By Mary Alice Murphy

The first item of business for the Tuesday, Dec. 9 Grant County Commission work session was a presentation of a proposal by Serina Pack for a mural for the Grant County Veterans Memorial Business and Conference Center.

Pack shared with the commissioners a video presentation on her proposed mural, Give a Hand of Service. For the project, people made handprints of service in clay.

"The large mural is a tree of life, with the trunk being handprints of veterans and the branches and leaves, handprints of children," Pack said in the video. "It would be about 12-feet wide and 9-feet high. The background would be professionally painted by my mother, Sabrina Pack, and my grandmother, Sabra Humphrey, and me. The funding for the project came through a grant to inspire youth to give hands in service.

"My vision is to have a mural of the handprints in Silver City," Serina Pack said in the video.

"I would like for it to be at the Grant County Veterans Memorial Business and Conference Center," she told commissioners. "It would thank veterans for their service."

Commission Chairman Brett Kasten said the mural would be needed within the next few weeks. "I don't know if it will fit."

Commissioner Gabriel Ramos asked: "What if it won't fit?"

"It is 9 feet tall and 12-feet wide, but the width of the painting behind the mural can be shortened," Serina Pack said.

"We also need room for things that veterans want put into the facility," Ramos said.

"When we are in the planning stages, which will be soon, we need to make sure the architect knows what he will be working toward," Commissioner Ron Hall said. "As Gabe said, the veterans have also asked for things.

"Thank you for your presentation and thank you to the veterans for being here," Hall said.

County Manager Charlene Webb said there were no changes to the agenda for the regular meeting on Thursday at 9 a.m. at the Grant County Administration Center.

Linda Vasquez, county financial officer, gave the expenditure report, which ended on Dec. 8.

The total expenditures of $1,549,351.97 included two payrolls for a total of $427,179.35; a lease payment for a fire truck to Bank of America for $22,947.37; a payment for October inmate indigent claims to Gila Regional Medical Center; $14,045 for November inmate medical management; a $17,000 small accounts assistance payment to correct an overpayment from the Department of Finance and Administration; $174,655.27 for the airport runways slurry sealing project completion; and $4,900 to the Sheriff's Office for the boot allowance.

The General Fund is expected to have a surplus at the end of the fiscal year, June 30, of $796,811, but that varies as revenues come in, and projected transfers in and out change.

The Road Fund at present has a negative balance because transfers will be made this month. The Corrections Fund also has not yet received its projected transfers.

During new business, New Mexico Game & Fish Department will give a report on the deer management program in Grant County.

Commissioners will consider a declaration of a prescriptive easement on Rosedale Road. "This is the last step for the Colonias Infrastructure Fund request," County Attorney Abigail Robinson said. "A plat will be before you showing the road and where we're declaring the easement. It should allow us to go into the next phase and complete the $600,000 grant."

A Wind Canyon and Wind Canyon II subdivision petition to create an assessment district will come before the commission. Webb said the petition has enough signatures. "On the petition it has the cost estimates. We will ask you to approve the petition for the assessment district, but not the cost estimates, which we didn't want on the petition and may change."

The Loma Verde petition to create an assessment district will also come before the commissioners for approval.

"The next phase for both petitions is a notice of hearing and the cost estimates for the projects," Webb said. "Because we only have one meeting this month and one in January, it will likely be on a February agenda.

Another item for consideration is an inventory deletion request from the Lower Mimbres Volunteer Fire Department.

Two agreements are on the agenda. One is an amendment to the DWI Program, decreasing some employee services and increasing some contract services.

The second agreement is with the Aging and Long-term Services Department for $38,000 for meals equipment for county senior centers. "This was allocated in 2013, " General Services Director Randy Villa said. "The list is on the back of the application, with provisions that all property notification be made to the DFA, once one of the general obligation bond's money gets to us."

Several resolutions are up for approval or disapproval.

A resolution will address elected officials' salaries. It will allocate a 1½ percent increase to newly elected officials on Jan. 1.

Webb said there are two options. Hall, who will not receive an increase, because he is in the middle of his term, said he thought it was appropriate to give the same increase to elected officials as will be given to employees.

Kasten noted the price of copper is down and the price of oil and gas is down, so he is concerned about the availability of funding later this year.

Webb said the commissioners could decide not to approve it at this time or could say it will go into effect, for instance, in August. "Jan. 1 is by statute, but you can make it go into effect later in the year."

Ramos said, when he was county clerk, the commission took away a raise that had been given. Vasquez explained that was done by resolution to decrease employees' and electeds' salaries, due to the dire straits the county was in financially. "The raise was written in stone in the resolution, so the commission passed another resolution to negate it."

Kasten said generally the raise is on a four-year average, and the commission could go to an eight-year average. "I hope we can come to consensus before Thursday's meeting."

A notice of intent to adopt an ordinance authorizing a tax rebate to benefit low-income property taxpayers will be considered by the commissioners. Robinson explained why it didn't pass last year. "Last time, we estimated it would cost $60,000 to $100,000 and can balloon over the years."

Kasten confirmed that the issue has to be considered every two years whether to approve the ordinance or not.

Hall said: "If the legislators want to do this, they should pay it themselves."

Another notice of intent will address an ordinance granting a franchise for cable services to Comcast of New Mexico LLC. Robinson said the agreement had expired, but very little had changed in the new agreement, with the same 5 percent of income to be disbursed.

"But we're not allowed to have franchise agreements with utilities and the power company," Kasten remarked.

An additional notice of intent to adopt an ordinance will be considered. It governs the connection to the public sanitary sewer in the extraterritorial area surrounding the town of Silver City, within Grant County. Specifically, it addresses a grant that would allow the town to expand the sewer system to 162 residents in the Ridge Road area. "It would also allow the abandonment of septic systems, so it requires an ordinance," Webb explained.

Robinson said the grant would allow a fee waiver that is specific to this area because septic contamination is a problem. "It also includes everyone in the ETZ if the residence is within 300 feet of the Silver City sewer system."

"These ordinances can be viewed at the Clerk's Office," Robinson said.

The final resolution under consideration by the commissioners at the regular meeting is to approve and adopt the 2014 Grant County Emergency Operations Plan, which Emergency Manager Gilbert Helton has been working on for months, according to Webb.

A bid will be approved or disapproved at the Thursday meeting. The request for proposal sought architectural services. Webb said two are recommended because of the workload. They include AFA Architects of Las Cruces and Architect Workshop of Silver City. "We recommend another four-year contract."

As the Grant County Indigent and Health Plan Claims Board, commissioners will consider $82,236.61 of medical claims, which are paid out of the 1/8 percent gross receipts tax increment set aside for indigent care.

County reports will follow in another article.