[Editor's Note: This is written using the minutes from Silver City Executive Assistant Randy Hernandez.]

Members in attendance:
Alex Brown, Town of Silver City
Charlene Webb, Grant County
Harry Browne, Grant County
Sheila Hudman, Village of Santa Clara
Martha Salas, City of Bayard
Ed Stevens, Town of Hurley

Alto Attending:

Randy Hernandez, Town of Silver City; Diana Temple, SWSWA Office Manager; 
Rheganne Vaughn, Universal Waste Systems
; and Kristy Ortiz, USDA Rural Partners Network Community Liaison

Chairman Brown called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m.

Hernandez conducted roll cal, which determined a quorum was present.

Members approved the agenda

No public was present at this meeting to give input.

Members approved the September 18, 2024, Special Meeting Minutes

Update and discussion related to the operations of the SWSWA

Rheganne Vaugn of Universal Waste System stated that they have been working with the engineers and that they have identified a lack of training with the operators and a loss of airspace in the current cell. Vaughn stated that they have developed a 90-day workplace operations plan that lays out how the cell is going to laid out with depth, compaction, et cetera. She said that both she and Eric Sanchez attended the landfill certification class in Roswell. She also said that they found a gentleman that does landfill consulting and will be on site with Ernie and monitoring the operators and training them.

Brown said that he met with Ernie and went over a lot of suggestions for efficiencies where money could be saved on manpower and wear and tear on equipment. He noted that he and the County Manager would be meeting with him to discuss these items and the need to likely invest in putting compactors at the satellite locations to reduce the need to send the roll-off trucks as often.

He also stated that they continue to work on extending the deadline for the Colonias grant, which is for the design and construction of the next cell. Pending formal concurrence from NMFA.

Ortiz said she has been working on the financials for the last three quarters of Fiscal Year 2024 as well as the new budget for Fiscal Year 2025. She presented financial balances for each of the quarters.

She told the members that the contacted audit firm would be conducting both the FY2023 and FY2024 audits.

She went over each of the financial resolutions and gave the Board a recap of each quarter as well as the budget for Fiscal Year 2025.

Resolutions:
Consideration of Resolution No. 2024-20; Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments Membership Agreement and Dues for Fiscal Year 2024-2025. 
Members approved the membership.

Consideration of Resolution No. 2024-21; Financial Quarterly Report and Budget Adjustments for Period Ending December 31, 2023.

Members approved the financial quarterly reply and budget adjustments for the second quarter.

Consideration of Resolution No. 2024-22; Financial Quarterly Report and Budget Adjustments for Period Ending March 31, 2024.

Members approved the financial quarterly reply and budget adjustments for the third quarter.


Consideration of Resolution No. 2024-23; Financial Quarterly Report and Budget Adjustments for Period Ending June 30, 2024.

Members approved the financial quarterly reply and budget adjustments for the fourth quarter.


Consideration of Resolution No. 2024-24; Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget. 

Members approved the FY2024-25 budget.


Consideration of Resolution No. 2024-25; Financial Quarterly Report and Budget Adjustments for Period Ending September 30, 2024.

Members approved the first quarter financial report and budgets adjustments.

Consideration of Resolution No. 2024-26; Landfill Fees Rate Increase. This item brought discussion.

Brown stated that based on the outstanding cost of budgeted expenditures and to get the SWSWA caught up by the end of the calendar year, a 21% rate increase across all services, which would get the SWSWA to $58.00 per ton and the current rate is $48.00 per ton.

Ed Stevens asked if the projections were overstated, and would the SWSWA have a surplus at the end of the year.

Chairman Brown concurred that is a potential assumption.

Stevens asked if the figures and projects were adequate that the Board would not have to fumble around with negative/position/zero positive balances into the next year and was it possible that the increase could be around 14% or 15% instead of 21%.

Brown responded by saying that as long as the tonnage remains the same as last year, the 21% should generate a little over $400,000. Currently the SWSWA owes the Town of Silver City just over $200,000, and the SWSWA owes the engineers around $60,000 and upcoming monitoring services will be about $50,000 and then the SWSWA will have a $70,000 match for the Colonias grant. Chairman Brown stated that the amount of the increase should be adequate to cover all the costs he mentioned.

He stated that the SWSWA is at a point that it needs to catch up with liabilities and once they catch up, then they can revisit to determine if the rate should be decreased or keep it where it is. Mr. Stevens asked if the projections are correct, then can that "catch up" be achieved over a period of two or three years rather than all in one year, which would reduce the increase to 14%. 


Ortiz wanted to emphasize that the biggest concern is the cash flow coming in, it makes it easier to start paying off some of the debts that are owed. She stated that cash flow is an issue and that some bills are coming in big chunks. 


Brown said that the SWSWA needs to get a rate increase as soon as they possibly can and that he was willing to go back to a 14% percent increase as long as it can get this passed today, because of the biggest chunk that is owed to Silver City and he is willing to wait for that to be paid but he wants to make sure there is enough money to get other things paid. 


Temple noted the SWSWA needs to consider the financial assurance for the cell that will be closing soon and prior to building.

Ortiz emphasized that the rate increase would be effective November 1, 2024.

Brown guaranteed the Board that he will be monitoring the budget closely and if there were any way that the rate can be decreased in the short term, it will be addressed.

The motion carried with 5 Ayes: Brown, Browne, Webb, Hudman, Salas and 1 Nay: Stevens

The Board entered Executive Session in accordance with NMSA 1978 10-15(H)(7): Litigation; Gilbert Garcia v. SWSWA, et al; D608-CV-20323-00311.


No action was taken after returning to public session.

Adjourned