[Editor's Note: This is part two of a series of articles on the Grant County Commission work session and regular meetings held Aug. 20 and 22, 2019.]

After hearing an update from Gila Regional Medical Center, which can be read at http://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/52801-grant-county-commission-hears-presentations-at-work-session-8-20-19-part-1, commissioners heard from Beth Ilhe, Silver City Ranger District ranger, and Marcus Cornwell, detailed fire management officer and Hot Shot member.

Ilhe said she would discuss two topics, vegetation management and trails coordination planning to get to priorities. "I'm here to talk about what the county needs. We need to be aligned on what is the important thing to do."

Cornwell said it is fun to be on the planning side after serving as a Hot Shot firefighter. "We want to help the firefighters and the landowners with vegetation management." He pointed to the Signal Peak area as an area that the forest service has to wait until fall to treat because of spotted owl breeding in the area. "Our usual treatment times are from September to March. Last year was a wet year, so we didn't get a whole lot done. We got Cameron Creek done and it turned out well. We are in partnership with New Mexico Game and Fish to do treatment near Georgetown, about 100 acres a year. Our priority coming up is the Jaybird burn. Game and Fish money is also allocated for this treatment. It's an important area of about 2,500 acres of mixed conifer. After the Signal Fire, we have only about one-third of our high-altitude mixed conifer left in the Silver District. We will be working near Sapillo and the Upper Mimbres. Some of the area hasn't seen return intervals of fire in many years. They should occur about every 10 years. If you don't treat, and you get a dry year, you end up with a high-severity fire, like the Signal Fire. We are hoping to get in between October and December from Meadow Creek toward the straight-away to Lake Roberts. We will also start treating 12-15 acres near Little Cherry Ranch and Lockney. That hasn't seen fire in many years on the south side of Signal Peak."

Commissioner Harry Browne, who said he owns property in the Little Cherry area, said a fire had started in the area. "You and we want to see fire there. Why did you put it out?"

"It was on the Twin Sisters Trail," Cornwell said. "We want to introduce fire here on our terms. Once there is vegetation management, it will be easier to manage natural fires. We would like to see low severity fire in Lockney, clearing downed timber and such. An engine crew is taking a look at it."

In the spring, the Gila National Forest plans to treat about 2,000 acres in East Sawmill, with Game and Fish as a partner and more acreage, and also in the Big Burros at Bar 6, with Game and Fish as a partner. "They are both for wildlife and watershed improvement. We will continue with Georgetown thinning, slash and burn, and more treatment on about 1,300 acres along Cameron Creek. We are planning mechanical treatment in the Wagon Wheel WUI (wildland urban interface) around the monastery. Our goals are to get brush out to knock down the severity of any fire. If we don't, if these places got high severity, it would burn everything off at once. We want to identify areas in the WUI and how to prioritize them."

He said the Forest Service is working with the county, municipalities and other agencies on the Community Wildfire Protection Plan.

Commissioner Billy Billings asked about contractors for the mechanical thinning.

Cornwell said the Gila does the Georgetown thinning with its own resources. "We are looking for partners. We would like a contractor on the Wagon Wheel project. It's a challenge right now to find funding and resources to manage the contracts."

Ihle said: "We are proposing to go out to Cameron Creek to see what the fire treatment did. If you are interested, we could send out an invite to visit it."

Browne said he would like to take students from Aldo Leopold Charter School, to which Ihle said it may be possible.

"We would also like to target the accomplishments and let people know to get permits for fuelwood and firewood cutting," Ihle said. "What we do in treatment is for watershed and wildlife stability. We are seeing that people want to see watershed improvements. We haven't messaged well that vegetation treatment IS watershed treatment."

She also briefly talked about trail coordination. "We welcome the county taking a leap of faith on trail coordination and management. We've seen a crescendo in interest on trails. Volunteer groups want to adopt trails. We know the trailheads and our infrastructure is in need of care, so the coordination with the county and municipality is welcome. Silver City has an outstanding quality of life and decent employment opportunities. We're starting to look at our own kinks, such as no access to some trails, no place to park for horsemen and their trailers. We are in the first generation of implementing the trail management plan. I think we all carry the same interest to move trails into the next generation. I applaud the county for taking the step."

