[Editor's Note: This is the third of a series of articles on the Feb. 6, 2024, Grant County Commission work session. This concludes the director reports.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

At the Feb. 6, 2024 Grant County Commission work session, commissioners heard from county directors.

Jason Lockett, facilities maintenance and grounds supervisor, presented the next report. Under current projects he said they were remodeling the back bathroom behind the Commissioners' Chambers. The courthouse fire alarm install was at 90 percent completion. He also noted his department was working on addressing and completing deficiencies found in the safety inspection that was conducted Dec. 7 with James Chavez from New Mexico Counties. Lockett also showed photos of the new drainage grating behind the Administration Center and other photos of the various projects underway.

Future projects include the Detention Center reconfiguration of the laundry room along with washer upgrades; Bataan Park electrical upgrade to the Pavilion and the vault toilets; Bataan Park drainage project after a site visit with the engineers; ceiling tile replacement at Ace Hardware now that the roof replacement has been completed; and a new electric heater for the Pavilion at Bataan Park.

Lockett noted the Detention Center door sliders and closures will be replaced in February. The Detention Center HVAC replacement is complete, as are the Tu Casa lift station repairs.

"I want to thank Mr. Andazola and his staff for their help with the HVAC replacement," Lockett said. "There's a lot of foresight that goes into the planning for inmate security. It went smoothly. I also want to thank my staff, especially my electrician, who spent some long days there."

He commented on the drainage system behind the Administration Center. "There's a natural spring back there that runs toward the west. There was old grating there that wasn't working well, so we replaced it."

District 1 Commissioner and Chair Chris Ponce said he thought drainage projects had already been done at Bataan Park.

Lockett said the first project was only 60 percent completed.

County Manager Charlene Webb said it was a money issue. "Having the engineers look at it helped. We hope to utilize some funding we have to fix these problems on the fields."

The next report came from Planning Director Randy Hernandez. [Editor's Note: Because of the number of projects, this author has copied the information from the commissioners' packet. The capitalized words indicate the entity funding the project. BOP stands for beginning of project, indicating the location. EOP - end of project.]

The current projects include:

COLONIAS
• Little Walnut Road Phase 1 (Const.): Construction at 97% completion and set to achieve final completion by February 2024.BOP: Trail Ridge, EOP: Tanglewood Circle.
• Crum Road (Design): Design phase in progress.
• Franks Road (Design): Design phase in progress.
• North Hurley Road Phase 3 (Const.): Working on obtaining
work permits from property owners.

DEPT. OF FINANCE AND ADMIN.
• Bataan Park Veterans Memorial Walking Path: Design is 100% complete. Bid to be released in February 2024.
• Hamilton Bridge Replacement (Design): Design and permitting in progress. Anticipated completion by June 2024.

NM DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION
• Fleming Tank Road Improvements: Construction is 89% complete and final completion by February 2024.
• Truck Bypass Road (Const.): Construction at 85% completion and set to achieve final completion by March 2024. BOP/EOP: Entire Road

OTHER
• Courthouse Needs Assessment: Preliminary design plans in review. Presentation scheduled for March 2024 Work Session.
• EDA Grant: Free workforce development trainings; registration is open.
• Old Jail Brownfields Project: Working on bidding documents.
• Upper Mimbres VFD Water Storage Tanks: Currently in the bidding process, due on 2/29/24. Anticipated award in March 2024.

Hernandez said he would continue to work with Interim Fire Management Officer Scot Fuller on the VFD project. He also noted that the county had received a Quality of Life grant for $480,000 to replace turf on the Bataan Park fields, which would not be affected by the drainage construction.

Future projects include:
• Ridge Road Improvements - Phase II Construction • 0.85 Miles; Estimated Cost: $2.3M Colonias Application
• Arenas Valley Road Improvements – Phase II Construction • Estimated Cost: $3.5M Colonias and/or NMDOT TPF (transportation Pooled funding)
• Little Walnut Road Improvements – Phase II Construction 2.58 Miles; Estimated Cost: $6.8M Colonias and/or NMDOT TPF
• Comprehensive Plan Update

Hernandez noted that several action items were on the agenda for approval at the regular meeting. They include:

• Agreement No. A-24-07; DFA Economic Recovery Fund for computer lab at Conf. Center; $100K. 
• • Agreement No. A-24-08; ALTSD Capital Appropriation for Mimbres Senior Center Vehicle; $38K.
• Resolutions (3): Colonias Authorization Submission for Ridge Road, Arenas Valley Road and Little Walnut Road Improvements.

The final county director report came from Road Superintendent Joe Grijalva. He said his blade men have taken advantage of the recent moisture for routine road maintenance. "Our road crew is addressing complaints as they come in. They are also working on finishing the special projects on Little Walnut and starting on Noonday. Because the roads are saturated, our crews starting trimming trees to prepare for the chip seal season. All our new blades are in, equipped with communication radios and are already out in the field being used."

He noted that one special project of a water crossing had been completed at Noonday with work starting on a second water crossing on Noonday Canyon Rod. "We have to lift sections of the road and set culverts."

Grijalva said he had received the environmental reports for the two bridges that need work, one  at Lake Roberts and one on Royal John Mine Road. "I have to get a couple of estimates on dirt removal for them. So I hope to have that complete by the end of the month so we can get started on them."

He said sediment needed to be removed from both before the work begins.

Members of the Road Department that day were attending the 2024 New Mexico pipeline safety program at the Conference Center. "It's a pretty important training for us, because our shop is basically on a pipeline. We get a lot of information on how to deal with a lot of scenarios, from a bomb threat to leaks."

District 2 Commissioner Eloy Medina said he had forgotten a question for Fuller. "On the IPAWS (integrated public alert and warning system), will you be giving the municipalities access, too?"

Fuller said as soon as he becomes more familiar with the system, he will be reaching out to the municipalities.

Medina said he had Bayard and Hurley reach out to him because they wanted some sort of alert system, so "please reach out to them."

The next article will begin the review of the regular meeting agenda at the work session.

To read the previous articles, please visit https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/82709-grant-county-commission-work-session-020624 ; and https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/82762-grant-county-commission-work-session-020624-part-2 .