By Mary Alice Murphy
At the Tuesday, April 21, 2015 Grant County Commission work session, the commissioners reviewed the regular meeting agenda for Thursday, April 23, 2015.
A public hearing on a proposed ordinance increasing the size of the Board of Grant County Commissioners to five members will lead off the regular meeting, with other public hearing planned for May, June and July. The ordinance will be considered at the July 23, 2015, commissioners' meeting.
County Financial Officer Linda Vasquez presented the expenditure report for the period ending April 20, 2015. Expenditures totaled $1,550,856.24, with larger expenses being for jet fuel for the airport, engineering services, inmate meals, to Architectural Workshop for business and conference center renovations, a Bank of America lease payment for the Tyrone Volunteer Fire Department pumper, and two payrolls totaling $412,888.47.
The General Fund is estimated to have a cash balance at the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2015, of $2,413,735, minus the required three-twelfths reserve of $2,362,053, leaving a surplus of $51,682.
The Road Fund is anticipated to have a cash balance at the end of the fiscal year of $183,425, minus the required one-twelfth reserve of $137,684, leaving a surplus of $45,741.
The Corrections Fund, which has no required reserve, is projected to have a total projected cash balance of $84,622, and a small surplus of $7,422.
Also on the agenda for the regular meeting is a legislative report from Sen. Howie Morales, and a Silver City & Grant County Tourism, Visitor Center and marketing quarterly report from Silver City Arts & Cultural District Director George Julian Dworin.
Silver City Manager Alex Brown and the town of Silver City will be recognized for donating lights to Bataan Park.
Matt Schultz will give an update on the Gila National Forest Plan.
Two proclamations will be declared-the first declaring April 19-25 as Marine Corps League Week, as the local chapter is hosting the state conference April 24 and 25, and May 5 as Give Grandly, Give Local Day.
Commissioners will approve or disapprove Fire Protection Funds for the 2016 fiscal year for Volunteer Fire Departments at Cliff-Gila, Fort Bayard, Lower Mimbres, Pinos Altos, Santa Rita/Hanover/Fierro, Sapillo Creek, Tyrone, Upper Mimbres and Whiskey Creek.
Out of 10 applicants, seven open positions on the Shooting Range Advisory Board will be named.
Commissioners will consider the transfer title of a utility trailer to Pinos Altos Volunteer Fire and Rescue, the transfer of an ambulance from Sapillo VFD back to Gila Regional EMS, and an inventory deletion from the Lower Mimbres VFD.
Commission Chairman Brett Kasten asked Fire Management Officer Randy Villa if he had gone through the items to make sure nothing was available for others to use.
"Yes, they have been looked at," Villa said.
Commissioners will approve or disapprove:
€¢ An amendment to an agreement between the North Central New Mexico Economic Development District, Non-Metro Area Agency on Aging and Grant county to decrease funding by $34,000;
€¢ A bid for a brush truck body for Whiskey Creek Volunteer Fire Department for a price of $59,935;
€¢ A resolution to authorize the county manager to adopt and approve continuing disclosure compliance procedures for bonds and loans of the county, other matters relating thereto; and ratify actions previously taken in connection therewith; and
€¢ A similar resolution to authorize the county manager to adopt and approve post-issuance tax compliance procedures for tax-exempt bonds and loans of the county.
As the Grant County Indigent and Health Plan Claims Board, the commissioners will consider 55 claims for $40,213.54.
After the public part of the regular meeting, commissioners will go into executive session to discuss county manager goals.
In county reports, Gila Regional Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Brian Cunningham gave his report. "The finances at the end of February showed a financial correction, with a $1.5 million loss. The correction is because of how we calculate revenue. We charge $1, and maybe get 20 cents back, and often with a long time until collection. From time to time, there will be a correction. We didn't spend more or make less. At the end of February, we had a negative $437,000 balance for the year."
"This is a building year," Cunningham said. "We knew we would have larger expenses. We are putting a lot of revenue into IT upgrades and the growth of a physician practice. The good news is that we have 134 days of cash and zero debt. We have implemented multiple parts of our plan. This correction is not a complete surprise. We are confident we can move through this latest challenge quickly. We have the infrastructure to move through challenges. Things are tighter than we thought, and while reimbursement continue to go down, expenses continue to go up."
He said health care is a complex environment.
"Another issue," Cunningham said. "We are constantly looking at all our service lines. For the past couple of months, we have been having a dialogue with the Grant County Community Health Council. It is a significant deal that, most probably, GRMC will not be able to support Health Council staff as of July 1. We still support the Health Council volunteers and programs. We picked up support of the council when the state pulled Health Council funding."
