[Editor's Note: The is part 5 and the final portion of a multi-series of articles on the Grant County Commission meetings this week.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

After presentations and a review of the regular meeting agenda, county department directors and commissioners gave reports at the Grant County Commission work session on Feb. 13, 2018. At the regular session on Thursday, Feb. 15, elected officials and commissioners gave reports before going into executive session.

The first to speak at the work session was Detention Center Administrator Mike Carillo. His report covered the period from Jan. 4 through Feb. 8. He said the jail has seven vacancies, with four applicants being offered jobs and five testing for employment opportunities.

He said Dispatch is helping with the training of officers. Carillo reported the Stepping Up Program meeting has been changed to March. "On Feb. 28, we will meet to discuss the possibility of being able to fund substance abuse and treatment in the detention center."

He said two detention centers in the state have such units. "Receiving some legislative appropriation would be a benefit to the inmates. If we don't address addiction while they are in the detention center, it will set them up for failure when they are released. We want to see what the possibility is to have treatment in the detention center, although it may need legislative action. We want to try to cut down on recidivism."

The average daily population is 78, with high male population at 62 and high female at 15. All numbers are higher than last month. He noted that three inmates are awaiting transport to state facilities.

Road Superintendent Earl Moore said his department is doing business as usual, with routine patching. "We will move up the Local Government Road Fund to March 31 due to distributions."

Commissioner Harry Browne said last year Ridge Road was delayed for sewer installation.

"We had to change it to next year, because we want problems to get addressed before we put down road surface, so we don't have to rip it up," Moore said.

General Services Director Randy Villa said his department has been working on maintenance, including working on lights in the Detention Center parking lot. "I'm impressed with everything Jason (Lockett) is doing. He just gets things done. We are waiting on the generator for the airport. Fuel sales are up. I thank Earl for getting the parking lot sealed."

On the fire scene, he said departments have had to deal with six fires in the past 30 days from Mimbres to Tyrone. "When you throw out your ashes, throw water on them to make sure they are out."

Villa said the Forest Service will be opening its cache at the airport early. The volunteer fire departments have been working hard keeping fires down. "I will have Gabe Holguin from the Forest Service come to report in March on the predicted fire season."

"Cindy (McClean, DWI Program coordinator) is one of the coordinators the state looks to when other programs have issues," Villa said, in reference to the seven items on the agenda relating to the DWI program. They were approved on Thursday.

Browne thanked the Pinos Altos VFD, which got two brush trucks to a neighborhood that had a fire. "They did a great job. Had the fire gotten away, it could have been bad. It's a hard place to get to, but they got there quickly."

"We're all on the same page for fighting fires," Villa confirmed.

Vice Chair Alicia Edwards who was managing the meeting asked about education. "People need to be aware of the dangers of throwing out ashes."

"That's why I like to have the Forest Service here, so people know the dangers," Villa said. "There was a fire on Highway 180 to Deming. It started a grass fire from a hot catalytic converter in a car stopped on the edge of the road. We will work on a grant for the CWPP (Community Wildfire Protection Plan). We are looking to update the document. We will ask the VFDs to hold community meetings to educate their residents. I think we will have a volatile fire season."

Michael "Mischa" Larisch, Community Development director and planner, said Tu Casa is on schedule at 95 percent to 96 percent complete. "Earl got the paving done. Furnishings should be delivered March 12. We have put out a notice for applications for the Tu Casa Advisory Board. The applications are available in the manager's office. The Santa Rita fire station is about 70 percent complete. The Lower Mimbres had an issue with getting a 40,000-gallon water tank. They found the tank, but the company's installer is not licensed in New Mexico. The issue is being worked on. The installation of the new tank will improve the ISO rating for residents' insurance."

He said the GIS files on the county-maintained roads have been submitted for the asset management plan. "On the energy audit, Opterra met with us, but I don't know what the financial advisor has recommended. I plan for a report at the April work session."

County Manager Charlene Webb said she had emailed to the commissioners the marketing materials recently completed for the Conference Center. "The website is up, with an electronic brochure and videos of places around here. Scott (Terry, Silver City-Grant County Chamber of Commerce director and manager of the Conference Center) can also utilize them. The county website is moving along. I invite all of you to provide professional photos to put on the website. We are working hard to make it a professional working website."

Commissioner Gabriel Ramos said he wanted to go over why he put in the letter for the improvements to Bataan Park to support collegiate baseball.

[Editor's Note: A special meeting had been set prior to the work session on Feb. 13, 2018 but had to be canceled that morning because funding was not received for the project.]

"We put in for $200,000," Ramos said. "I've been talking to people in the public. They are excited to bring back baseball in 2021. The fields we were trying to get were the Bataan Memorial Park ones. I think it could bring business to the Mining District. (Sen. Howie) Morales was disappointed not to get any money. Albuquerque got $2 million. He really wanted the project. Hopefully, we can still get it. I will not stop working on it. Western got more funds for athletics, but not just for baseball. According to Dr. (Joseph) Shepard (WNMU president) the process would begin with having to hire a coach to recruit players and to get women's soccer to comply with Title 9. He wanted to do it, but Morales said he didn't get the funding. Shepard is excited about baseball, too. He will continue to work with us. I came excited to the meeting, then got the bad news. I don't give up."

Edwards asked what the legal requirements are and whether the transfer of property to Western would help.

"I know Shepard is willing to work with us," Ramos said. "We could help a transfer."

In elected officials' reports at the regular session on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, Assessor Raul Turrieta said his office is at the tail end of rendition, which ends Feb. 28, 2018. "Everyone who qualifies for an exemption needs to request it. We went to the senior centers and talked about those 65 and older. If they qualify for the exemption for three years in a row, they are off the tax rolls. People during this period should also render their manufactured homes. We have added 180 more personal properties to the rolls. On April 2, we will mail out the tax valuations. After that is the protest period. I met with the treasurer and filed for a metropolitan redevelopment area. The net revenue for the MRA and TIF (tax increment financing) was $6,413 this year."

He also gave a trails report from the Grant County Trails Group. "We are working on a trail master plan."

Treasurer Steve Armendariz said his department has started sending out notices to those who have paid off their mortgages. "We are having a lot of successful people paying off their mortgages, but they are not aware that now they have to pay the property tax that their mortgage company was taking care of before. The first half property taxes are due. We haven't had so many mortgages get paid off in such a short time."

He reported collections for Grant County totaled $66,000 for the General Fund in January and February to date, with an additional $9,000 collected for debt service. "For the fiscal year, we have collected $14 million. For January and February, so far, we have received $2.4 million for all entities we collect for. I would like to request an audit report."

In commissioners' reports, Commissioner Brett Kasten had no report.

Browne said he attended the Regional Dispatch Authority meeting and said: "I think the new director is doing an excellent job. She is better organized and is doing an inventory of existing assets. There is a significant need for equipment updates and expansion to protect the residents. She needs significant investment required, probably $1 million to $2 million in my non-professional estimate."

Commissioners went into executive session to discuss pending opioid litigation and the potential disposition of real property.