Grant County officials gave county reports at Tuesday's Commission work session.

County Planner Anthony Gutierrez said four public hearings throughout the county have been held on Community Development Block Grants.

“We didn't have a big turnout, but got some suggestions,” Gutierrez said. “We got some for recreation. I have developed a project.”

Commission Chairman Brett Kasten asked what the project for the funding would be.

Gutierrez said it would be a link between water systems of the village of Santa Clara and the Arenas Valley Mutual Domestic Water Association system.

Because the next meeting of the Commission will not occur until Jan. 10 for the work session and Jan. 12 for the regular meeting, and the CDBG application is due Jan. 13, discussion ensued on whether a special meeting should be held or if a resolution could be done at this Thursday's regular meeting.

Gutierrez said the resolution was a standard template, so the suggestion was made to add it to Thursday's regular meeting agenda.

He also discussed the Colonias Infrastructure Fund. At a meeting last week, criteria for a colonia were discussed.

“Most were designated in the 1980s,” Gutierrez said. “The Colonias Board will pass the updated criteria on Jan. 13, and start the application process in February. We're trying to get some colonias funding, probably for flood control, curb and gutter, paving roadways or to address the hospital's liquid waste system.”

Commissioner Gabriel Ramos asked if North Hurley would qualify. Kasten said the sewer project should be completed before any paving is done.

“When we have the criteria, how long will it take to get funding?” Commissioner Christy Miller asked.

Gutierrez said it would require about six months.

Ramos suggested a flood control of the Twin Sisters drainage as a project.

Gutierrez switched topics to the Arizona Water Settlements Act planning process. The deadline for Tier-2 applications is Dec. 14, he said.

“The Grant County Reservoir project passed Tier 1,” Gutierrez said. “The county has Engineers Inc. focusing on effluent and recharge rather than the reservoir. They will do the preliminary engineering and will have the application done by Friday.”

Ramos pointed out that 400 gallons of water a day are being lost, and “we need to use it and recharge the well fields.”

Miller asked if Gutierrez had met with Bayard Mayor Charles Kelly.

“The way the project has evolved, it will meet Bayard's needs,” Gutierrez said.

Saari said the third phase would be to look at securing the springs and protecting the water flowing to Fort Bayard.” The final phase will be the reservoir.”

Gutierrez reported that he presented to last Friday's Prospectors Legislative Forum.

“I told the legislators since there has been no capital outlay, we've gotten more independent, but I asked if there were any money available to give us match money for federal funding,” Gutierrez said. “The recommendation from Sen. (Howie) Morales was to give him some capital outlay projects.”

Saari said the county was going to propose some smaller ones that would require $100,000 to $200,000 to complete, such as the front sidewalk and parking lot of the Administration Center. “The Road Department has things it can complete with $100,000.”

Gutierrez said the economic development plan consultant is on board and will meet next week with various work groups. “They asked to wait to present a preliminary draft to the Commission in January or February.”

To a question about planning grants, Gutierrez said the county would have to update its comprehensive plan before it could qualify for many planning grants.

Saari said the county might be able to go to the New Mexico Finance Authority to get funding to update the comprehensive plan. The agency has funding and is trying to make it easier to apply for and receive.

Gutierrez said he would volunteer part of his professional services if it is needed to update the plan.

Saari said the county expects to go into a professional service agreement with Nikki Zeuner to train departments and help them with writing grants.

Road Superintendent Earl Moore said his staff members were busy on Friday and this morning with the icy conditions. The department is doing road patching when the weather allows.

“I wrote a letter to the DOT about some of their intersections cracking,” Moore said. “I have not heard back.”

Ramos pointed out that it is not the county's duty to fix the intersections with state and federal highways. “It's time they take their responsibility.”

“If you get me a list of problems with the DOT, I will bring them up,” Kasten said.

Saari said the county has offered to help municipalities, but has to remember to maintan its own roads before lending out equipment and staff.

Sheriff Raul Villanueva said it has been “hectic, due to the weather. On Friday, there were lots of crashes and accidents.”

For November, the department received 322 calls for service, made 23 arrests on warrants, served 550 papers and made 16 transports of inmates out of town. This weekend, personnel will participate in two fundraisers Shop With a Cop and the Battle of the Badges, a football game involving the Sheriff's Department and the Silver City Police and Fire departments to raise money for Toys for Tots. Admission to the game at 1 p.m. is $4 or an unwrapped gift.

Because the holidays are coming up, Villanueva urged people to be observant when shopping and don't put gifts under the Christmas tree in plain sight from a window.

Assessor Randy Villa had no report.

Saari said Treasurer Alfred Sedillo asked him to remind people it is tax collection season. “He will give his report on Thursday.”

Public Works Director Justin Reese was absent because he was helping with several remodel projects.

Saari will attend a training meeting on Dec. 15 on the state of revenues for New Mexico. “The governor came out this morning and announced the state will have about $250 million extra, but a lot of that money is already spent refilling the coffers that were drained. We will be conservative going in.”

He said he has heard comments about counties being “cash cows, so we have to be vigilant. They may want to take from us and give us unfunded mandates. We will have more meetings, so we go in prepared.”

The New Mexico Association of Counties winter meeting will be Jan. 17-20. The legislative session begins at noon Jan. 17.

County Clerk Robert Zamarripa said business license renewals had been sent out and are due. For more information, call his office at 575-574-0042.

“I got hold of Michael Sharp and he verified that he will have our preliminary redistricting plan by the end of the year, so we can plan for elections,” Zamarripa said.

Miller asked for prayers for Ron and Jane Hall, as their daughter had fallen and had serious injuries.

Ramos recognized Gutierrez for holding a well-run meeting on how to get a road county-maintained.

Kasten said the county, Gila Economic Development Alliance and the Grant County Economic Development Coalition for Progress would be working to evaluate economic development by “praising our successes and setting up plans for next year.”

Mike Jimenez, jail administrator, before taking commissioners and county staff members on a tour of the old and new jails, reported the most significant thing done in the past month was the submission of a pre-submittal proposal to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for federal inmates to be housed in the new detention center.

“I think it will benefit the county,” Jimenez said. “But it is a catch-22, because along with federal inmates you get problems. It will help us make some money. The idea I have is for one-third the population as federal inmates. We're working on contracts to pay for ourselves.”

He said there are no federal grants to enhance budgets for corrections, but “we want to be self-sufficient, and we're heading in that direction.”

Jimenez said in the old facility, a classification system of inmates has made a difference. “At some point, we will need federal money, and we'll be trying to get the same federal inmates as Hidalgo, Luna, Otero and Doña Ana counties.”

Saari said the county expects to get the punch list by Dec. 12 and to be in possession of the jail by the end of the year. “Then we need to do training and checks on how everything works. We won't be in by January 1.”

The Commission recessed to visit the old and new jails. Adjournment of the meeting came after they returned to the Administration Center.

The regular meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 8, at the Grant County Administration Center.