[Editor's Note: This is part 3 of the Grant County Commission January 7, 2025 work session, which continues the county reports from department heads.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

The Grant County Emergency Manager Scot Fuller presented the next county report at the Commission work session on Jan. 7, 2025.

He welcomed the new commissioners, District 3 Nancy Stephens, District 4 Eddie Flores and District 5 Thomas Shelley.

Fuller explained his job as being in charge of the Office of Emergency Management. The core of the office is charged with maintaining, enhancing the framework within which the community reduces vulnerability to hazards and critical response to emergencies and events and disasters. The mission of the Office of Emergency Management is to coordinate the emergency management program, and to prepare, prevent, plan and recover from an all hazardous events The office develops, maintains, implements and has the ability to direct, control, manage and coordinate emergency operations, in coordination with municipal, state, federal agencies and also nonprofits and private sector agencies to accomplish this mission. "You have to make sure the county is prepared for its emergencies and make sure all all incidents in the county are managed in accordance with NIMS (National Incident Management System- FEMA) and ICS ((Incident Command System) principles."

"We have to make sure there's operations planning in place, which is essential to ensure that public services are available during the emergencies," Fuller continued. "We do incident monitoring, to monitor local, regional, national incidents and weather for their impact on the county, in order to provide a lot of information and warning. And you know, I've been putting out weather briefings for the last few days concerning the snow event. So I do that on a continual basis."

He continued: "The other thing is to develop, maintain and coordinate diversity management plans for the county, and also to make sure I have all the plans for some of the other entities in the area, like all the plans for Freeport-McMoRan and the plans for PNM."

"If there ever was an incident that required a large emergency response, part of the job is to make sure that there's a coordinated emergency response and recovery. First thing is just to make sure that we have an established Emergency Operation Center. Second part of that is public warning to make sure vital warning information is provided to the public. And that's accomplished through many avenues. The main one we have now in place is, IPAWS (integrated public alert warning system), which can reach every cell phone in the county. We will also put the information on the county Facebook page and a banner on the county website, grantcountynm.gov. I've worked with Adam (Baca, IT Director) to make sure there's a banner that will go across on the website. I've also partnered up with the National Weather Service, SkyWest media, and Western New Mexico University, to use their platform to get the message out, too. As you know, to have good neighbors, you gotta be a good neighbor. So we all kind of gotta help each other."

He noted that he has applied for multiple grants. He is working on six grants and has a seventh on the way. The emergency manager also is charged with maintaining the county communications system, which has 10 repeater sites, and lastly he manages the code enforcement for the county.

"We got the draft of the hazard mitigation plan, and I hope you have had a chance to read it and give me feedback," Fuller said.

He noted he had fully executed the emergency management performance grant. He had submitted the first two quarterly reports and the state has accepted those. Fuller hopes to get started on the update of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan. He said he is waiting on an award from FEMA and the state for generators for the 11 volunteer fire stations and four portable solar generators for the communication sites.

Shelley said he had attended the wildland fire meeting held last year. "A lot of concern was brought up about properties and code enforcement on junk yards. Do you have an update on that?"

"Yes, this was just assigned to me a couple months ago," Fuller said. "I do have a lot of ideas, and some of it is going to require your work and support. We have a lot of ordinances that were passed in 2022 concerning abandoned buildings and junkyards. A lot of enforcement requires you to approve possibly some resolutions from the board of commissioners. So I'm working on them and will bring them to you for your approval, so we can move this forward. I also work with the New Mexico Environment Department and the Hazardous Waste Bureau on some of the enforcement issues. We've been monitoring the clean up at the Rodeo Fire site."

Fuller said that none of the junkyards are licensed. "I don't do code enforcement like that. Our code enforcement officer is Lilly Fernandez."

He said he hears a lot about tourism and recreation, but he sees a lot of weeds and junkyards. "We need to tighten that up. We need to see residents take responsibility for code enforcement. Let us know what you see."

