Girl Scouts receive proclamation declaring March 6-12 as Girl Scout Week. Annette Toney, Marketing Manager, fourth from left; Councilors Cynthia Bettison and Guadalupe Cano, former girls scouts, second and third from right; Mayor Ken Ladner, right.

Newly elected Mayor Ken Ladner and his wife, Becky Smith.

Photos and article by Roger Lanse

A resolution declaring that the execution of a water rights lease between Silver City and Hurley is in the best interests of the Town of Silver City was approved.

Mayor Ken Ladner stated that Hurley has no water rights and their present water rights lease with Freeport-McMoRan will end in 2018. Ladner stated, GǣThis lease that I am presenting will secure a source of water at no cost to Hurley for the next 40 years and is subject to renewal. I believe very strongly in, and am committed to, the Regional Water System for the benefit of communities in Grant County. We in Silver City have been blessed with a plentiful source of water, and I believe that we have a responsibility to share some of that water with other communities in Grant County.Gǥ

Town Manager Alex Brown explained that the two wells near the Grant County Airport and their recharge credits are part of the Regional Water System and that this resolution would provide a primary source of water to Hurley. This System would also be a supplemental source of water to Bayard, Santa Clara, and the water association between Hurley and Tyrone. The amount of water going to Hurley would be limited to 270 acre-feet. GǣWe are not going to take over any water system,Gǥ Brown emphasized, GǣThis is only a well and transmission facility, not a storage and distribution such as what we own, Santa Clara owns, and Bayard owns. Hurley owns its own storage and distribution system.Gǥ

GǣIf Silver City was going to use it alone we would have to come up with $19 million just to access those water rights,Gǥ Brown said, GǣAs well as the additional operating costs which would be tremendous to get it all the way from Hurley up to Silver City.

GǣBeing that we are the shopping center of Grant County, itG