In other news, he said the Gila Family Medicine practice with Dr. John Stanley and Nurse Practitioner Cynthia Moreno is doing well. Last Saturday, the GRMC Auxiliary participated in the Woman's Club Outreach Day.
"I want to remind you the GRMC Golf Classic will take place June 13," Cunningham said. "Brett Kasten will have a team. Please call Mike McMillan to participate. The GRMC Foundation will participate in Give Grandly. And for the Tour of the Gila, we will supply EMS services and man the First Aid tents."
Commissioner Ron Hall asked if trends in the state and nationally showed the same things happening in other similar hospitals.
"Last week I attended the New Mexico Hospital Association's annual meeting," Cunningham said. "New Mexico rural hospitals are struggling with the same issues. They are extremely challenged. We will use the NMHA to advocate at the state and federal levels. There has been talk about initiating bundling, but it will depend on the outcomes. People won't be penalized, but hospitals will be penalized. We are focused on quality and partnerships."
"Has there been discussion on speeding up reimbursements?" Hall asked.
"There has been a lot of discussion and advocacy on the issue, as well as managing populations," Cunningham said. "We have to get better quality and be more efficient."
"Now that the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented, how many more people are on the insurance rolls?" Kasten asked.
"A significant amount," Cunningham replied. "More are on the New Mexico insurance rolls, but sole community provider payment goes away. For the hospital, it's a net decrease. The deductibles and co-pays go up, and people can't pay them, so that's more bad debt for us."
Detention Center Administrator Mike Carillo gave his report for March 19-April 16. "We have two vacancies and are receiving applications."
He said he has officers, including himself, going to a three-day training conference on handling gangs, and other officers are going to a training for special needs inmates.
"The inmate support bill was not signed, but we continue with the program," Carillo said. "The average daily population was 52, seven less than last month. Inmates are incarcerated for 9.26 days on average. We have had a slight increase in length since January."
Kasten noted that the Silver City Police Department is changing the way it does business.
"Yes, we are seeing a decline in the number of municipal arrests," Carillo said.
"Will it affect our revenue?" Kasten asked. Carillo said it might.
"Right now we have 48 inmates, with 21 felonies and 43 misdemeanors," Carillo said.
Randy Villa, public works director and fire management officer, said the Wildland-Urban Interface fire conference was successful, with 110 registered from all over the state and 150 attendees.
He said a meeting was set to get the Santa Rita VFD station built. He reported 45,000 gallons of jet fuel had been sold, and "we have a refueler for av (aviation) gas in place, so if there is a fire incident, we are ready with fuel."
In public works, he said a lot of people were using the fields. "We have placed two restrooms at Bataan Park."
Hall asked about construction at the airport. Villa said it is complete, and a new septic system was installed, because the old one was clogged and couldn't be opened. "The runway is in process for 2016. We are working on a request for proposal for architectural services."
Activities will pick up at the Business and Conference Center. "We will have overtime costs with lots of graduation parties. The center will be shut down by August 1."
He noted there has been vandalism around county facilities. "We will have a new agreement for entities using the center after the re-opening. I would like to thank the sheriff for being pro-active."
Earl Moore, road superintendent said his department was busy patching roads and receiving chips for chip-sealing certain roads.
Sheriff Raul Villanueva said his office is preparing for the Tour of the Gila and graduations. "We've been busy, and with summer coming, it will be busier. I thank my staff for everything they do every day putting their lives on the line."
Assessor Raul Turrieta said April is Trails Month, and he has participated in Senior Olympics and Earth Day.
"Notices of valuation will be mailed April 30," Turrieta said. "I will attend the Assessors' conference April 23 and 24. We are rewriting the job description. I am hiring more appraisers. The retired mapper and my deputy assessor got the deed titles up to date. Mapping is now under the planning department, and I hope they will not fall behind. If the county is not in compliance, the state will take over the department at the county's expense."
Treasurer Steve Armendariz said he had been unable to print his latest report, as there was a "glitch in the system. They will be doing a patch tonight. We are in the process of collecting the second half taxes, which are due no later than May 10."
County Manager Charlene Webb said she and Financial Officer Linda Vasquez are working on the budget and plan to have a preliminary budget ready in May. "Most departments issued flat budgets, for which I thank them. We soon start union contract negotiations. I have had dialogue with the Health Council to be the fiscal agent. Discussions continue."
Kasten asked about the email received on the Secure Roads federal funding.
"Figures don't seem to be available," Webb said. "We are hoping to receive $250,000 to $275,000 based on the estimated decrease in funding. We received more than $300,000 last year."
The regular meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday, April 23, at the Grant County Administration Center.