By Mary Alice Murphy

Grant County commissioners hears county reports at the work session on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015, and commissioners made their comments at the regular meeting on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015.

At the Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015, meeting, county officials gave reports.

Mike Carillo, Detention Center administrator, said he had one vacancy and has created a new corporal position. "We are waiting for the facility assessment comparison report done by the New Mexico Association of Counties."

The Inmate Support Group Program will coordinate with Luna County, under a newly named coordinator.

The jail had an average daily population of 50, a decrease. Carillo said he had developed several new reports, including the daily population numbers and the monthly arrest report. He said he wanted to share the accolades earlier in the meeting by Commissioner Ron Hall on the progress of the Substance Abuse Treatment Center, Tu Casa. "The group has done an outstanding job."

County Planner Anthony Gutierrez said the county has finally received the permit for a low water crossing on Duck Creek. He said he had attended an infrastructure finance conference, which provided a reporting tool for the input, design, budget and timeline for special projects. "We will be able to track projects. It will be a great tool for the administration, the commissioners and the general public."

Gutierrez plans to attend a Colonias Infrastructure Fund meeting. "We're still trying to find a project. We have Rosedale and North Hurley roads, and the road assessment districts. Maybe we'll go after a smaller project such as ADA compliance in Tyrone."

He said bids were coming up for the courthouse renovations. "I am also working on a request for proposals to update the comprehensive plan, which is from 2004. We have a newer strategic economic development plan, the green energy plan, and others. We want to incorporate all of them."

"We are GPSing roads to update the GIS system and we will be making corrections to rural addressing, especially in Santa Clara, Hanover and Mimbres," Gutierrez said. "I know it's pretty unpopular if we change somebody's address, but its advantage is that it will put this addressing system into the system used, which is sometimes a grid system and sometimes mileage. Sometimes a parcel is sold and the name of the road and the address don't match."

Hall said the bottom line is that in case of an emergency, this will deal with the issue of not being able to find a home.

"This process will take a year or so, and maybe longer," Gutierrez said. "We expect the process in Santa Clara to take 90 days to four months. We will have public hearings. The addressing is for emergencies, not for mail. That is the residents' responsibility. Mostly we have a complaint when someone doesn't get a package, but we do it for emergencies. The address may help with mail, but property parcels don't have to have an address."

Hall asked how it would impact the assessor's and treasurer's offices.

"Anything for voting registration, we use GIS," Clerk Robert Zamarripa said. "The legal descriptions will stay the same. I think it will be helpful all the way around."

Gutierrez said the state of New Mexico has funded a lift station for the Fort Bayard Medical Center facility. "Who will own and maintain the station?"

Commission Chairman Brett Kasten said he believed the lift station would be in Santa Clara, so the village would be responsible for it.

Road Superintendent Earl Moore said it was "business as usual" in his department. He noted that 3,500 tons of base course are headed to Rosedale, getting project ready.

General Services Director Randy Villa said the conference center was being gutted. "It's in full swing, with contract meetings every Tuesday."

"We have projects at the Santa Clara and Gila senior centers," Villa said.

Assessor Raul Turrieta thanked all veterans. "The tax bills have gone out (last Tuesday, Nov. 10). Rural addressing will help in the assessor's office. We are current on deeds. We went back to 1894 on old assessor's records."

Zamarripa said at the recent New Mexico Association of Counties Clerks' Affiliate, the members went through some legislation for next session. "The Secretary of State, when the governor makes the appointment, I hope it's a figurehead and he or she is not going to interfere, because the SoS staff gave us full commitment on the upcoming election process."

At the regular county commission meeting on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015, commissioners made comments.

Hall said he had attended the NMAC meeting in Socorro. "We saw a training on explosives. I was fascinated with the setting off of the bombs. Through the committees and the board, we selected legislative priorities, which we will put on our Dec. 10 agenda. I will propose a resolution so the 33 counties are unified. I will go to each affiliate. The four main priorities are to restore detention center funding; restore the statewide EMS assessment; implement New Mexico 3-D elevation GIS, with light detection and ranging; and gross receipts tax reform."

"We are working on the final draft of the animal ordinance," Hall said. "And I'm real excited about Tu Casa."

Commissioner Gabriel Ramos thanked the Road Department. "He (Moore) just does his job. Thanks in advance (to Zamarripa) for reorganizing the districts. That was one heck of a game between Silver and Cobre last Friday. Both made the state playoffs."

Hall echoed Ramos' comment about the game. "I go to a lot of games, at the high schools and the university."

Kasten said Corre Caminos would be funded for another year. "We haven't heard from Luna and Hidalgo counties. If we don't hear or they don't want to pay, they will lose routes."

He said the Southwest Solid Waste Authority is "doing much better. It is not nearly as bad as may have been portrayed by the state auditor. They have gone through leadership changes."

"I thank all veterans of the past and future," Kasten said. "I went to the ceremony at Fort Bayard. It was great yesterday."

The next work session is slated for Dec. 8, and the regular meeting for Dec. 10. Those will be the only meetings for December, unless a special meeting is required.