Editor's Note: Part four of this series of articles on the Grant County Commission work and regular sessions will address the rest of the regular meeting agenda, with discussion during work and regular sessions included.
By Mary Alice Murphy
At the work session on Tuesday, July 18, 2017, Grant County commissioners went over a resolution that would be approved on Thursday at the regular meeting.
Resolution R-17-28 would authorize and approve the submission of a completed application for financial assistance and project approval to the New Mexico Finance Authority. The application requests funding of $50,000 for a planning document, specifically for the development of an asset management plan.
Community Development and Planner Michael "Mischa" Larisch said in the past the county has provided 25 percent of the funding, but the NMFA could provide as high as 100 percent of the request. "We did not receive any indication of the allocation going down. We want to review and give as much information as possible in the plan."
It was approved without comment at the regular session on July 20.
The next resolution considered approving or disapproving amending the approved adopted budget for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2016 and for transferring and appropriating funds for county purpose. Linda Vasquez reported the details at the work session. They included adjustments with an increase to the insurance fund and to the airport fund. The commissioners' fund was decreased by $24,000. $18,000 was transferred to the telephone fund.
Commissioner Harry Browne asked about $300,000 receipts to the insurance fund. Vasquez said they came out of the general fund, which had been taken out of the payroll account. "They are put into a separate fund."
The resolution passed unanimously.
Resolution R-17-30 authorized the execution and delivery of a loan agreement and intercept agreement between Grant County and NMFA for $42,318 for the road improvement for Fleming Tank Road and Wind Canyon Estates Subdivision. The money to pay it back comes from the third increment of county gross receipts tax revenues.
At the regular meeting it was approved unanimously.
Resolution R-17-31 authorized submissions of an application for airport aid to the Federal Aviation Administration and authorization to accept the resulting grant offers to install an emergency generator at the Grant County-Silver City Airport.
Larish said he has been working with the contractor and the application will ask for a grant for the FAA to pay 95 percent of the cost, with the state paying 2.5 percent and the county 2.5 percent. "Later in the agenda we will approve the bid contingent on getting this grant," Larisch said.
Commissioners, at the regular meeting, approved the bid for the generator in the amount of $70,000 plus gross receipts tax, totaling $74,593.95, to APIC Solutions Inc. of Albuquerque, the qualified low bidder.
The next resolution, a notice of intent to consider an ordinance authorizing the operation of off-highway motor vehicles on streets or highways owned and controlled by Grant County elicited a fair amount of comments. Public comments, pro and con, at the regular Thursday meeting on this issue can be read at http://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/38240-grant-county-commission-work-and-regular-sessions-july-18-and-20-2017-part-3
At the work session, County Attorney Abigail Robinson said no real changes were made except to add side-by-sides or utility vehicles to the list.
Commissioner Chairman Brett Kasten said he thought Commissioner Alicia Edwards, who was attending the work session by phone, would propose amendments. Edwards at the regular session said she was unaware of her needing to have them at the meeting. Robinson said it won't be voted on until next month and changes can be made up to the day of approving the ordinance.
Browne, at the regular meeting said he had thought a lot about the issue and thinks it needs to delineate specific situations.
The notice of intent was approved.
A bid for a digital sign on the Grant County Veterans Memorial Business and Conference Center brought comments from the commissioners.
County Manager Charlene Webb, at the work session, said only one bid for $130,000 was received. "We are working with Dr. Shepard at Western (New Mexico University) to pay for half the sign in exchange for advertising WNMU events. We will have a separate part of the sign for Ace Hardware, which will be paid by them."
Commissioner Gabriel Ramos said some of the veterans' organizations also offered to pitch in for the sign.
"The bid for the sign from J&J Signs here in Grant County was cheaper than our estimate," Webb said.
Commissioner Billy Billings asked if maintenance costs had been considered. Webb said the county has been assured those costs would be minimal.
Larisch noted the brand is high quality and has the highest recommendations.
"It has the most vivid resolution we can get," Webb said.
Browne asked about the utility cost. Webb explained it would be on a separate meter.
