[Editor's Note: This is part 5 and the final one of a multi-part article series on the Grant County Commission work and regular sessions on June 13, 3017 and June 15, 2017.]

At the work session on Tuesday, June 13, 2017, department heads gave their reports to the Grant County Commission.

The first to speak was Detention Center Administrator Mike Carillo. "We have three vacancies." He said the average daily population is 93 inmates, an increase over the prior month. The high male population is 83 and the high female population is 21. "We had 98 in the facility on June 8. We've been running at capacity. I thank the officers for their work."

Road Superintendent Earl Moore said the final inspection had been completed on North Hurley Road, with a small punch list to address.

"We are patching chip-sealed roads," Moore said. "The New Mexico Department of Transportation recommends replacing the bridge on the Tyrone Access Road off Ridge Road."

General Services Director Randy Villa said the busy airport has had a lot of activity with the late fires.

"We are waiting on an emergency bid for terminal and runway lighting that needs to be fixed," Villa said. "Maintenance has cleared landscaping sprinklers. The dryer was fixed at the Detention Center. Jason (Lockett) can fix a lot, bringing us savings. He also understands energy efficiencies."

Villa said he has received parts for the Bataan Memorial Park sewer problems. "Other problems out there are that it has become a place to hang out and hide. I have no idea how they got keys. We need to look forward on how we can use the park. They steal cleaning supplies. I want to talk about options. The tables and chairs are gone."

"We need to find a better way to manage it," Villa said.

"Are we keeping the deposit fees?" Commissioner Gabriel Ramos asked.

"No, if it's clean and everything is there," Villa said. "But there has been vandalism."

Ramos agreed the process needs to be worked on.

"Why are the gates ever open?" Commission Chairman Brett Kasten asked.

Ramos suggested the part where the building is be fenced off.

"It's happening on the opposite side, where the emergency road for Fort Bayard Medical Center is," Villa said. "We would be spending more money."

Villa reported the process of turning the senior centers over to Hidalgo Medical Services is moving forward.

He reported fires in the wildernesses, including the Round Fire in the Aldo Leopold Wilderness and the Straw Fire in the Gila Wilderness. See http://www.grantcountybeat.com for updates on fire activity.

Economic Development and Planning Director Michael "Mischa" Larisch said the Tu Casa substance abuse treatment project is to subgrade. "The water and sewer piping is underway, with plumbing roughed in and prepping taking place for the PNM transformer.

"The LS Mesa has extended to July 5 for completion," he said. "The Santa Rita Fire State pre-meeting is coming up. We have completed the ICIP (Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan) meetings. The best group we had was at Mimbres, because we stuck it onto the fire station meeting. I welcome input from the commissioners. The emergency efficiency bond and resolution are on the agenda."

County Manager Charlene Webb said the transition of the senior centers has brought HMS a lot of bad press. "It's not their fault. It's because of state budget cuts. If we still had them, we would be making changes, too."

She noted a lot of special management inmates makes it difficult for the Detention Center to control costs."

Kasten said a special meeting was held on the gravel pit. "Freeport McMoRan gave us the property for $10 for a deed. The agreement said: 'if we own the mineral rights, we retain them,' but Freeport didn't own them. We did not properly pay the state land office for the mineral rights, but we will."

Commissioner Harry Browne asked about the highway 15 surveys. Moore said they were strictly the DOT and the town and the county was not involved.

At the regular meeting on Thursday, June 15, 2017, Gila Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees Chairman Jeremiah Garcia introduced the new GRMC chief executive officer, Taffy Arias.

"She brings a big passion for health care," Garcia said. "She comes here from North Carolina, but she is an El Paso native." He invited commissioners to attend the meet and greet with Arias that evening at the Southwest Bone and Joint Institute conference room.

"I will be working on turning the ship around," Arias said. "I am an outcomes-driven person. My focus is to make sure the community is receiving top-notch quality health care. What makes the difference is how a person is treated. Treat them like a person, not a diagnosis. We want to make sure everyone is treated with love and compassion, along with quality care."

She said one of her top priorities is to complete "a steady leadership team. I will try to fill as soon as possible a full-time chief financial officer position. I want one with experience in non-profit community hospitals, like this one. I want to make sure we have a lean organization, strategic in all it does."

Kasten asked her to report at the work session in July. "I will be prepared to do so," Arias said.

Elected officials' then gave reports.

Treasurer Steve Armendariz said his office is at 89.96 percent for 2016 tax collection. "During the past month, we have received $47,000 for the General Fund and $27,000 for debt service. We have received $27 million to date. We sent out delinquent tax notices. We also sent 2014 outstanding taxes courtesy letters, so the property is not turned over to the state."

Assessor Raul Turrieta said his office is reviewing new applications for grazing rights and the transfer of mobile homes.

"We did protest site visits," he continued. "Copper production for this year is $219,134, 350, compared with last year's $227 million.

Turrieta noted that under the comprehensive land use plan, there are sections on demographics, water, population and others.

He said, on Copper Trails, an application for a road audit for Highway 152, has been submitted. For the multi-use path on U.S. 180, the New Mexico Department of Transportation is working on a plan that is half sidewalk and half path to be constructed starting in 2020.

"I created a resolution for affordable high-speed internet at the New Mexico Association of Counties," Turrieta said.

Commissioner Billy Billings asked the public to read the comprehensive plan and bring their concerns to their commissioners. "Each commissioner can present to the other commissioners."

He also asked the commissioner comments be allowed at both meetings.

"I would like to congratulate Dr. Barbara McAneny (of the New Mexico Cancer Center, which currently runs the GRMC Cancer Center) for being chosen president-elect of the American Medical Association. She will take office in 2018."

Browne said the forest plan process "has come a long way. Commissioner Edwards and I were at the five-hour technical meeting. The forest reached out to a broad constituency. It is a sad comparison to our planning process."

He also asked if the County Parks and Recreation Committee was doing anything. "I'm still looking forward to a meeting. The town of Silver City will have a trails coordinator."

Commissioner Alicia Edwards said she appreciated the conversation around the comprehensive plan. "I stand firm on the conflict of interest to have Bohannon Huston do the plan. I appreciate Commissioner Ramos' comments on making decisions and listening to our constituents."

She commented on the 13 candidates for GRMC Board of Trustees. "I think it speaks to the interest of the community to participate. I, too, am impressed with the Forest Service plan process, and how little input went into our comprehensive plan. I would like to float an idea. Would it be helpful to have public input also at our work sessions? It would be helpful to me to have public input. I thank the county staff for the hard work on the plan."

Ramos had a question for the county manager about when the county went to Bohannon Huston for the plan.

"We hired them through CES," Webb said. (Cooperative Educational Services is a purchasing cooperative united by a joint powers agreement that, in addition to schools, serves cities, counties, municipalities and qualifying non-profits.)

"It's not just me," Ramos continued. "We want to keep things from our culture. Our people get out into the forest a lot. The only way some can go into the forest is by ATV or UTV. A lot of that has been taken away from us. I fight for the common people who have lived here a long time and those who moved here for the forest. It hurts to see such big changes. I understand we have to preserve the forest, but I think people appreciate when I fight for their wants."

Kasten said he was wavering on the comprehensive plan, but "I worried about the extra costs. Some changes to the plan can be made by resolution."

"I thank all the Gila Regional board candidates," he said. "It's too bad we can choose only one."

He called for adjournment, which was approved.