By Hallie Richwine

The City of Bayard Council Meeting on March 26, 2018 began at 2 p.m. after a work session that was approximately 30 minutes long. Councilors Zeke Santa Maria and Eloy Medina, Mayor Pro Tem Raul Villanueva, and Mayor Chon Fierro attended.

Councilors heard from David Wilguess regarding the road conditions on North East, North Foy, and Alta Vista. Wilguess said the roads are dangerous and too narrow. They were graded in the past but now they are only easily passable by four-wheel drive vehicles. Drainage issues complicate any easy fixes. Wilguess said an ambulance has gotten stuck before and he believes a fire truck would not be able to get through either. Wilguess would like the council to see if anything can be done to repair the roads. Council received a petition from property owners and residents.

“My concern is that emergency services are unable to get there,” said Medina.

The city of Bayard will contact the county to see if they can help grading and sloping the roads.

With the beginning of the 2018 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Clerk Treasurer Kristina Ortiz asked council for approval to proceed with the application process. The streets in question are Maple and East Elm, and the city already has funds set aside for the design. A request for survey approval has also been submitted. Council approved the application process unanimously.

Another property experiencing erosion difficulty is Lalo’s Copper Clipper on Tom Foy Boulevard. They have drainage issues and flooding of the barber shop. Water comes off the highway but that is private property. “Dirt work could be done on the side to set the flow of the water into the alleyway,” said Ortiz, “but this is not considered a flood issue, just drainage. All that water runoff has to be taken care of by the property owners.”

Fierro said he sees the problem also, “It (the water) comes from the church, goes off the union hall, then past Lopez and into Buttermilk’s,” he said. The city will talk to the Department of Transportation and verify responsibility.

Next, Villanueva wanted to open discussion about the Joint Power Agreement for the shared Public Safety Access Point (PSAP) in the area, the Central Dispatch. In the past funding came from gross receipts and any remaining funds needed came from Grant County and the Town of Silver City. It has been proposed that going forward the finances are divided among all who use the PSAP, including Bayard, Hurley, Santa Clara, Western New Mexico University, and Silver City.

“Last year we gave $8,000 but that was a one-time allocation,” said Fierro, whose concern was the amount Bayard would be slated to pay.

Bayard would be responsible for 5% of the cost, roughly $6,400. Council was asked to review the proposal for future review.

Council approved an Intent to Adopt a franchise ordinance with Western New Mexico Communications and updated their CDBG resolutions for the year. Council also approved the Fair Housing Proclamation for 2018.

Villanueva reported the little league season kicked off and everything went smoothly. They were very appreciative of the help the city provided for maintenance.

Santa Maria reported stepping down from his position as president of the library board, but he remains on the board as a trustee.

The next meeting for the City of Bayard Council happens Monday, April 9, 2018, at 2 p.m. following a short work session. The public is invited to attend.