By Lynn Janes
The town of Bayard held a work session August 14, 2023. Attendance included Mayor Chon Fierro councilors Eloy Medina, Frances Gonzales, and Jose Diaz. Eloy Gonzales did not attend. The work session allows the council time to ask questions about items on the agenda and discuss them.
They went over the consent agenda first.
Diaz asked about an amount on the accounts payable report. He pointed out the charge for $41,127 out of the sewer and water fund and wanted to know about the charge. It had been for the rebuild of well number 10 that has been down. Michael Paez, maintenance director, said the new chlorinator would cost $17,000 and had just done a purchase order for it. After they receive the new one the old one will be kept for back up.
Diaz wanted to know if they could discontinue the GPS service. Police Chief Hector Carrillo said it would be good for checks and balances but agreed to look into it. Medina said, "Having a GPS service is important." Most of the council thought it would be a benefit. They talked about the pros and cons for a while. The service costs the city $300 a month currently. Gabriel Ramos, city clerk, said they will have two cars coming soon that will have it on there. Diaz said he has just been looking to find ways to cut costs.
Ramos said they would be saving $400 a month with the new phone systems. He told the council he would look into the GPS next.
Recently Ramos and Paez looked at the wall in the library that needs repair and have started the process of addressing that problem.
The approval for Robert Ruiz, maintenance, to attend training will give him credits toward certification.
Carrillo explained the training for Manuel Galaz, officer, to get certification to teach firearms. He already has the certification for the training but must attend the management training to be able to teach.
The fire chief had not been in attendance to answer questions about the fire report because he had to work. Ramos said, "We will have three new EMTs starting and two firemen." Three of the firemen will be receiving training for first responders and two will enter the EMT program. These new members will give the fire department eleven people.
Carrillo said they would be helping with the Cobre High School homecoming parade. Ramos added that the school has requested the help of the maintenance department to take down the graduating senior banners on the light posts.
Ramos had a map for everyone showing the temporary crossovers for the railroad while the repairs would be taking place. They have started bringing in equipment and should be starting in about a month.
The council talked about the fire department recruitment incentives. Ramos said next meeting they would officially be appointing the interim Fire Chief Cody Dove, Assistant Fire Chief Luis Gomez, and Crystal Carrillo as secretary. Crystal Carrillo also has EMT certification. They will also be recognizing three retirees from the fire department.
Medina wanted to know if the city paid the $1,200 fee to obtain the EMT training. They discussed that for a while and decided to do as they have been with the officers and require a certain amount of time for continued employment. Medina pointed out it would be important that they actually got licensed to cover the cost. Ramos said, "I would look at what other municipalities have been doing concerning payment of training."
Ramos addressed the 25 cent raises for city employees that have been certified as public notaries. They have four total and none of them have ever received the raises. Diaz said they needed to get back pay for the time they should have had that raise. Marlena Valenzuela, deputy clerk, said it would not be a good idea to have to go back. It would be a huge amount of work to do the retro pay. Diaz said he wanted them to be treated fairly and to do it right. Valenzuela pointed out that one of them they would have to go back to 2013 and for her it would be 2012. They talked about other ways to compensate them and look into an agreement.
Dorina Martinez, a resident wanted to know who the four people that would get that raise. She pointed out she worked at the university, and they didn't pay anyone more that had the certification. "You are not a notary every hour and it is not part of your normal job duties." Ramos said, "It is part of the city policy."
The town of Bayard held a regular meeting August 14, 2023. The meeting started with Mayor Chon Fierro calling the meeting to order and leading the Pledge of Allegiance. Attendance at the meeting included councilors Eloy Medina, Frances Gonzales, and Jose Diaz. Eloy Gonzales did not attend. Eloy Gonzales had sent a message to Ramos with his apologies for not being present, but this plan had been made long ago and could not be changed.
The council approved the agenda.
Public input
Dorina Martinez a resident wanted to make the council aware of a possible problem. The city doesn't have any sidewalk across from Blakes and in front of the church. It could be a liability to the city. "It is a popular walking area." Fierro said he would talk to maintenance. Medina said he thought that would fall under DOT (Department of Transportation).