County Manager Charlene Webb said the county has only the one code enforcement officer, "but we would like to see another one. Officer Fernandez is creating relationships. We send letters and speak to the violators to try to get them to clean things up before we issue citations and take them to court. If it goes to court, it is out of our hands. It's a monumental task."

Flores asked if she keeps a daily log. Webb replied that is is updated daily.

Webb also said that if judges constantly dismiss the citations, "then I go to another judge. We have to hold them accountable. I would like to see citizen activity, with letters and calls." She noted that code enforcement got behind when the officer was out on medical leave. "I drive by a situation every day, where a renter has made a mess. We are looking at how to put more teeth in the ordinances."

Fuller said: "We'll be back to you with a revised ordinance. It's easy to get a business license, just have a New Mexico ID and a bit of paperwork. So, we do not have any followup. We should not be issuing licenses with no follow up."

District 1 Commissioner and Chair Chris Ponce said he would like to see the data, and Fuller said he would put it into a report.

Stephens said clean up is a complex job. "I'm intrigued by the possibility of public education and maybe a campaign such as 'Want to clean up your yard, but you don't know where to start?' Do you have communication with the schools?"

Fuller replied that he does quite a bit with the schools.

Next came the Information Technology Department report, with IT Director Adam Baca. In his explanation of his job, he said: "I assist overall county technology and making sure that we provide planning, current knowledge, future vision of all the systems that we oversee. I also strive to safeguard these systems and all of the assets that come with them, primarily by identifying possible problems and solving actual security problems. I oversee all IT operations, which involves the day-to-day troubleshooting and resolution, monitoring our system, developing IT strategy, and implementing that strategy. Focusing on IT projects from beginning to end, I also work on compliance, making sure that our IT practices comply with relevant laws and regulations. I supervise our staff, a team of three at present. We have myself, as IT director, a network administrator and an IT specialist. I work on defining the software and hardware and performing tests on this hardware and software also, and of course, working on disaster recovery, which means developing and maintaining disaster recovery and business continuity plans in case things go south. My responsibility also includes working closely with every other department within the county and ensuring that we integrate their needs to the overall county strategy."

"Right now, we're currently continuing to virtualize some of the physical servers that we have, and rather than upgrading those physical boxes to new physical servers, I've chosen the route of virtualizing these servers, which basically means that we're drafting that server infrastructure, we're copying it and we're placing it into a new Cloud server environment. Our firewalls control a lot of the security, and we're planning on doing the same in the detention center very soon. We're working on financial right now. We're also working on a new system for the Sheriff's Office and Dispatch."

On future projects, Baca said they are working on a backup power management system, which will connect all of the infrastructure to backup power when needed. He said he will be working with the state affiliate, of which he is secretary, on cybersecurity across the local systems as well as on the statewide systems.

Planning and Community Development Department Director Joseph Holguin welcomed the new commissioners and said he was looking forward to working with them in developing the community further. As an overview, he said the department included the mapping department, and the issuance of floodplain permits, which are required by the construction industry. "We do rural addressing, so for folks that live in the county, we're responsible for assigning those addresses based on their location, and then our monthly task is uploading those addresses to the central public safety who are answering 911 emergencies, so our responders can respond. We also handle land divisions. So when folks come in and they have 10 acres and want to parse that out a couple of sections for the kids, whatever that looks like, that process is initiated through our department. And then I work closely with Public Works and the county manager on planning and the execution of projects, everything from the capital outlay applications to project budget and tracking and completion of these projects."

On current projects, the department is working on the installation of the Upper Mimbres Volunteer Fire Department underground storage tank, as a water reserve in the event of a fire, so tanker trucks can fill up to respond to the emergency. They are also in the process of taking up old asphalt on North Hurley Road to reconstruct the road and install swales to divert surface water and take care of drainage issues. The department is also working on the renovation of the building across the parking lot, the former Aldo Leopold Charter School building, to turn the facility into the Public Safety Building. It will include the re-establishment of a separate driveway. Another project underway is at the Courthouse, which is in the design state. "We have a workshop with six judicial boards a week. We have a firm working on two sets of designs—one for a renovation of the current facility and another that would build a new judicial complex where the old jail was located."

