The City of Bayard Council Meeting on April 9, 2018 began at 2 p.m. after a work session that was approximately 30 minutes long. Councilors Zeke Santa Maria, Eloy Medina, and Adrian Ortiz, Mayor Pro Tem Raul Villanueva, and Mayor Chon Fierro attended.

Our Lady of Fatima is planning a Fiesta September 8-10, including a parade on the 10th. Ortiz said organizations seeking parade help need to submit a letter to council asking for permission for road closures. When council receives the letter, they members can vote on the request and a parade permit form will be issued to the party. Then appropriate departments will know council has approved the event and they can act accordingly.

Council approved the attendance of Judy Diaz and Willy Kerin to the Law Enforcement Coordinator’s Symposium in Albuquerque and the attendance of Kristina Ortiz to the Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan (ICIP) workshop in Deming.

Council also accepted the resignation of Bayard MVD Clerk Samantha Fletcher.

The City of Bayard announced the award of the engineering services for the Wastewater De-watering Project to Trem Engineering. Both Trem Engineering and Smith Engineering submitted bids for the project. Both firms met all requirements but after a five-person rank and review process the bid was ultimately rewarded to Trem.

Council also approved the Joint Powers Agreement for the consolidated Public Safety Answering Point, which is the Central Dispatch system servicing Grant County. The JPA ensures adequate funding for Central Dispatch by having municipalities cover percentages of the total cost.

Resolution 14-2018, the Educational Policy, was also approved by council. The previous policy had a tuition fee cap which was adjusted several times. The new verbiage allows employees to attend up to two courses per semester, with the focus on the course load rather than the tuition cost. “This give the employees an opportunity. Giving back to the employee is important,” said Medina.

Council heard from the Community Partnership for Children and the Grant County Community Foundation. The City of Bayard has confirmed their participation in the Give Grandly event for 2018. Saturday, May 5, 2018, at the Silver City Farmer’s Market non-profit organizations participating in Give Grandly are available to give information and receive donations. Donations are also accepted online. The goal for the event is $500,000 this year.

During mayor and council reports Adrian Ortiz revisited the tee ball field issue of weeds. Since the field is not being used, he would like to see an effort for cleanup. Kristina Ortiz said there are folks working on the tee ball field, but she is unsure what the status is.

Medina reported that he will be attending the housing authority meetings going forward.

Fire Chief Euphemio Gonzalez asked the council to consider taking action regarding fireworks. Since it has been such a dry year, the fire department would like to see people being extra cautious. Ortiz said the council will review the governor’s statement to make sure they make a decision in the appropriate timeframe, so Bayard can have a safe Fourth of July.

Fierro said he recognized quite a few people on his first day in office, but he forgot to mention the great work Vernon Cravens does for the city. Fierro also thanked members of the press for showing up, even if meeting were shorter than the drive.

Kristina Ortiz reported on the re-addressing of the city. At this time, they are unsure which numbering system they will employ, but they want to inform the public that change is on the way. Ortiz asked the community for help, “We will need copies of any major utilities and landlines. This will make the process of change easier for residents.” The city will be making files for distribution to all utilities, the post office, 911, and the treasurer’s office. Residents would only be responsible for changing their addresses on personal business, including banking.

Santa Maria expressed concerns about vacant buildings. Fierro said they are reviewing the process with the attorney to see what they can do. Ortiz said part of the re-addressing project is recording the GPS location, and they can account for conditions.

The next meeting for the City of Bayard Council happens Monday April 23, 2018, at 2 p.m. following a short work session. The public is invited to attend.