By Mary Alice Murphy

Michael Sharp, Research and Polling Inc. vice president, in an overview of the process to go from three to five commissioners gave an overview of what he has produced for the commissioners at a public hearing during the Grant County Commission regular meeting held Thursday morning at the County Administration Center.

Commission Chairman Brett Kasten said this was the third public hearing on the issue of whether the commissioners should change from their current three members to a five-member commission. "We will hold the last public hearing and vote to approve the change or not at our July 23 regular meeting. We could also choose which plan."

Sharp said he was asked by the county to come up with several plans for the redistricting. He pointed to the current districts and maps of plans A, B, and C.

"I have gone through these plans in much detail at previous hearings," Sharp said. "Going from three to five commissioners is a big change. Each commissioner currently has about 9,800 people in his district. With five, each commissioner would have about 5,900. When we created the redistricting plans, we kept all precincts intact. All plans meet the constitutional and statutory requirements."

Kasten opened the meeting to public input, with a two-minute comment period for each speaker.

John Song, Food Policy Council co-chairman, said the council had had considerable discussion on the issue. "We are in favor of a five-member commission. The population is about the same as when I lived here in the 70s. It makes sense to have the rural population represented, especially with the increased interest in small farming." He asked about the difference in numbering in similar plans.

Sharp explained that it was to avoid confusion. "We put 1, 2 and 3 on the districts that the current representatives live in. It was arbitrary to put 4 and 5 on other districts. The boundaries are different, because you will be losing about 4,000 in population from each district."

Commissioner Ron Hall said some people were commenting on Plan C, District 4 and the sliver of land in it.

Ronnee-Sue Helzner, Pinos Altos resident, said it seems to her to be a numbers game rather giving representation to diversity interests.

"For instance, it surprised me that Silver Acres was not in with Silver City," Helzner said. "One plan has Pinos Altos with Cottage San and Little Walnut, which makes sense as they are in the same fire protection district. Plan C adds Silver Acres as a bedroom community to Silver City. I support having representation for diverse common interests."

Donna Stevens, speaking as a resident, said she prefers five members, "because maybe I will get some representation on this commission."

James Baldwin, speaking on his own behalf, said going to five members would cost money. "Where will it come from? Where is the extra $100,000 coming from for discretionary funding?"

Commissioner Gabriel Ramos said he had been asked that at the previous meeting and answered it. "The same $150,000 of discretionary funding would be divided among the five commissioners, rather than three."

"Where will the salaries and benefits come from?" Baldwin asked.

"That will be on the budget for the year after this upcoming one," Kasten said.

"I feel like I have been well represented by the three," Baldwin said, "and I've been attending meetings since they were in the courthouse. I don't want to pay for bigger government. Can you have four?"

Kasten said the only options were three or five.

Frances Vazquez, Grant County Democratic Party chairwoman, said the party held an open meeting on the five-member commission. "We felt Plan C best met the requirements. At your meeting in May, Shelby Hallmark spoke in favor of the five-member commission. It will provide greater access to this body, with a smaller cohort for each representative."

Starr Belsky, resident, said she would like the plans to be posted on the website. Hall pointed out that the plans have been and will continue to be posted in the lobby of the Administration Center. Belsky said many prefer digital access.

Linda Pafford from the Mimbres said she had a preference for Plan C, although it was not perfect. "It keeps downtown intact and it separates Pinos Altos from Cliff-Gila, which have disparate populations."

Candace Mean said: "Whether there are three or five, if you vote for the JPA (the New Mexico Central Arizona Project Entity joint-powers agreement), maybe we need three or five new commissioners."

Kyle Johnson, county resident, said he preferred a five-person commission, and said he didn't like the composition of this commission. He began to talk about the JPA and Kasten cut him off, saying he was not on topic.

The meeting moved to the issue of the CAP Entity, of which you can see a comprehensive report at http://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/22657-grant-county-commissioners-hear-hours-of-public-input-on-jpa

Commissioners continued, after approving the JPA, to address the remaining items on the agenda.
County Financial Officer Linda Vasquez presented the expenditure and financial reports.
Expenditures for the month since the last meeting in May were $2,168,284.02, of which two payrolls amounted to $429,807.28. Some of the larger expenditures were to the Solid Waste Authority for about $41,000; to New Mexico State University Extension for the quarterly payment of $16,250; gross receipts taxes to the state for $270,000; and to New Mexico Human Services Department for the fourth quarter safety net care pool for $99,000.

The final fiscal year quarterly report for the Silver City Arts and Cultural District has been rescheduled for the July 23 regular meeting.

