[Editor's Note: This is part 2 of a multi-series of articles on the Grant County Commission work session of June 25, 2019 and the regular meeting of June 27, 2019.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

Before addressing the regular meeting agenda, elected officials gave their reports on Thursday, June 27, 2019.

Sheriff Frank Gomez introduced three deputies, two of whom are new to the department. They are Deputy Wellborn, Trevor Jensen and Gabriel Ramos.

He gave statistics for the month, which included 29 domestic violence calls, up from last year. Burglaries are down, as are larcenies, but livestock on the highway is up and so are harassments. State Police has helped with some crashes, with one fatality. "We want some deputies to become scene reconstructionists. A class is coming up in August. If the department receives a criminal call in a municipality, we follow up and write it up rather than it returning to the municipality. Bayard is back on 24-hour shifts, which will help."

"We are still short six officers," Gomez reported. "We are doing background checks on two certified officers. Within two weeks, we will have more on patrol Two will be out of the academy and one in field training. We have plenty of applicants. We are doing background checks on 10 applicants. Another uncertified officer is going through the medical process. We are looking at certified rather than uncertified because of the cost of the academy."

Commissioner Alicia Edwards asked: "If all goes well, you will be fully staffed?" Gomez confirmed the department would be completely staffed.

Commissioner Harry Browne said: "The new chief in Bayard is excellent from my observations."

Commissioner Javier Salas said one thing troubles him. "All the services we do in the municipalities. Do we get any reimbursements? I don't find it equitable. Have formal requests been made?"

Gomez said he has been looking at MOUs. "I know that Catron County is paid to take care of Reserve. I'm working on the issue."

Assessor Raul Turrieta congratulated the Cobre High School Lady Softball team for their state championship.

"My report is short," Turrieta said. "I will give a longer report in July. We received our notice of certifications 15 days late. I had a good time at the New Mexico Counties conference in Clovis. We will strive to get full disclosure in New Mexico. We are one of the few states that doesn't have it. We haven't done studies because we can't get data on sales."

He said he is sending several of his staff to the International Association of Assessing Officers classes.

"We are working on the parcel fabric mapping process," Turrieta said. "We meet every other week with Bohannon Huston. Traci Burnsed is taking a class from UCLA to get her GIS certification. We still do hand drawn maps. This course is based on data management. When she showed our maps to the professor he said: 'I'm going to hold onto your maps. Congratulations on your work.' She is making A+ in all her classes. I will give my report at the second meeting in July."

Probate Judge Mary Ann Sedillo also congratulated the Cobre girls, and said she was a "Cobre girl. I attended the probate judge affiliate meeting. I chaired it and was reappointed to the education committee." She said new legislation was passed that allowed counties to decide whether to have a probate judge or not. "I was happy to tell them the importance of probate judges to citizens. We have a very important position. I feel totally in touch with citizens when they need my help. If the duties are put under a magistrate judge or district court judge, they already have huge caseloads. It is the same difference as a hospital or a funeral home. I want to keep the probate judge position, because we meet with the family when they are in a delicate position. I don't think magistrate or district judges have the time to do what we do. I hope this commission will keep the position. Probate judges hold a special place in the county. We work for the citizens."

img 0347Cobre High School Lady Indians Softball Team Head Coach Randy Dominguez receives the proclamation for the girls winning the state Class AAA championship.
Commissioners recognized the Cobre High School Lady Indians for their winning the Class AAA softball championship this year. The Lady Indian Softball Team is coached by Head Coach Randy Dominguez, Jessica Garcia, Juan Rodriguez, Gary Garcia, PJ Garcia, Bianca Rivera, Jenni Melendrez, Manager Gaby Guererro and is comprised of the following team members: Brianna Martinez, Ashley Esqueda, Illyana Silva, Aubrey Davila, Dysis Licht, Daeziah Chavez, Zynasia Rodriguez, Alexis Polk, Destiny Abalos, Taeyah Gonzales, Abrianna Garcia, Emily Esqueda, and Emma Heredia. The girls had 22 wins and 12 losses in the Class AAA championship.

Salas said they were two of the most exciting games he had ever seen.

In public input at the regular meeting, Kathy-Lyn Pacheco said she felt it was her duty to give her personal opinion on Gila Regional Medical Center and the process the commissioners would face to fill three vacancies on the Board of Trustees. "According to the American Hospital Association, of which GRMC is a member, a hospital board is accountable to the hospital and the community it serves by acting responsibly with its bylaws and all applicable laws and regulations. In choosing between competing demands for scarce resources, the AHA suggests the board members should act as stewards to ensure the most efficient utilization of the hospital's facilities and resources."

