By Mary Alice Murphy

At the Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments Board regular monthly meeting on Thursday, Sept. 8, members discussed when to have the Regional Transportation Planning Organization meeting.

As many of the members are the same for the two boards, it was decided that the RTPO meetings would be held starting at 10 a.m. on the regular SWNMCOG meeting mornings right before the COG. The change will begin with the October meeting.

SWNMCOG executive director Priscilla Lucero presented an update on the Stronger Economies Together USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant revolving loan fund. "We were awarded the SET funding in June 2012. That was when we approved a resolution for all the county and municipal entities in the four-county region to work together. We received the RBEG funding for one year to set up the revolving loan fund under the Southwest Regional Housing Authority. The funds have been de-obligated.

"Some local governments gave us some matching funds," she continued. To get the money reverted it requires a letter to each entity that provided the matching dollarsG