Commissioners approved contracts and agreements, including:
€¢ A request to serve as the fiscal agent for the Grant County Community Health Council;
€¢ The reappointment of Teresa Dahl-Bredine and a new appointment of Susan Eichkoff to the Lodgers' Tax Advisory Board;
€¢ The appointment of two members to the Gila Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees-the renewal of Jeremiah Garcia to a new term and a new appointment of Tony Trujillo;
€¢ The latest version of the Wildfire Protection Plan. Carol Pickering, wildland wildfire coordinator for the Wind Canyon Substation asked the commissioners to defer voting until next month, but Kasten said it was a living document and could be changed at any time;
€¢ The donation of 0.918 acres of land from friends of the Fire and Rescue Volunteers for the construction of a Fire Station for the Pinos Altos Volunteer Fire Department on LS Mesa. Lucy Whitmarsh, PAVFD chief, said the residents want a station in the area and had the opportunity to have land donated. Kasten noted the approval has a reversion clause if a station is not built within three years. One of the PAVFD volunteers in the audience said the area had had a fire the previous evening;
€¢ The appointment of Paul Ciano, Georgia Bearup and Sylvia Mikes to a valuation protest board at the request of Assessor Raul Turrieta;
€¢ A work and financial plan between the county and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services for fiscal year 2016;
€¢ An agreement between the county and the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration Local Government division for the Local Driving While Intoxicated DWI Grant Program;
€¢ An agreement with Bohannon Huston Inc. for architectural, engineering and planning consultant services for Grant County Airport grant projects;
€¢ Two contracts between the county and the North Central New Mexico Economic Development District Non-Metro Area Agency on Aging-one for direct purchase of services vendor agreement and nutrition service incentive program and the second for the senior employment program;
€¢ Two agreements between the DWI program and Chris Helgert, and a professional services agreement with Arline Hoagland;
€¢ Three memoranda of understanding between the county DWI Program and the Bayard Police Department, between the county DWI program and the Grant County Sheriff's Office, and between the DWI program and the Silver City Police Department;
€¢ An agreement for the provision of animal control services in the unincorporated portions of Grant County;
€¢ A professional services agreement with Gary Stailey for the Restorative Justice Program; and
€¢ Two professional services agreements with Laura Ramnarace and Robert Torres for the Strengthening Families Program.

Under resolutions, the commissioners approved:
€¢ Three cooperative agreements between the county and the New Mexico Department of Transportation for the improvement of various roads throughout the county;
€¢ Several budget adjustments to finish out fiscal year 2015;
€¢ An assertion of legal standing and a formal request for coordination status with the National Forest Service regarding the Gila National Forest Land Management Plan Revision; and
€¢ Ratification of the Grant County Detention Center Policy and Procedures of 2003.

Manuel Maldonado, local American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, president, said he was speaking on behalf of the Detention Center employees.
"We have negotiated three contracts, and now we are told there are no policy and procedures," Maldonando said. "I sent a request to Administrator Michael Carillo requesting a copy of the 2003 policy and procedures. I got a compact disk, with two separate files, the first one from 2003 and one from 2008. None of the policies had documents to submit to the Commission or the union. We have set a grievance hearing with Webb and (County Attorney Abigail) Robinson. There is no indication in the County Clerk's records of approval by the Commission or the union. On June 18, I received a message that the 2003 policy and procedure are the current policies, and 2008 was never implemented. We suspect the procedures have not been property vetted, and we suspect there are no policies and procedures being worked on."

He said he found in the manual for the operation of the center a document with a blank resolution number and a blank date. "The shortcomings can only be addressed by Detention Center administration. The employees have been disciplined and even terminated without this policy being in place. I ask you to table this item until management and the union have reached a consensus.

"Our interpretation of the contract is that each department and management have the right to implement this policy and procedure without union approval," Webb told commissioners.

"We are required to negotiate," Robinson said, "but it expressly states we have control over policies. The fact that it has never been approved is an issue for a grievance, and we will address it."

Michael Burns, Detention Center officer, said he had been to multiple grievance hearings. "I've never seen such glaring inadequacies in the administration of the Detention Center. The policy is not policy until it is adopted by the Commission. We have tremendous morale issues in the center. I don't consider this policy and procedures to be adequate."

Hall said it was a task for management, not a task to be shared with the union.

"We view it differently," Burns said. "Because our contract says terms of employment and compensation should be approved by the union."

"We can approve this today and we will address the issues through grievances," Robinson said.

Ramos said he wanted to make sure everything was legal. He withdrew his motion to approve and Hall withdrew his second. The item was tabled until the July 23 meeting.

During Commissioner comments, Kasten said the commissioners had had a very tough decision on the JPA. "There was nothing easy about it. I ran on a pro-diversion stance, and I do not believe this document puts Grant County or its citizens in harm's way. I want to be part of the process."

The meeting was adjourned.