Print
Category: Front Page News Front Page News
Published: 03 April 2019 03 April 2019

County staff taking great care of taxpayer dollars.

[Editor's Note: This is part eight and final part of a multi-part series of articles on the Grant County Commission work session on March 19, 2019 and regular meeting of March 21, 2019.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

The review of the regular meeting agenda brought work session discussion on several items, which have been covered in previous articles.

An agenda item on the joint-powers agreement among the municipalities and the commission regarding the consolidated public safety answering point (PSAP), known as Dispatch and 911 was discussed at the work session.

At the time of the meeting, the list of those participating included the county of Grant, the town of Silver City, the city of Bayard, the village of Santa Clara, the town of Hurley and Western New Mexico University.

County Manager Charlene Webb said the JPA was approved last year and Dispatch moved to remove Gila Regional Medical Center. "James (Marshall, assistant Silver City manager and former director of Emergency Medical Services at GRMC) and I are ready to go ahead. The hospital's attorney is versed in health-care, but our attorneys are versed in local governments. GRMC's chief executive officer (Taffy Arias) is determined to have GRMC have input at the Dispatch Board. Her attorney wants GRMC to approve the budget. We use a template JPA that is used all over the state. It has met the requirements and approval of every attorney, except for GRMC's Carolyn Banks. We have had six months of discussing this. It is tying the hands of Dispatch. Gross receipts tax funds Dispatch. It has been split 50-50 between Grant County and Silver City. This JPA splits the costs on call volume and every entity contributes a percentage depending on call volume. Arias says they spent $2,000 on their attorney fees. That could possibly have funded their portion. This version you are presented with moves forward without Gila Regional and they will be billed for every call."

Commissioner Harry Browne asked if it were possible to get a signature by the Thursday meeting if it would be OK, and they could table it. "We've even asked the chairman of the Board of Trustees to get involved and he couldn't get anywhere."

Commissioner Billy Billings said it got his attention when the hospital's counsel was named. "That's all I'll say."

"Evidently their attorney doesn't understand a JPA," Browne opined. "Some calls from the hospital, I understand, are to transfer someone from one part of the facility to another. Those go to Dispatch. It is not obvious that they will pay. This isn't over."

Commissioner Alicia Edwards said if the county could get a signature by Thursday, it could be approved that day. "If we don't get a signature and table it again, it will have undermined the Dispatch Board."

Commissioner Javier Salas said if the hospital doesn't want to be part of it, "if they are being obstinate, then they have to pay for each call."

Browne suggested: "We could take over their board of Trustees."

Billings said he would hope that county management could communicate with Gila Regional.

Webb said that Marshall had met with Arias and he talked to the board chairman. "Ms. Banks and compliance had issues with the JPA. I will get with James and try to get a signature. There has been a major breakdown in communication."

Salas said: "The hospital has power now. All I and my constituents want is for Dispatch to answer quickly."

Earlier in the regular meeting, before the item came up for discussion, Arias said she put in a call to the attorney and Marshall.

"I hope we can get a call done today," Arias said. "My concern when I read the agreement was questions on some of the aspects. One reason I was brought here as CEO was to turn around the hospital. I look at and get legal representation before I sign anything that will have a financial impact on the hospital. I don't just sign things. I don't do business or go into contracts with a wink and a smile. I hope you can respect my stance. I know we can work it out. The hospital supports Emergency Medical Services for about three-quarters of a million dollars to subsidize the services to provide the best for the community. My responsibility is not to be bullied. I will work with Ms. Webb and Marshall, because we are partners."

At the regular meeting, Webb said she had talked to Marshall. "The JPA has not been approved yet." She also clarified a recent newspaper headline by saying: "The county did not vote to exclude Gila Regional. It is voluntary if Gila Regional wants to be part of the agreement. The new JPA no longer has Gila Regional being part of the agreement. Every other entity is taking this version to their boards. We've spent many months of work to get the hospital on board and haven't gotten them on board."

Browne said he and Webb serve on the Dispatch Board.

Billings said he had talked to a trustee, who was confused why the hospital hadn't signed the JPA. "I heard that Ms. Arias was not ready to sign it. These JPAs can be amended. I don't think Gila Regional has been cut out."

Edwards said it seems like it is the hospital's recalcitrance that has dragged out the process.

Marshall came to the podium. "I don't want to rehash everything. We have made dozens of communications requests for a meeting within the last year. The new JPA was developed last year. In December, we got from the hospital, a recommended version of the JPA with 56 amendments. We have requested meetings but have yet to meet. Because we are going to be partners, we had to adjust everyone's contribution. The county's contribution is going up by 3 percent, which we hope will zero out with the increase when Gila Regional is billed a fee for services. We will invoice Gila Regional and there is no guarantee they will pay their bill. I have had six agencies agree to the first JPA, and the one board that we have not been able to satisfy is Gila Regional."

