Photo: Grant County Commissioners approve a proclamation naming October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Presenting and receiving the proclamation are from left, Commissioner Gabriel Ramos, El Refugio Inc. board members, Maria Dominguez and Sheriff Raul Villanueva, Commission Chairman Brett Kasten, Sen. Howie Morales, El Refugio manager, Rachel Sierra, and Commissioner Ron Hall.

Editor's Note: This is the first in a series of articles.

Photo and Article by Mary Alice Murphy

The combined Grant County Commission work and regular sessions made for a long meeting on Oct. 7, 2014. Public input was sought and received for the essential air service recommendation to the U.S. Department of Transportation to provide subsidized air service to Grant County Airport.

The main topic bringing discussion was a resolution in support of the allocation of water connected to the Arizona Water Settlements Act and the identification of the Gila/San Francisco Water Commission as the Central Arizona Project entity to contract for the water, if a New Mexico Unit is constructed.

During public input, the first speaker was Allyson Siwik, Gila Conservation Coalition executive director. "I will speak on the AWSA resolution. We are about six weeks away from an Interstate Stream Commission decision. I'm not sure how much you've been kept in the loop. The former ISC director, Norman Gaume, a hydrologist and engineer, has talked about the fatal flaws of a proposal made to the ISC. He inadvertently received a copy of the model used, as a result of an Information of Public Record Act request. The model shows no water to low amounts being available."

"If you look at the Bureau of Reclamation costs and factor in operating costs, the amount reaches $1.1 billion for the project, which will yield little to no water. It will impact at least six endangered species," Siwik said. "You want to make sure to peruse the figures before you approve this resolution. I have copies being delivered, and as soon as I receive them, I will present them to you."

She noted that the Gila/San Francisco Water Commission rarely even has a quorum to conduct business. "This resolution would put hundreds of millions of dollars in the hands of this group. I respectfully ask you to disapprove this resolution and that you support a non-diversion alternative."

Ronnee-Sue Helzner, retired hydrologist and fisheries biologist for the Gila National Forest, said she participated for about four years in the AWSA stakeholders' group meetings. "High flows are infrequent. These are the flows that create our long-term channel structure and function. There is a lot of money involved and a lot of money available for non-diversion alternatives. $66 million is a substantial amount. Even with the second amount for constructing a unit, which could reach $62 million, there are a variety of ways to use the 14,000 acre-feet of water that do not impair the structure and function of the river. A dam or diversion will cost not only construction dollars, but will also create intangible impacts to the river."

"The past has taught us that development comes with irreversible impacts," she continued. "The future of our children, grandchildren and the river dictates the wisest course of action being not to develop the water. Think hard about the alternatives."

Stephanie Smith, president of the local chapter of the national organization Great Old Broads for Wilderness, said she chuckled about the CAP entity, because she remembers her grandparents talking about the Central Arizona Project when it began. All the cottonwoods were cut down, so the trees wouldn't drink the water. "The result was that things got hotter, and there was no wildlife habitat left. It also caused the evaporation to get worse. Their intentions were good, but they did a lot of harm. I plead with you not to make the same mistake."

Brent Myrick said at a previous meeting of the ISC and Reclamation, it was said that the models were basing data on 1968 flows. "I understand the river and its flows, but the bottom line is that it does not support taking this much water. The gauge flows are measured every day. There is not enough for a project to be viable."

Going back to the agenda, Commission Chairman Brett Kasten introduced Sen. Howie Morales, Silver City Mayor Michael Morones, and Silver City Town Councilor Guadalupe Cano, as being in the audience.

Linda Vasquez, county financial officer, gave the expenditure report of $1,773,201.17, which included 398 checks for $1,353,958.39, as well as two large pay periods of more than $200,000 each and two smaller payments, for $419, 242.78, Expenditures included the January-June safety net care pool cost of $204,000, payment to the safety net care pool for the first quarter of the fiscal year of $26,000, $73,000 to Mira Loma Construction for the fair exhibit building addition, $27,801 to Engineers Inc. for the North Hurley drainage Colonias project, as well as a $50,107 payment to NM General Services Department.

In the cash flow analysis, she said the General Fund projected cash balance at the end of the fiscal year, June 30, 2015, should be $2,520,969, minus the required three-twelfths cash reserve of $2,363,053, leaving a $158,916 surplus. For the Road Fund, the projected balance would be $138,101, minus the required one-twelfth cash reserve of $137,684, leaving a surplus of $417.

