Editor's Note: This is part 3 of a multi-part series. This article covers  two more of the local government presentations—Bayard and Hurley.

By Mary Alice Murphy

Kristy Ortiz, city of Bayard clerk, representing Bayard, began by saying:
"the mayor sends his apologies, as he is under the weather."

"The city of Bayard is holding steady on our projects," Ortiz reported. "We have no new projects to request, but we ask for an additional allocation for the cemetery. We will complete $200,000 in expenditures, with, starting next week, the installation of the entry gate, and we will complete it with a canopy over the service area.

"Our No. 2 request is for purchase of police units," Ortiz said. "We have three or four that are aging. We ask for $100,000."

She said Bayard, too, has other barriers, with the city having problems with reimbursements from DFA. "We are waiting for $120,000-$130,000 for the cemetery. Any help you can give us to alleviate this would help."

She reported the wastewater project would be substantially completed in January.

"We were allocated $234,000 last year, but we're having trouble getting the agreement from the New Mexico Environment Department," Ortiz said. "We are waiting for them to send back the signed agreements."

"I hope the mayor is feeling better," Sen. Howie Morales said. "How about them Indians (getting into football state championship finals)?

"What about paying for the canopy?" he asked.

"We will pull $20,000 from the general fund," Ortiz said. "It will cost about $30,000 for the canopy."

"It was $800,000 for the cemetery?" Morales clarified, to which Ortiz said yes.

"Next will be the line from the wastewater treatment plant to the cemetery and then fencing and landscaping," Ortiz said. "We have enough plots."

Morales asked if the city were eligible for USDA funding.

Ortiz said the city is just waiting for the signed agreements.

"And colonias funding?" Morales asked.

"We may request reauthorization of the colonias," Ortiz replied. "The engineers got a lot of data, so some of the work may not need to be done. Maybe we can use the funding to drill a new well. Our other wells are performing adequately."

Representative-elect John Zimmerman asked: "Are you coordinating efforts? Has there been any discussion about getting Fort Bayard water rights?"

"The effort has begun on other efforts," Ortiz said. "Silver City is working on getting water from its well field at the airport to Hurley and then a loop around the county through Bayard and Santa Clara to Silver City.

Priscilla Lucero, Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments executive director, said: "There are ongoing issues with Hanover. We looked at transporting water from Fort Bayard to Hanover, but Fort Bayard is in a critical block, and it is difficult to transfer water from a critical block.

"The preliminary engineering plan is nearing completion fro enough water from the airport to Silver City," Lucero said.

Zimmerman asked again: "Any effort to transfer the water from Fort Bayard?"

"One issue is that the water is on state property," Lucero replied. "In a discussion with the Office of the State Engineer, I learned it is almost impossible to transfer the water. I don't know if it's addressed in the PER for the regional water supply."

"Impossible is not a word in my vocabulary," Zimmerman said. "The need is there and we need to get the communities involved."

"We have a Grant County Water Commission to look at issues like this," Lucero said. "It seems simple, but it isn't. We've looked at it for about 10 years."

Morales noted a new state engineer could be coming in.

"Bayard does provide emergency water to Hanover," Ortiz said. "For the past couple of weeks, Hanover's wells have been providing a bit more water."

Hurley Mayor Edward Encinas and Town Clerk Martha Salas, representing Hurley, gave the next presentation.

"The swimming pool got the agreement," Encinas said in his update. "Engineers are doing the design and planning. The bond soon goes out for the cemetery.

"We are asking for funding for the Community Center, which offers lunches to senior citizens," he continued. "We need to upgrade, by purchasing a commercial refrigerator and replacing the stove for $150,000. It's for our seniors and they are appreciative of having the lunches there.

"Our No. 2 priority is for law enforcement," he said. "We have two 2006 and two 2008 vehicles. One we had to have towed yesterday. We would like at least two of the vehicles replaced.

"On the water project, we are working with Freeport (McMoRan Inc.) on getting permission for a water line, which will cross Freeport land," he concluded.

"Are you having trouble with reimbursements?" Zimmerman asked.

Salas replied and said the municipality has no issues.

"We appreciate that your staff has been consistent," Morales said. "Do you have enough for the cemetery? And enough for heating the children's swimming pool?

Encinas said the town was getting solar panels for the pool.

"Where do you stand on water?" Morales asked.

"We got planning money, but to complete the project from the airport will require $11 million," Encinas replied. "We have to phase it in."

Priscilla Lucero, Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments executive director, said: "They are doing engineering and design. It's not appropriate to get Colonias funding for construction. It will take multiple funding sources—USDA and Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund are other possibilities.

"It will take a match, and a legislative allocation could be the match," Morales said.

"There are improvements that have been done that Hurley can use as a match, but not until the engineering and design are done," Lucero said. "The most you can get from USDA is $2 million and from Colonias, $1 million. From the revolving loan fund, a bit more."

"Our goal is to have water by 2018," Encinas said. "Freeport was going to raise our rates in 2016, but we signed an agreement to extend them to 2018."

"Can we access the Area Agency on Aging for the refrigerator and stove?" Morales asked.

"I think maybe we can," Lucero replied. "The facility also has code deficiencies that need to be resolved. They have been resolved short-term, but not long-term. They are critical for improving the facility. Other senior citizens centers have used capital outlay for equipment."

"If it's capital outlay, it can also be used for the facility improvements," Morales said.

Note: This article is taken directly from a transcript this writer is paid to deliver to the Prospectors each year for them to put the differently formatted information into the legislators' notebooks to be used during the legislative session and throughout the year.