Browne said he was skeptical of the county's $65,000 cost, even with Western putting in half the cost of the sign.
Kasten said the county has to advertise its events in order to draw people to them.
Edwards on the phone, according to executive assistant, Bernadette Sublasky who was relaying Edward's comments during the work session, asked if the sign could be electrified using solar power. No direct answer was given.
Larisch said the sign gives people the ability to pay to advertise. "I asked John at J&J Signs to get us this information. We are trying to use the existing poles. They are sound."
At the regular meeting, Browne asked if the commissioners could approve the bid contingent on an agreement with Western New Mexico University to pay for half the cost of the sign. He estimated electrical costs at 120 volts for 18 hours a day to cost about $4,500 a year. "Perhaps we can get some of that from advertisers."
Larisch said the conduit in the ground is not large enough for the sign, so the county has to pay for more conduit. "We are awaiting bids for that. We have the cost to run electricity no matter what. We have to do the Ace Hardware sign, too, which requires it to be backlit."
Billings protested additional costs.
"We've tried to create a beautiful building," Ramos said. "If we are going to try to get conferences, I think this is a great tool to show what we've got and to lure people into it.
"We inherited the building from the prior commissioners," Ramos continued. "We are trying to make it the best it can be. It has turned out beautiful and is being used a lot. I've heard great comments on it."
Edwards asked if the function of the sign is similar to the Western one at Watts Hall, where one can put photos and advertise things in the community.
"Yes," Larisch replied.
"Would getting more conduit require trenching in the new parking lot?" Edwards asked, to which Larisch said the conduit would go underground without trenching the parking lot.
"Have we explored a solar panel to run it?" Edwards asked. But that option has not been pursued yet.
Kasten asked Undersheriff Kevin Flamm about the safety uses of the sign.
Flamm said it could show fire or flooding information or amber alerts. "It may give us access to utilize it to get assistance of the public or to inform them of incoming potential disasters."
Ramos said research shows that 18,000 cars pass that intersection a day.
Billings asked if the sign comes out of construction funds.
Webb said the gross receipts tax, which the commission passed several years ago, pays for the conference center; Tu Casa, in progress; and the renovations at the courthouse.
"At some point we have to look at expenditures," Billings said. "We need to repair the air-conditioning system and put in a sound system. At some point, we have to say no to dumping more money into the conference center."
"The gross receipts tax money is allocated only to these three projects—the courthouse is done and Tu Casa is on budget," Kasten said.
"If we spend the money, are there things existing that may impact use of the rooms?" Edwards asked.
Webb said the original quote for damping the sound in two rooms, "we have to fix or people won't come back," Webb said. "We need the audio/visual equipment so people don't have to bring their own. We are looking at portable options. There is a fund balance for the conference center to bring it up to what we want to accomplish. I'm very cautious with expenditures, but this money can only be used for these projects. The county is in a tight spot in several areas."
"If we don't give the conference center every possible opportunity to succeed, we will have failed with the $4 million spend we inherited," Kasten said. "It was unusable. We chose to spend $2 million to make it usable. If we break it, we will still own it."
The bid was approved, with Billings abstaining.
A request for proposal for Grant County advisory services pertaining to Gila Regional Medical Center received four responses. One was determined unresponsive.
Kasten said the reason for the request was to help the Commission do an analysis on the hospital to 1) be run at its optimum; 2) as a stand-alone hospital, not owned by the county; or 3) options for stand alone or management services.
Ramos thanked Kasten and Edwards for putting the RFP together. Browne agreed.
Kasten noted that Webb was "in the middle of it, too."
A selection team committee interviewed and scored each accordingly. Juniper Advisory received the highest score at 283 points out of 300 points; Huron Transaction Advisory LLC received 256 points, and Quorum Health Resources garnered 223 points.
Kasten said he felt Juniper and Huron gave adequate proposals. "We decided Juniper was the best to evaluate the hospital to determine whether it should continue with us or as a stand-alone hospital. It depends on how far we go."
Webb said the county could choose at any time to stop or to continue the process.
The next and final article will include the county reports at the work session and the elected official reports at the regular session.