The Corrections Fund has no required reserve and has a projected cash balance of $0.

Commissioners approved a proclamation naming October Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Commissioner Ron Hall, who made the motion to approve, said: "It is important for all of us to be aware of what is going on in the community." Commissioner Gabriel Ramos said: "I proudly second the motion."

The next item of business was to approve the commission's recommendation for an essential air service provider to the community. Kasten asked Morales to speak to the issue.

"I thank you, chairman, for being the spokesman for the community," Morales said. "I also want to recognize Commissioner Ron Hall. I see you as the founder of the domestic violence services we have today."

He also thanked the local municipalities and the county for working together on the essential air service issue, as well as Priscilla Lucero, Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments executive director for bringing them and the applicants together.

"If we had not come together, we would have had no services, because there were no proposals," Morales explained. "Lucero made calls to the airlines and asked them to submit applications. I look for safety, reliability and affordability."

He said the biggest item for most people would be the destination at a price they can afford. "I personally would like to see the destination be Albuquerque. One applicant said it would be open to flights to Phoenix, in addition to Albuquerque. I hope we can work it out for both destinations. Whatever the (U.S.) Department of Transportation decides, I feel comfortable we had had an opportunity to give input."

"From the hospital end, which I am also representing today, because I work there, we see benefits of transportation to and from Albuquerque," Morales continued. "Right now, the hospital charters flights to come in from Albuquerque with medical personnel. Gila Regional Medical Center spends about $350,000 annually for these charter flights. Affordable and reliable flights to Albuquerque would reduce the hospital's cost and raise the quality of care."

Kasten, in a brief overview of the process, said the county had received no proposals, with the deadline looming, so the mayors and managers got together and got Lucero to call carriers and ask for proposals. "We had meetings, where we heard their spiels, including safety records, where they wanted to fly, their equipment, number of seats and costs. (County Manager) Charlene (Webb) called the airports that had the specific airlines."

Mitch Hellman, local business owner, said he would tell who shouldn't be chosen. "On the Internet, I turned up that one receives $58 million in EAS subsidies, more than any of the others. It also has by far the lowest first-year pilot salaries at $14,000. I wouldn't want to fly in an airplane where the pilot makes less than a school bus driver."

He said he had heard the discussion about whether it should be Albuquerque or Phoenix, "but my belief is the one we shouldn't use is not going to Albuquerque. Consider not recommending Great Lakes Airlines. Forty-two percent of its revenue comes from essential air service. Any one of the other three are fine. If possible, if a person cannot get out on a flight out of Silver City, could the airline provide a shuttle service to get people to Albuquerque?"

Arthur "Art" Martinez, retired Western New Mexico University professor said he was already on record about air service. "A large majority of the feedback reflects the following preferences for essential air service. ... I hope your listening to us will bring about a contractual decision for air service. We decided early on that we didn't want Great Lakes. Two stand out. None is perfect, but Boutique Airlines or Mokulele seem to be the safest, most capable and most reliable. We must not fail to place or meet the essential needs of the public first and foremost."

Vicki Johnson, founder of First Born, gave the reasons for flights between Silver City and Albuquerque; "without Albuquerque, it is a long distance to medical care; without Albuquerque, we are isolated from our seat of government, Santa Fe; without Albuquerque, some have had to quit business contracts; Hidalgo Medical Services uses University of New Mexico medical faculty, so without Albuquerque, there is a lack of medical faculty. There is no option during inclement weather."

Susie Trujillo of GRMC project development asked the commissioners to support Albuquerque. "My family and I have used it before and will use it again. I think essential air service should stay within the state."

Morones told Kasten that he had "extreme appreciation of your taking this on and that we are united. What I've heard articulated is that people want to go to Albuquerque. Some still have the theory of economic benefit of going to Phoenix, but the two-year experiment has been a dismal failure. Phoenix airport is hard to navigate and the destination has not turned into an economic benefit. We need good governmental ties to Albuquerque and Santa Fe and that will also get us our medical needs. We want to get the best service we can."

"We, Justin Reese, airport manager, and I made several phone calls," Webb said. "I talked to Clovis, which recently went with Boutique Air. They had nothing but wonderful comments."

"I heard negative feedback on the others," Reese said. "We strongly recommend Boutique Air."

Kasten noted that the approval letter to the DOT is just a recommendation. "The DOT does not have to take our recommendation and can decide what it wants to do. That's what happened last time."

Most of the rest of the agenda will be covered in the next article, with the exception of the water issue item and county reports.