The next presentation was by Browne on the Energy Summit Conference, put on by U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich. "I thank the county for paying for me to go. There were probably about 150 people there at the conference, with eight workshops focused on local governments to help us be part of clean energy. It is not achievable any time soon, but we can work toward it. I was particularly interested in learning about Property-Assessed Clean Energy, PACE."

He said the PACE program would make it possible for small businesses and lower-income residents to acquire a special assessment on their property to be paid back to the county on their tax bills through energy savings. "Higher-income folks can get loans, but lower-income homeowners and small businesses may not be able to. The PACE financing is tied to the property. When a higher-income individual sells, the buyer has to refinance the loan. But a PACE assessment appears on the tax bill, and is tied to the property, so when the property is sold, it transfers with the property, with no need to refinance."

County Manager Charlene Webb asked: "If it's a county program, there has to be money put up front. Where does that money come from?"

He said he would explain that later in his presentation. "In the residential PACE, called R-Pace, the homeowner must demonstrate that the increased cost on his tax bill will be less than the savings on the utility bills," Browne said. "In Commercial PACE, C-PACE, Albuquerque has a C-PACE program, because Bernalillo County passed an ordinance allowing municipalities to have a C-PACE program.

"The county is never liable for any debt under a PACE program," he said. "It's an individual financing deal. That's why I think it's important. It's keeping the money in the county. Right now, the utility bills are going out to PNM; it's going out to the suppliers of fuel. If kept here, it's positive. We talk about base jobs. This is as good as bringing new money in. Residents will benefit by becoming in the future, either independent or near independent from utility bills. Solar installers will have jobs here. Grant County will be doing part of its part to combat global warming. So, it's time we start. Of course, the devil is in the details. Santa Fe County and Sunland Park have passed PACE ordinances, but they are all dormant. Albuquerque is working on financing for its program. There are three different sets of state statutes that affect this. In 2009, property-assessed districts were made possible. The Senate version of PACE allows the property-assessed districts. The House Bill 572 uses a different method, also passed and signed in 2009. For example, the county is allowing a homeowner to put an assessment on his house and go to the bank to get a loan. The state is still working on the details for that one. The third version is HB 440, passed this year, which allows a county to create a PACE for commercial entities. Commercial entities have an advantage that their mortgages are not transferred to the big mortgage bundlers, such as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, which opposed PACE, because they are concerned the property-assessed payments will be paid before their mortgages are. The VA and the FHC accepted them."

He noted that the 2009 bills created a flurry of activity, including a brochure from New Mexico Counties (then called New Mexico Association of Counties), but it went dormant under the (Gov. Susana) Martinez administration. "Now they are starting to push the PACE program again with Gov. (Michelle Lujan) Grisham."

Browne said there are still a lot of questions on how to do the financing up front. "Albuquerque may be doing a mix of public bond and private financing, paid back by the property tax assessment."

Webb said if the county is not liable for debt, "if we are taking out bonds or going after financing, how are we not liable?"

Browne said he suspects it's because there would be a separate district, with a board, which has the liability, or "I can say I don't know."

He said a major question for him was whether the local supply of electricians was enough to provide the necessary services. "We need to get a trades program going."

Chairman Chris Ponce agreed, saying there aren't enough skilled workers here.

Browne said now that PNM is going toward renewable energy, it's different from individuals becoming independent from the utility companies. "PNM can delay. They are an important player."

Ponce asked if the increased property tax might cause a lien to be put on a property.

"Absolutely, but I don't know anything beyond that," Browne replied.

Billings asked if the PACE program would take advantage of current tax credits.

"Yes, for residential," Browne said. "The state credits expired and were not renewed, but there still are federal tax credits."

The next article will cover the rest of the agenda discussion at the work session and approval or not at the regular session, as well as items only on the regular session agenda.