By Mary Alice Murphy
At the Grant County Commission meeting held Thursday, Dec. 11, Daniel Reyes, Western New Mexico University music professor and Bryant Chaffino, adjunct music professor, spoke during public input. Chaffino is on the left and Reyes on the right.
Commission Chairman Brett Kasten lauded them for having music at the football games, and Commissioner Ron Hall said he appreciates it at the basketball games, too.
Chaffino said county resident Juanita Escobedo helped bring music back to Western.
"We are asking for your support of Navidad Ranchera," Chaffino said. "We are planning a new tradition for Western, bringing in a mariachi show about how Christmas is celebrated in Mexico. We will have live traditional mariachi music and ballet folklórico on stage."
He mentioned an El Paso female mariachi group, recognized as one of the top in the Southwest, and Mariachi Raíces de America, for which Chaffino and Reyes are, along with Mike Acosta, the trumpet players. "We have a longtime partnership with Ballet Folklórico Paso del Norte out of El Paso. We in the mariachi group are all classically trained musicians." Another who will be part of the event is male vocalist Antonio Reyna.
"We are proud of this event, which will take place December 20, and would like to bring it to the community annually," Chaffino said. "We didn't have time this year, but next year, we hope to have a posada afterward. There will be two shows, at 2 p.m. and at 7 p.m. at the Fine Arts Center Theatre."
At the request of the commissioners, Reyes and Chaffino broke into traditional mariachi song to the standing-ovation of the commissioners and loud applause from those attending the meeting, including from a few who stuck their heads in from the hall.
Returning to the agenda of business, Linda Vasquez, county financial officer, presented the expenditure report, which can be read at http://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/19078-grant-county-commission-hears-proposal-for-mural-for-business-and-conference-center
Ray Aaltonen of the New Mexico Game & Fish Department gave an update on the deer management program, which has been occurring since 2009.
"We have a three-pronged attack to reduce the number of deer in and around Silver City, so they are not as much of a nuisance to residents or as much of a danger to motorists," Aaltonen said. "The three-pronged approach includes trap and transplant, shooting by Game and Fish personnel, and last year, for the first time, an archery season in a special management zone. The program will continue."
He said since, 2012, 192 deer have been trapped and removed to other areas, "and this is a correction from the Town Council report I gave, 66 have been shot by our personnel." Last year, 36 deer were taken in an archery shoot, which is for those who did not get a buck during archery season and gives them an opportunity to harvest a doe. These are held on private property. "So, with the removal of 294 deer over three years, we are seeing a decrease in deer-vehicle collisions and nuisance complaints. Effectively, we've removed about 500 deer."
To a question about the deer that get hit by vehicles, Aaltonen said the Department of Transportation removes them from the highways. "We try to get to the ones we can, but we can't get to all of them."
Commissioner Gabriel Ramos asked if there were a process that could allow the Sheriff's Office to take the deer, to harvest them and utilize the meat. "I heard that two elk were killed in a vehicle collision in the Mimbres. That was a waste of meat."
"We have written permission with a contractor to pick up the deer," Aaltonen said. "By law, the meat can't be given away, just sold, and we must have a receipt. There are interworkings between agencies."
Kasten noted that anti-donation is only between private and government entities.
Sheriff Raul Villanueva said the way it's being handled is "if we see an injured animal, we call Dispatch, which calls Games & Fish. We prefer to sell the meat to the person who hit the animal."
Aaltonen said his department tries to get the meat to everyone who wants it. There needs to be paperwork that follows the animal.
Hall asked about the archery program. "We have had problems with people sneaking around private property."
"Only hunters in 23 and 24 are eligible for this hunt," Aaltonen said. "They must get written permission to hunt on the private property. We give every hunter a hunt ethics manual."
Hall said a lot of people don't have signs marking their property.
Kasten asked if a list of the properties was available.
Aaltonen said the department directs each individual where to go. "We don't put the list out to the public."
He told the commissioners the department would trap again in February. "The NMSU study is almost done and should be available in May. We are not done with the project, but we are making inroads on the problem."
To a question about if an agency meeting was going to be held in Silver City, Aaltonen said four or five of the six meetings held each year are held outside of Santa Fe, and he would relay the message that Silver City was interested.
Commissioners approved:
• A declaration of a prescriptive easement on Rosedale Road. County Attorney Abigail Robinson said the only thing needed on the plat were the commissioners' signatures;
• A Wind Canyon and Wind Canyon II subdivisions petition to create an assessment district for road improvements. The motion passed with the stipulation that the costs and signatures not be included in the approval;
• The Loma Verde subdivision petition to create an assessment district for road improvements;
• An inventory deletion from the Lower Mimbres Volunteer Fire Department;
• A DWI grant agreement amendment to change categories and expenditures; and
• An agreement with Aging and Long-Term Services Department for a grant of $38,000 to provide meals equipment to county senior centers.
Under resolutions, the commissioners approved the increase to elected officials' salaries. Kasten explained to the Beat that the last time raises were given to elected officials was in 2010. "I went backward and compounded a 1.1 percent increase a year and then did the same through 2018, although in 2016, a raise can be given to those elected for their term to begin Jan. 1, 2017. I averaged that annualized compound interest to be overall a 9.7 percent increase. The state gave us the opportunity of a 15 percent increase, but we did it this way. It is a very fair way of doing it. I would like to keep this process going after I'm out of office."
The salaries beginning Jan. 1, 2015, for the sheriff will be $62,273.59; assessor, $62,643.79; probate judge, $21,911.38; Commission District 1 and 2 will be $24,960.16. Effective Jan. 1, 2017, the clerk's salary will be $62,643.79; treasurer, $62,643.79 and for commission district 3, $24,960.16.
By state statute, no raises can be given to elected officials in the middle of a term.
Three notices of intent to adopt an ordinance were approved. The first is an ordinance that must be brought up and voted on every two years to authorize a tax rebate to benefit low-income property taxpayers. The commissioners approved the NOI, but staff recommended they not approve the ordinance after a public hearing is held in January or February. Two years ago, it was determined that it could be a potential cost of $60,000 to $100,000 a year to the county and could increase exponentially.
The second NOI was to grant a franchise for cable services to Comcast of New Mexico. Five percent of the fees are returned to the county.
The third NOI governs the connection to public sanitary sewer in the extraterritorial area surrounding Silver City, but within Grant County.
A bid was approved to award architectural services to ASA Architects of Las Cruces and Architectural Workshop of Silver City for a two-year contract to provide services to the county.
As the Grant County Indigent and Health Plan Claims Board commissioners approved 71 inmate medical claims for $82,236.61.
County reports will be covered in a separate article combining the county reports from the work session and the regular meeting.
After county reports, the commissioners went into executive session to discuss a limited personnel matter regarding an employee of the Detention Center.