By Roger Lanse

The Silver City Town Council heard at its Tuesday, Oct. 10 meeting, from Dave Romero of Albuquerque’s Balleau Groundwater Inc. Romero presented information contained in the draft update of the Supplement on Water Use and Wellfield Service of the town’s 40-Year Water Plan. This plan needs to be updated at intervals to protect the town’s water rights, Town Manager Alex Brown said.

The town provides water to approximately 20,000 residents and to four water associations; Pinos Altos, Tyrone, Rosedale, and Arenas Valley, Romero said, and the water is supplied entirely by the Woodward and Franks wellfields and the Gabby Hayes well. Two additional wells are planned for the Grant County Airport area. One, according to Brown, is scheduled to be started on later this year.

Water to supply the wells comes from underground flow from the north and from recharging the groundwater from the town’s wastewater treatment plan and other recharge sources, Romero stated.

“In the long term,” Romero said, “the town wells can sustain a yield of 4,100 acre-feet/year. That quantity is distributed as 3,200 AFY at the Franks, Woodward and Gabby Hayes wells and 900 AFY at the two planned airport area wells.” These wells are capable of producing water to supply the estimated high and low projected growth rates for the next 40 years, according to Romero.

This draft water plan update can be viewed in its entirety on the town’s website, Romero said.

Mayor Ken Ladner proclaimed Oct. 15-21, 2017, as Buddy Walk Week. This event will take place Saturday, Oct. 21, at Gough Park at 9 a.m. to promote awareness of Down’s Syndrome. Similar events are taking place around the country and the world, according to the event’s sponsors representing the National Down’s Syndrome Society.

District 1, 2, and 4 Councilors, Cynthia Bettison, Lynda Aiman-Smith and Guadalupe Cano were concerned about speeding ATVs they have witnessed recently on city streets and U.S. 180 and asked Silver City Police Chief Ed Reynolds to summarize, again, the traffic rules for such vehicles, which he did.

Council approved a notice of intent resolution, sponsored by Bettison, to amend the Municipal Code with regard to animals which bite people. The amendment would require the owner or custodian of an animal when such animal bites a person to surrender the animal and provide proof of vaccination immediately rather than within 24 hours as the section currently requires.

Council also approved Oct. 24 as the date for the next regular council meeting.