch noted that he had to submit it to the state by Sept. 1, and the ICIPs for the two senior centers owned by the county by Sept. 15.

Larisch said the Courthouse needs roof repairs and Jason Lockett had gotten estimates in care the decking needed replacement. If it doesn't, the requested amounts would decrease.

Kasten said only the top three are eligible for capital outlay and the top five items on the list for grants.

Ramos requested the water storage of effluent from the Bayard Regional Water Treatment Plant be move up from eighth. "Santa Clara is putting in $100,000 for a study, so I would like to see it move up," because the project had not received any funding from the Arizona Water Settlements Act New Mexico Unit Fund.

Webb also noted that if the item was not in the top three and received capital outlay, the governor would veto it.

Edwards said she thought the renovations for the Courthouse, including the roof, were part of the bond fund. Webb explained they were, but not enough if the decking needs to be replaced. "I don't want to short Tu Casa."

Ramos said the reason why he wants to move the effluent water storage up, is because every day "we are sending 98 percent purified water to the tailings, where it is being polluted. I think it's a sin to send purified water to be contaminated again."

The item No. 4 on the list was repairs to the Administration Center parking lot. Webb said a Boy Scout Troop had done the striping to help one of their members attain his Eagle Scout award. Webb said the county has had workman's comp claims and complaints from residents from falling into the cracks of the parking lot. "That's why it's high on the list." Moore said the Road Department did not have the capacity to redo it.

After Billings said he didn't see a quick resolution to the disagreement, Kasten said: "If we wish to amend it, we will do it on Thursday."

At the regular meeting, Ramos made the motion to switch the parking lot down and move the water storage up to fourth. "We are simply trading the parking lot for the water storage."

Browne asked how much was needed for water storage

Ramos said he had asked for $750,000 in 2019, and Webb said that includes all sources of funding from state, local and federal funds. Browne asked if capital outlay comes only if all sources of funding are identified. Webb said, no, that capital outlay gets the county into the possibility of phasing a project. Ramos said capital outlay could be used to leverage other funding sources, as a match.

Lucero said the ICIP is most important for capital outlay, and "we have the ability in the ICIP to look for other funding sources. The ICIP is a planning tool, not a funding tool. We can use capital outlay to leverage, but not state funding to match other state funding or federal funding with other federal funding."

Browne said he was assuming no capital outlay would be available at the next legislative session.

Kasten said it was always hard to predict. "When things were going really great, we would get half a million." Lucero said the average is probably about $100,000 for capital outlay. Browne said then, "the ICIP is largely symbolic."

Ramos said Santa Clara Mayor Richard Bauch told him the planning was almost complete, "so we could go directly to the ISC and ask for the funding."

Brown said he doesn't have an in depth knowledge of the process. "Will we be undermining citizen participation?"

"I don't think so," Lucero said. "We have a public input hearing process for the ICIP. If the county is going to apply for other funding sources, many also call for public input. You do have the authority to change the ICIP by resolution. In case of an emergency, what I do is take the amendment of the ICIP and educate the legislators."

Larisch said he had the highest attendance for the ICIP hearings at Hachita and in Mimbres, "where mostly I heard the county is doing a great job. I did get some input from the commissioners."

Ramos said 600,000 gallons of treated water is daily going into the tailings and being contaminated. "That is 219 million gallons a year. I don't want the treated water to be contaminated. I think it is one of the biggest needs. I feel we need to work to put the water into Twin Sisters or into a reservoir and create a water bubble for Santa Clara and Bayard."

After Larisch confirmed that the change was only to switch the spots, commissioners approved the amendment and in a separate motion the full ICIP.

During the regular meeting, a recess was called for at this point. The next article will begin with the next agenda item.