Ponce said he has respect for different boards. "I want to assure the public that this will not affect service to the citizens. In all my years in law enforcement, I always knew if I called, an ambulance would be available."

Marshall said if the nursing supervisor wants an ambulance, she calls Dispatch. "EMS belongs to them, why can't they have an ambulance paged to them? The hospital is continuing to want more services. Non-critical services will have to be evaluated by the board."

The JPA was approved by the county with the six entities.

At the work session commissioners discussed the social media policy. Webb said: "Some of you have told us you have concerns about this policy."

Edwards confirmed that she did. "I feel strongly that on the Grant County Facebook page that the public should not be able to make comments. We need a venue about the good things the county is doing. I think it should be a one-way communication. I have concerns about what people say in social media."

"Right now, we don't allow comments," Webb said. "It is only an ability for the county to post information."

Edwards said she would like to see that reflected in the policy that the Facebook page will not accept comment.

Ponce agreed saying: "We provide enough time for public input in the work sessions and the regular meetings."

Browne asked: "Do I understand that we do not have Twitter now? Just Facebook? We need to recognize that we are many years behind."

Salas said the county would need someone to manage Twitter. "I would like to see a place for people to post complaints on roads with a way to get the information to the county."

Edwards noted that such complaints are the commissioner's responsibility. " I don't disagree, and we all get them."

She also pointed out the proper grammar serves style in the policy. "I also think that the term 'balanced views' should be left out. Proper grammar is objective. The language of balanced views is subjective."

Browne asked who was allowed to post items to Facebook.

Webb said up to now, it has been herself, Bernadette Coleman and Stephanie Ramirez who post. "Department heads and elected officials submit them to us, and we post them. If there are questions, I approve them. I think there is a lot to reconcile and I don't think we will have a revised version by the Thursday meeting, so we will put it on next month's agenda."

At the regular meeting, Webb confirmed that she and Burgess had not had time to make the needed changes.

The audit was presented at the regular meeting by Betty Gray of Kriegel, Gray and Shaw.

She explained the process she uses and what each page of the more than 100-page document audit contained.

Gray said that a compliance finding for not giving public notice for a meeting from the previous year was the only finding in the entire audit.

"Well done," Browne said. "I'm amazed that there was only one finding for an audit of this size."

Gray noted that the county has a large database of assets. "It's a monster."

She said the county keeps records on a book basis, whether revenues are reinvested or not.

Treasurer Steve Armendariz said he had had a discussion with the bond person. "Market value is not what we paid for. We buy stock and bonds and hold them. We will not lose the principal. When the bond matures, we will get the full value, plus what we will have received in interest payments. All has been recorded. We get reports from the broker, which shows the increase and decrease. We record the changes in value."

Gray said because of the type of securities the county is holding, there are fluctuations due to rate increases and decreases.

Browne asked why the county is budgeting for investment values.

"The budget is on a cash basis and revenue basis," Gray said.

Armendariz said the county is receiving interest every month, but the certificates of deposit are not worth less when they get to maturity. "My take is that the market value matters if the county got into a need to liquidate, it would get only what the bond was worth at that time. We would possibly have a loss. The principal stays the same as long as we hold it to maturity."

Billings said: "We don't hear good reports like this. I thank Manager Webb and Financial Officer Linda Vasquez. The county can have evidence and confidence in how our money is managed."

Commissioners approved the audit.

Vasquez presented at the work session a number of budget adjustments with transfers in and out of the various funds, as well as increases and decreases. Commissioners approved them at the regular meeting.

Road Superintendent explained he had to file an extension with a resolution agreeing to enter into a cooperative agreement between Grant County and the New Mexico Department of Transportation for the improvement of roads within Grant County. "I had to hire a contractor. We should get the money in the July-August timeframe and finish the bridge by December." It was approved at the regular meeting.

Airport Manager Rebekah Wenger said a resolution to authorize submission of an application for airport aid allows the Federal Aviation Administration to fund the renovations at the Grant County Airport. "It's all about the timing, so it's why we have to get the state funding approved."

Commissioners approved the resolution at the regular meeting.

Commissioners approved reappointing Alicia Edwards to the Tu Casa Advisory Board.

Salas asked if others could participate, and Edwards said the meetings were open to the public.

During commissioner reports, Edwards commended the state for a phenomenal audit report. "The headline should say County staff taking great care of taxpayer dollars."

Ponce echoed that the audit was great. "I also want to thank Bernadette for doing a great job. I'm also curious about Corre Caminos."

Webb said that the entity generally gives a quarterly report.

Billings said he had lots of questions about Corre Caminos when he came onto the board. "I met with Kim (Dominguez, manager) and Randy Villa and learned a lot about it."

Ponce said he would also like to see the website updated.

"You're not the only one," Webb said. "She has made sure to try to keep it up-to-date."

Although an executive session at the regular meeting was on the agenda, at the end of the four-hour meeting, it was postponed until a later date. It will take place at 1 p.m. Monday, April 8.