[Editor's Note: This is the final of a five-part series of articles covering the Grant County Commission work sessions on Tuesday, Aug. 14, and regular meeting on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

After the presentation on the proposed flyovers for training Air Force pilots over the Gila, which can be read at http://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/46044-grant-county-commissioners-hear-presentation-on-air-force-proposal-to-train-over-the-gila-081418 , commissioners reviewed the regular session agenda for Thursday.

The first report, the monthly expenditures report, was read by Randy Hernandez, in the absence of Financial Officer Linda Vasquez. For the period ending Aug. 10, 2018, expenditures totaled $2,040,739.42, which included two payroll periods totaling $426,457.54. Expenditures exceeding $10,000 each are listed in the graph below.

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Commissioner Harry Browne said the workman's comp figure is "stunning. Has our risk rating been improving?"

County Manager Charlene Webb said the amount has actually decreased. "If we continue implementation of the Risk Awareness Program, it will continue to reduce our costs."

At the regular session on Thursday, Aug. 16, commissioners approved the expenditure report.

The next item was to discuss amendment No. 1 to an agreement with the state of New Mexico Children Youth and Families Department for the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee. Webb asked to remove the JPPO language, because the county will oversee only the JJAC position. She explained that Bianca Padilla had vacated the position and CYFD was not going to fill it. "In order for us to be in compliance with the grant we received, this will allow us to hire or contract someone with a 20 percent increase, so we can move forward with the program."

Commissioner Alicia Edwards asked to confirm that "what we're doing is filling the JJAC position."

"Yes," Webb said. "CYFD will likely fill the JPPO position that Padilla was also doing."

Commissioners at the regular meeting approved the item without discussion.

Approved at the regular meeting was a professional services agreement between Grant County and the Juvenile Probation Office for two contractors: Gary Stailey and James Graham.

The next item on the agenda was the bargaining contract, which Webb asked to remove and place on the September agenda. "We are 13 months into it. It is back in the hands of the members, and we expect to hear from them soon. We are still negotiating some terms they were not in favor of. The cost-of-living-adjustment also has to be negotiated."

Edwards said: "We thought we had an agreement, and we didn't?" Webb replied: "Correct."

Also removed at the work session was an item from the Detention Center addressing the special inmates policy and procedure to process inmate correspondence, publications and packages. "The Detention Center staff has to do some review and clarification. We want to make sure we are in compliance with the state on inmate correspondence," Webb said.

At the work session, commissioners discussed the authorization for the county to purchase five lots in Hachita from Western New Mexico University for Tyrone Volunteer Fire Department to construct a fire station in Hachita.

Browne said he was under the impression that Hachita was served by an interagency contract between Grant and Hidalgo and Luna counties.

General Service Director Randy Villa replied: "Yes, at one time it was served by Hidalgo County, but once Playas closed, they asked Grant County to take it over. We are currently leasing a property from the New Mexico Department of Transportation to house our equipment."

Villa explained that the county no longer has a mutual aid agreement. "The state fire department feels Hachita should be on its own. Meeting with Hachita, we have determined that Hachita wants the service to continue with us for accidents and wildland fires."

Commissioner Gabriel Ramos asked if Hachita had enough people to man a volunteer fire station.

"Yes, we are working on getting people certified for firefighting and for first responders," Villa said. "Yes, there are enough."

Planner and Community Development Director Michael "Mischa" Larisch noted that since the last meeting with the people in Hachita, two new members have signed on.

"We will make sure we do our due diligence to make sure they have enough volunteers," Webb said.

Commissioners approved the purchase at the regular meeting.

Larisch said he had sent the commissioners the ICIP (Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan).

Webb explained the priorities. No. 1 is for public safety, with a request for $120,000 each year to replace Sheriff's Department vehicles. No. 2 is one request for fiscal year 2020 for $232,000 to repave the Grant County Administration Center parking lot. No. 3 is for replacement of the GCAC roof for $393,000 in 2020. No. 4 is airport runway construction for more than $17.3 million total over several years. No. 5 is for $616,000 for a new airport terminal.