He said they are also in the design phase for Franks and Crum roads. "We at this point have only design funding, but no funding yet for construction. The design will address pinch points, so that two vehicles can pass one another and will address water issues, too, as an area tends to wash out when water crosses the road. We meet with the road superintendents every couple of weeks. We are getting road needs together so we can identify and apply for funding for county road maintenance and repair. We, along with other directors, will attend the New Mexico Counties conference and work with our various affiliates. At the end of the month, Jan, 28, 29, and 30 will be Grant County Days at the legislative session, where we will advocate for our community."

Ponce emphasized that on the Courthouse, he would like to keep the historic aspect of it. "To me, it's preserving what we have without notable exterior changes. Just leave the courthouse in front and sides the way they are. That's part of Grant County. It's always been part of Grant County. Those are my wishes."

Holguin agreed that it should be preserved.

District 2 Commissioner Eloy Medina said residents in Mimbres have concerns about the need for a walking path along Highway 35. "Can you get with the Department of Transportation on that issue?"

Holguin said he didn't know of any DOT plans for that, but he would talk to them.

Ponce agreed on the need for a pathway, "but it's going to take a while to get it done. If we let the state know now, maybe we can get it in 10 or 15 years."

Medina said he worries about the safety of the kids that walk along that road on the way to and from school.

Airport Manager Rebekah Wenger presented the next report. She told the new commissioners that she has served as airport manager for almost 20 years. "I focus on the development and maintenance of the airport's infrastructure. We are an enterprise fund, so I strive to continue to support ourselves. I'm also responsible for assuring that we have a safe and secure airport and that we meet all regulatory requirements. I work closely with the FAA and state aviation division to secure funding for our airport development and maintenance, and I ensure that all airport staff are trained, meeting and exceeding state and federal regulations. The airport has six full time employees. This includes my position, an airfield supervisor, three airfield operations technicians and one administrative position, which is currently vacant. Airport staff are responsible for maintaining airport facilities, grounds ,equipment, as well as serving as airport and rescue firefighters. They're also line service trained so that they can assure our fuel quality and provide aircraft fuel. They also perform daily inspections. The airport itself is 740 acres. It's all fenced, and we have four runways, one is paved, three are dirt, and it's about four miles of runways. We have 16 T-hangars that we rent out to local pilots, and 16,800 square feet of corporate box hangers. And now I want to talk about our commercial air carrier—Advanced Air. Right now we have approximately 9000 enplanements, and an enplanement is when someone gets on a plane and leaves our airport. That's part of how our funding comes from the FFA, and we currently have 24 flights a week."

For her update she said the big project right now is "updating our lighting on our runways to LED, as well as installing taxiway lighting, which will also be LED. Right now we only have reflectors. Part of that is our funding that we were going to have from the FAA. They actually identified additional funding that will allow us to use our bipartisan infrastructure funds that we set aside for this project to update our parking lot. Yay! That's a big one for us, but that's about $750,000 extra dollars. Currently we don't have any lights or parking spaces. When it rains, it floods and it's a mess. So having this project funded, I feel is going to get us to a point where our terminal is updated, a good fuel farm, our runways are in good shape, and our pavement on the airfield is in good shape. Get this project done and we're going to be in really good position for the next decade or so."

She also noted that the staff continues to go through training that is required every two years. They are mostly online courses, which make it easier for the staff.

No one had any questions.