She said the fiduciary duties are among the highest standard of conduct that the law imposes. Pacheco said the AHA "very clearly states" that board members should not place themselves in a position where their personal interests conflict with those of the hospital.

"My young family and I have chosen to live and work in this community for three-and-a half years now," Pacheco said. "I recruit licensed health care providers, and they want stability in their jobs. I have already seen with my own eyes the political power struggles that exist with a number of healthcare organization. I've never understood why that behavior is tolerated or even encouraged by our community leaders."

She said she hoped that each commissioner would choose those who do not have conflicts of interest or a personal vendetta against individuals working for GRMC. "It is each of your responsibilities to select board member candidates to act as stewards for GRMC's facilities and resources and who will each serve this community in a high-performing and ethical manner."

Pacheco concluded that the board member selections have very serious implications that allow each commissioner the "exciting chance to keep GRMC moving forward. Please make the right decision for the people of this community, including me and my family."

The expenditure report was presented at the work session and approved at the regular meeting. Chief Procurement Officer Randy Hernandez reported total expenditures of $3,834,944.49, which included three pay periods for a payroll total of $603,505.31. A long list of expenditures over $10,000 were reported due to the end of fiscal year considerations.

expnditures 062019 1

expenditures 062019 part 2

At the work session, County Manager Charlene Webb reported that she had received 11 applicants for three GRMC Board of Trustee vacancies for three-year terms that end of July 31. "We need to appoint them the last meeting in July to begin in August."

Discussion began on the process the commissioners should use.

Edwards said, as she remembered it, each commissioner ranked all the applicants. "And as I recall, we took the top five and interviewed them. We created five questions, each spoke, and we asked the questions."

County Attorney Abigail Burgess said to prevent perceived conflicts, last year the Executive Administrative Assistant Bernadette Coleman tabulated them.

Edwards and Browne would be unavailable on different dates, so then the discussion ensued on when to narrow the choices, when to interview them and when to choose the final three.

Coleman noted that the GRMC board chairman had requested, according to the GRMC board bylaws, that one should be a physician and two other members, who could be physicians or not.

Commissioner Billy Billings suggested two physicians and another member.

Although the GRMC board chairman noted that their bylaws also required that the board members not be hospital employees, commissioners decided that the county did not have to follow the board bylaws, because the commission had not approved them, so the commissioners don't have to comply with that rule.

Billings said another request of the board chairman was that it would be good to choose a member with government experience.

When it was suggested that the narrowing be done at last week's regular meeting, Commissioner Javier Salas said he was not clear on what was needed in a trustee and he didn't know some of the candidates.

Burgess suggested the narrowing be done in a special meeting at the beginning of the July 9 work session.

Browne preferred July 18 or 19 for the interviews.

Commission Chairman Chris Ponce attempted a schedule.
1) Ranking of all candidates from each commissioner to Coleman by 3 p.m. July 8.
2) Narrowing of candidates to six at special meeting at 9 a.m. immediately followed by the work session of July 9.
3) A special meeting on July 18 to hold the interviews.
4) Decision to be made at the July 25 regular meeting.

In reply to Salas not knowing some of the candidates, Billings said he calls people he trusts to ask about the candidates.

Edwards said she prefers to have a one-on-one and sit and talk to them. "My decision on how to rank them will be a broad look at their capacity to make a difference, their accountability and whether they follow through on what they say they will do. I think board experience is important and health care experience. It takes a certain kind of skill to work between a board and management."

Browne said he was looking at their capacity to make strategic decisions on health care, so the hospital can be sustainable and stable. "I think their strategic plan needs fleshing out, and I'm not sure they've even been following it."

Edwards continued and said she want to see candidates with vision, looking a long way in the future. "It's not just the hospital that is part of health care, but providers, too."

Ponce said: "We have a rural hospital. We have to look at seniors and what does the community need. It's not an easy process."

Salas said he agreed on the strategic plan, "but health care is very fluid. I see health care becoming out of reach for many seniors. Make it quality of life, not just profit and loss."

They were to let the candidates know that afternoon what the schedule was to preclude someone possibly being out of town for the meetings.

After more discussion at the regular meeting on June 27, commissioners made one change in the schedule, and that was to hold the July 18 special meeting to hear from the candidates as an evening meeting to begin at 6 p.m. to allow more of the community to attend, including health care workers. Public comment will take place before the six candidates speak.

Commissioners will make their decision at the July 25 regular meeting.

The next article will address the other items on the agenda, with discussion from the work session and decisions made at the regular meeting.

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