"In order to request capital outlay, the amount has to be small enough to get capital outlay and pair it with other funding," Webb said. "That's the reasoning for the top three items. No. 1 is a continuing need. No. 2 is to prevent falls that have happened in the parking lot. No. 3 is the roof needs replacing. We also need airport items in the top five. We are trying to put together a tool to explore funding sources."

Ramos noted that he would like to see completion of the front of the administration center building. "We need to get it done."

"It's something we've identified for the bond issue," Webb said. "Stuccoing in conjunction with a new roof, so it's our goal, too."

Browne asked about the courthouse roof, which ranks as No. 10 on the list. "Is our roof a case of liability greater than that at the courthouse?"

Webb explained that the bond that was used for Tu Casa, the Grant County Veterans Memorial Business and Conference Center has some money in it. "And we are waiting for reimbursements to complete the courthouse roof."

Commissioner Brett Kasten explained that in the top three have to be items that could quality for legislative capital outlay appropriations. "I think it's a smart way they have laid out the priorities."

The ICIP was approved at the regular meeting.

The next item, which received no comments, was reviewed at the work session and approved at the regular session to adopt the required community development block grant (CDBG) annual certifications and commitments.

A resolution authorized the execution and delivery of a colonias infrastructure project fund loan/grant agreement by and among the New Mexico Colonias Infrastructure Board, the New Mexico Finance Authority and Grant County to finance the costs of Rosedale Road Phase II reconstruction and safety improvements in the amount of $1,078,810.

"We are required to take a loan of 10 percent," Webb said. "We will make the local match with use of Road Department equipment."

Commissioners approved it at the regular meeting.

The next resolution was required by the New Mexico State Transportation Commission in order for the county to designate certain specific portions of the state highway system as a designated ROV (recreational off-highway vehicles) route.

Larisch said the commissioners had approved the letter to the transportation commission at the previous meeting. "The commission's counsel said it had to be in resolution form. He also asked me to remove the word approximate and to specify the mile markers."

Commissioners approved the resolution at the regular meeting.

The next agenda item elicited discussion at the work session, as well as at the regular session and was covered in a previous article at http://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/46092-grant-county-commissioners-discuss-the-county-response-to-proposed-f-16-training-flights-over-the-gila-0814-and-081618-part-4 . It concerns the response to the Air Force expansion over the Gila for Holloman Air Force Base F-16 training.

Webb said the county had recommended awards for archaeological and environmental consulting contracts but was still evaluating the engineering bids.

The archaeological and environmental consulting bids were awarded to SWCA Inc., at the regular meeting. Webb recommended the engineering bid be tabled to the September meeting.

At the work session, Road Superintendent Earl Moore recommended the bid for asphalt surface on Cottage San Road be awarded to Southwest Concrete and Paving for $186,432. "We will put a two-inch overlay on top. It is a Local Government Road Fund project. It runs from the city limits to near the Silver Nickle trailer park."

County reports began with Detention Center Administrator Mike Carillo. "We have eight vacancies, but several applicants. We are anticipating NARCAN training and will provide it also for all county agencies and those from other areas. The Tu Casa (substance abuse treatment facility) Advisory Committee met. I also met with Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico to address medications for inmates, as well as changes in Medicaid benefits."

The average daily population of the facility was 76, with high male population at 61, high female population at 15. "We had overall eight less than last month, with one inmate being held for Hidalgo County."

Moore said his personnel were addressing flood damage to roads. "There's nothing too severe. We'll be doing a day or two of patching each week."

Edwards thanked Moore for staying on top of Fleming Tank Road.

Moore said: "On the bond issue, I would like comments on improving dirt roads."

Villa reported the Forest Service no longer had airplanes at the Grant County Airport to fight fires. "From June of 2017 to now we sold 192,000 gallons of jet A fuel and $139,000 worth of fuel for commercial, private and military."