The final county reports came from the director of Public Works, Jason Lockett. He said he has about 24 years in facilities maintenance, with about 8 years in the county. "I'm so happy to be here. My position is responsible for the overall management of 36 employees within the airport, facilities maintenance, the fleet maintenance department, and the road department. I help develop and manage the department budgets, plans and cost estimates for construction and major maintenance projects, ensure safe operating procedures and compliance within all of these areas. I make sure that the laws and regulations are followed. Rebecca just gave her a report for the airport, and I oversee that, also. For the facilities and grounds maintenance, we have 10 employees that consist of one maintenance supervisor, five maintenance technicians, an electrician, two custodians and one shooting safety range officer. And so with that, we have 20 main facilities that we primarily look after. That doesn't count just the number of total buildings that we oversee, but 20 main facilities that we oversee, including four parks from Hachita to North Hurley out to Gila.

"Also moving on to the fleet manager or the fleet maintenance positions. We have one fleet manager position that is open, and there's a total of four employees there, two mechanics, one of those positions is open. And also we have one fleet service worker. We have about 190 vehicles, excluding the volunteer fire department apparatuses that Chief Groves talked about.

"For the Road Department, we have two road supervisors. Our road department has16 total employees, and then we have a carpenter, multiple truck drivers and blade equipment operators and laborers. We maintain 685.6 certified miles of road within the county. We also deal with what Mr. Holguin was talking about, the local government road funds. Those are LGRF funds. We're trying to come up with new ways that we do those projects within the county. The best way to do that is, I think, we're trying to look at all the districts and try not to just pick certain areas, but try to spread the love, per se, through all the districts.

"And so we start talking with all the commissioners and constituents that you guys talk to. We start getting more complaints and things like that. We look around those roads and try to start seeing how we can do better on maintenance in those areas and come up with projects. Also I work with Joseph really closely. Since he's been here, things have been going a lot smoother. But to be truthful, all these people in this room that you heard reports from, we all work together well as a team. And I think they're working really well. And so with you guys' continued support, we will continue to do great things here in Grant County."

For his report for county maintenance, Lockett said current projects include plumbing fixture replacement for the entire administration building, finishing the interior paint job at the courthouse, repurposing and remodeling the holding cell at the courthouse, as well as the Detention Center modular building installation ongoing. Also continuing is the remodel of the general break room for the administration building and installation of a canopy over the Silver Street complex entrance. Future projects include an addition and rework for the Detention Center Laundry room with new washers and dryers, an electrical renovation at the Fairgrounds and a rail system installation at the administration building. He noted the Silver Street complex asphalt project had been completed and the Detention Center modular building pad had been poured.

He noted that 4,150 people had visited the shooting range during 2024.

Lockett also gave the county fleet maintenance report itemizing the oil changes and inspections, diagnoses and repairs, including warranty repairs, the replacement of the cutting edges of one blade and tires repaired or replaced on six units. In December, he worked on quotes for leasing some equipment for the repair and restoration of roads, and he completed a new preventative maintenance agreement with Wagner on the six road blades.

For the Road Department report, he said they continue routine blading on all county roads, as well as cleaning cattle guards, cleaning debris, including trees on roadway, debris around guard rails and bridge approaches. Lockett reported that TG McCauley finished hauling 1000 tons of material to the road department, and culverts have been ordered for the the Joseph Blaine project. For future projects, 1000 tons of material are staged at the entrance to Royal John Mine Road, and a new road entrance, along with fencing is planned for the Forgotten Veterans Memorial to keep vehicles out of the Bataan Memorial Park area.

Medina said the eastern side of his district has a lot of dirt roads. "Thank you for that Wagner contract because that will keep the equipment running. We get a lot of phone calls if those graders aren't moving enough. You're able to monitor that, right?"

"Yes, we have geofencing installed, so we can keep track of how long they idle and how long they are running, so we can make sure we are being as efficient as we can be," Lockett replied. "We may have a blade just sitting there ready for a project, but usually they are moving."

Medina thanked him for information that he could provide to constituents when they call.

The next article will begin the work session review of the regular meeting agenda, as well as decisions made at the regular meeting.

To read the previous articles, please visit https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/grant-county-commission-holds-first-work-session-of-2025-010725-part-1  ; and https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/grant-county-commission-work-session-010725-part-2