Pro Bono Proclamation presented. From left are Commissioner Gabriel Ramos, Commission Chairman Brett Kasten, Timothy Aldrich, and Commissioner Ron Hall.

Below, Dyslexia Proclamation presented. From left are Commissioner Gabriel Ramos, Commission Chairman Brett Kasten, Fred Baca, and Commissioner Ron Hall.

By Mary Alice Murphy

At the Grant County Commission combined work and regular session held Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016, two people spoke during public input.

A resident of Spring Creek Road, off Rosedale Road, said that parts of the road stand full of water, where mosquitoes can breed. He said the grading of the road does not put a ditch all the way down the road, because people complain about putting a ditch in their driveways.

"I have talked to Commissioner (Gabriel) Ramos and the Road Department superintendent," he said. "The county said it would send out letters to residents offering to put in culverts, but the letters weren't sent out. Also I can't get my culvert cleaned out, and the grader berms up the ditch."

Ramos said the different levels of roadway are the problem. County Manager Charlene Webb said she is aware of the problem and would try to get it addressed.

Rebecca Dow, Republican candidate for New Mexico House District 38, gave out her cell phone number, 575-571-1056 and invited anyone with questions to call her. "And I encourage people to get out and vote early."

Financial Officer Linda Vasquez gave the financial report. The total expenditures for the month were $2,720,477.88, with three payrolls totaling $654,570.52. Extraordinary expenditures included about $22,000 to PNM for electrical service work at the county courthouse; $92,000 to the state of New Mexico for the first quarter safety net care pool payment; $43,000 to Sacaton Construction for work at the Forgotten Veterans Memorial Park; $16,000 to Department of Finance and Administration for reversion of unexpended money in a DWI grant; $52,000 for engineering work in North Hurley, on Rosedale Road and in Tyrone; and $17,000 first quarter payment to New Mexico State University for the Grant County Extension Service.

Commissioners approved two proclamations. The first named Oct. 24-28 as Pro Bono Week, with activities including free legal services available. Tim Aldrich said about 72 percent of the lawyers in the Sixth Judicial District donate their time to provide pro bono services. The activities begin at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, at Western New Mexico University's Besse-Forward Global Resource Center with clinics and education in the morning and legal services in the afternoon.

The second proclamation named October 2016 as Dyslexia Awareness Month. Fred Baca serves as secretary for the Learning Center for Dyslexia and Academic Success council and said he was honored for the group, which has a focus on dyslexia, to receive the proclamation. He said Tamara Ogilvie, the founder of the Learning Center, was unable to attend, nor was Fiona Bailey, the president.

Commissioners also discussed and approved the appointment of Grant County to be the fiscal agent for the Casas Adobes Mutual Domestic Water Association for an application to the Colonias Infrastructure Fund.

Priscilla Lucero, Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments executive director, after introducing the chairman of the Casas Adobes MDWA, said the water system had been private. "In the past, a try was made to create a mutual domestic water association, but it took a new group of people who saw the need for improvements. They once again formulated the MDWA. We had to request of the Public Regulations Commission to negotiate the transfer. The association was formed last year. At a point with mediation, we will enter into the transfer and expect it to be complete by November."

She said the group has developed its Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan and has begun to prepare to increase fees. The association has secured a man to be their water manager.

Lucero noted that the water system has had no improvements for 30 years. "The group plans to present at the Grant County Prospectors' Forum to seek capital outlay and will also go after Colonias funding. It will do so in its own name, but may need a fiscal agent. That's why we're requesting Grant County as the fiscal agent to apply for capital outlay, depending on availability. The association also wants to do a preliminary engineering report of the entire system and will request funding for that. So the request is for least for the first year for Grant County to be the fiscal agent."

Beverly Mill, the Casas Adobes MDWA chairwoman, said the association had requested a $500 start up fee from each of the 130 taps. "Many have paid in full and some are on payments. So we will have about $25,000 for our start up plan."

"We know we won't have a match and can't take out a loan," Lucero explained. "We will ask for waivers on the loan and match. We don't expect to be able to provide a match at this time, but the group is starting to put away dollars for the future."

Commission Chairman Brett Kasten asked County Manager Charlene Webb what the cost would be to the county.

"There would be no cost to us," Webb said. "We will just be the flow through and will maybe offer in-kind staff time. We have to look at whether we will request an administrative fee. The association will have to follow all the procurement statutes we follow."

Lucero agreed and said it was "all about following the process."

The next item of new business was the approval of the appointment of five new members to the Grant County Community Health Council. Health Council coordinator said the five new members had expressed excitement and had the energy to serve the community in the positions on the council. The five new members approved were Connie Glenn of Workforce Connections, Gila Regional Medical Center Director of Marketing Joe Kellerman, Father Jaroslaw "Jarek" Nowacki of St. Francis Newman Center Parish, Hidalgo Medical Services Chief Executive Officer Dan Otero, and Stewart Rooks, representing the agricultural sector.

Lemon gave an update on the almost full year she has been coordinator. She said the Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition has drug drop-off boxes at the Silver City Office of Sustainability and at the Bayard Police Department. "Last week, YSAPC received scales to go with the drop-offs to weigh how much of drugs is being kept out of the hands of abusers."

The Health Council is in partnership with the Community Partnership for Children, which is working on a $30,000 Thornburg grant to create a shared services network and develop the "relief squad" for substitutes at child-care centers.

Commissioners approved:
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