He said the maintenance side of things was running smoothly. He reported some flooding at the courthouse, as well as at the airport pilots' lounge and terminal. "The maintenance guys are working hard. I would like to thank the manager's officer for taking over scheduling. I think it's working a lot more efficiently."

"On the fire side of things, it's pretty wet, but we've still had fires near Bayard and south on highway 90," Villa reported. "I did receive a $10,000 grant for fire reduction measures, with a match of $1,000. We'll have a meeting on it in September to start the program and get the information out to the public."

Browne asked if the DOT has notified the county of the essential air service decision. Billings said he had not heard from them since the last time he sent information.

Larisch said the Santa Rita fire station punch list is complete. The asset management plan is still adding items. "As soon as the Rosedale Road resolution is approved, it will put us closer to going out for bid. Whiskey Creek Fire station documents are ready, so we're going out to bid on that. For the Fort Bayard VFD addition, we're trying something different. We're working with Facility Build. If we go out for an architect, they charge about 10 percent of the project. Facility Build will charge 2 percent and they do everything. We're trying them to get the process moving faster and save some money. They've been working for Western and they reached out to us. On the energy project, the scope of work has been determined. Lalleh (Dayeny) of Hilltop Securities is finalizing the documents for the loan, and we should have them next month."

Edwards asked if Facility Build will do all the services

"They will," Larisch said. "They reach out to local contractors. They get all the costs together and when they have all the costs, that is the final cost. No going out to bid or low bid. Everything is a one-package deal."

Edwards said she would really be in favor of it if they use local contractors.

"All we do is the notice of intent," Larisch said. "When we had architectural consultants, when they studied the project and gave us an estimate, we would write them a check for 10 percent of the estimate, whether we went forward with the project or not. With Facility Build, we pay 2 percent if we don't go forward with it. The purchase order will be for the whole project, if we choose to go forward."

Webb reported auditors were in her office and to remind departments if her office is a bit slow, it's because of the auditors needing information. "We got approval on the final budget."

Edwards reported Tu Casa is scheduled to open at 9 a.m. Sept. 10.

Ramos asked if it was time to look at whether the county is paying jail staff enough, with all the vacancies.

"That's the way detention centers go across the state," Webb said. "Sometimes they are fully staffed. We did a pay survey and found we fit into the market trend. We will do an evaluation again this fall. We can reach out to other counties to see how we line up across the state."

At the regular meeting, commissioners, as the Health Care Claims Board approved the claims for $43,050.05.

After reconvening as the Board of County Commissioners they heard a report from Assessor Raul Turrieta, who thanked Webb for working with his office to provide funding for the parcel mapping correction project.

"We got the property valuation," Turrieta reported. "The land valuation is not in compliance and we are working on it. We still need to work on land value. Commercial property should be valued annually. We received a satisfactory rating from the state of New Mexico. On the parcel correction project, the assessor's office and planning met to talk about the process. The planner and IT have set up a scanner. Traci (Burnsed) developed the scope of work. I gave Traci's duties to other employees, so she can concentrate on this project. The first week in September, we will get the tax values. We have the protest board meeting on Sept. 12, but we need to appoint another individual to serve on the board. Can we do that at Monday's special meeting?" It will be on the agenda for the meeting.

Treasurer Steve Armendariz said to date his office has collected 93.04 percent of taxes due. "We have received, just for the county since July $28,000. For all receipts for all entities since July 1, we have collected more than $2 million. We have auditors in our office."

Ramos asked if the special meeting set for Monday, Aug. 20, could start at 8 a.m., because he had another meeting set for 10 a.m. The commissioners agreed.

Billings commended Webb for her cautious budgeting. "We have $1 million more than we expected. It could have been a different story. It's easy to spend money left over, but it's better to be cautious. If the money hadn't come in, we wouldn't be in the good position we're in."

The meeting adjourned.