Consent agenda
The council approved the consent agenda which included regular meeting minutes from July 24, 2023, special meeting minutes from July 31, 2023, accounts payable report August 14, 2023, wastewater treatment plant report, municipal court report, fire department report and library report. It also included the training for Robert Ruiz, maintenance, to obtain credit hours, Lieutenant Manuel Galaz to attend supervision and management training and Trevor Jensen to attend an instructor development course.
New business
The council approved the Cobre High School homecoming parade.
The council approved the traffic control plan for the upcoming railroad repair project.
The council discussed the fire department recruitment incentives. They receive $25 a call. Ramos said currently they have approximately $8,000 left in the fund, but next meeting would have the exact amount. The funding will end the next year. Diaz asked Jenny Castanon, grant writer, to start looking for grants for the fire department.
Ramos said they had already applied for wastewater treatment money. Currently the state has $135 million available.
The council approved the Copper Little League to have a fall ball season.
Action for personnel
The council tabled the 25 cent raise for any city employee with certification for public notary. They had discussed this during the work session and will be putting something together for the next meeting.
Department head reports.
Chief Carrillo said they have applications for animal control officer and code enforcement officer. They will be looking at an agreement with Cobre Consolidated Schools for the crosswalk at Snell Middle School. They will also be looking at funding to do this so-called public service aide and is a three-year program. Carrillo said they have to look at the safety of the kids. He will have more information later. The department will be planning a meet and greet for residents to meet all the officers.
Ramos said he knew that speeding through the Snell Middle School crosswalk has been a problem. They talked about it also being a problem around Cobre High School. Carrillo said they will be patrolling at Snell Middle School and Cobre High School when school lets out.
Ramos met with WNM Communications, and they will be deleting some of the phone lines no longer needed which will help with the $300-$400 a month savings. Next, he will be reviewing the employee handbooks that have not been updated in some time. He and Paez went to the library to look at the damage and repairs needed, and they will start right away. They have some options on how to fix it. A new door will be in soon to replace the old one at the fire station. The partition door at the little league bathroom has been fixed
Ramos said he had gone to the Grant County Regional Dispatch meeting, and they will be waiting to see what happens with the election. Medina asked him what it will cost Bayard if it doesn't pass. Ramos said $60,000 to $80,000 for Bayard alone. No municipality will be able to afford this so the dispatch would have to move to the state police.
Ramos wanted to suggest to the council that one meeting a month be during the day. The staff has been building a lot of comp time and it does not cost the city money, but it amounts to a lot of time. Gonzales said they had worked hard to get people to come. Diaz suggested that the department heads not come and just submit their reports unless it concerns something urgent. The council talked for some time about options and alternatives. Gonzales suggested a meeting weekly for the management team. Ramos said they started doing that and would continue it weekly. Fierro pointed out he had been on the council a lot of years and the time does not ever seem to matter when it comes to the residents attending.
Gonzales gave a report on the planning and zoning meeting. They had talked about policies and procedures and how best to make it all run smoothly. Ramos asked the council if the meeting for planning and zoning could be held at city hall because it would be easier. Currently they have been meeting at the library. The council all agreed it would be fine. Gonzales said, "We are making progress."
Diaz thanked the police, fire, and administrative staff for the hard work they had all put in for Summerfest at Cobre High School. He encouraged the public to send in the mail in ballot and vote yes. "It will not raise your taxes." He added that he knew it had been a little confusing. Fierro and Gonzales thanked him for bringing it up and agreed with him. The deadline for the ballots would be August 22, 2023.
Chief Carrillo had a question for the council. The past weekend someone on Mayo Street had rented a "splash park thing" and had blocked off the road. He said he didn't have any knowledge of it. Two residents had called and complained. Medina said they must put in a request for a block party and obtain a permit.
Medina asked Ramos what they would be doing for the retiring fire fighters. They all discussed the next meeting, and they would be recognizing all four.
Fierro said he and Ramos have been riding around Bayard looking at the city properties and other things that need to be done. He apologized for taking him away from work. He told everyone it looked like they might have a buyer for the TEPE Construction building and they have someone interested in renting the old HMS building. He had gone by the little league building, and they had done a lot of work and thanked them.
Next regular meeting will be held August 28, 2023
Meeting adjourned.