By Mary Alice Murphy

During public input, at the July 14 combination work and regular sessions meeting, Gila National Forest Fire and Aviation Services Officer Gabe Holguin gave an update on the fire situation around the county and in the forest.

"Recently we had activity close to town," Holguin said. "The Black Fire burned 168 acres. A Type III incident team has command. It is in the mop up stage. We have secured the edges and are letting it burn internally. It will probably last three to four more days.

"Last night, we had the Mangas Fire, which burned about 80 acres of private land on Highway 180 west of Silver City," he said. "We provided an air tanker and two brush trucks. We successfully caught it before it burned structures that were threatened. It burned right up to the edge of the road."

He said the outlook from the National Weather Service was that the monsoon would be here today (Thursday). "It's not, and the report this morning was that it is seven to 10 days out. However, we have a very strong probability of dry lightning staring tomorrow (Friday)."

Holguin said the year started out fairly green, and "with the intermittent shots of moisture, we haven't seen the severity of Whitewater-Baldy or Silver fires. It's about average and we've been able to manage it. The Black Fire is mostly burning along the ground, with a bit of torching of treetops, but not much. We have protected the communications towers on Black Peak and the Lockney in-holdings."

The Black Range Complex has burned more than 2,000 acres, but is cleaning up the forest floor. "We have established containment lines."

"We're actually ramping up resources," Holguin said. "We had let our smokejumpers go home, but now we have ordered up smokejumpers from Missoula, Mont., and Grangeville, Idaho. We have ordered up engines and overhead resources. We're prepared."

County Financial Officer Linda Vasquez presented the financial report covering the period from June 14 to July 11, 2016.

The total expenditures were for $2,316,830.26, including two payroll periods for $442,735.98. Large expenditures included about $21,000 for fuel from Wright Express; $12,000 for an ambulance for GRMC; about $239,500 to the Bank of Albuquerque for debt service; four vehicles for the Sheriff's Department; a Chevrolet Silverado for the Clerk's Office, $18,000 to Lenco Electric for the courthouse electrical upgrade; and $16,000 for the office renovation to make space for two new commissioners.

In new business, commissioners chose from a list of seven applicants to serve as board members on the Gila Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees. Commission Chairman Brett Kasten asked GRMC Chief Executive Officer Brian Cunningham, who was awaiting his turn to give a report, if the board needed any particular skill set. Cunningham said each board member brought his or her own skill set, but the board needed someone with financial expertise.

Commissioner Gabriel Ramos nominated Rodolpho "Rudy" Martinez and Mike Morones. The motion died for lack of a second. Commissioner Ron Hall said he supported Martinez, but nominated Joel Schram, as president of 1st American Bank. Kasten seconded it, and Schram was chosen by a vote of 2-1. Ramos again nominated Mike Morones, Kasten seconded it and Morones was chosen 2-1.

For the third GRMC board position, which was for a physician, the board chose, by a vote of 2-1, Dr. Tsering Sherpa.

"We now have two strong financial individuals and a physician," Kasten said. "If this doesn't prove that we don't talk before the meetings, I don't know what will."

The next appointments were much simpler, because the commissioners needed to appoint three individuals to the Road Abandonment Committee, and had three applicants, so all were chosenG