By Roger Lanse

District 4 Councilor Guadalupe Cano and District 1 Councilor Cynthia Bettison brought up the issue of traffic congestion due to construction projects on Highway 15 and Silver Street. Bettison stated, traffic “has moved over to Texas Street to bypass all the traffic that’s now going down Swan.” She encouraged drivers, as did Cano, to leave a little bit early so they don’t have to speed in residential detour areas and to obey stop signs, and other traffic signs and regulations.

Bettison especially pointed out she has witnessed confusion among Swan Street drivers at the Swan/Silver Heights Blvd. (Hwy 180) intersection, saying some new signage or signals are needed. “Right now it is packed,” she said. Town manager Alex Brown stated, “That’s because of the Silver Street construction.”

Brown continued, “The state didn’t try to work with us (Ed. note. On the Highway 15 project). Even though we ended up awarding the bid for Silver Street knowing that we were going to end up in conflict, we asked them to help us work something out and they just told us that’s the way it’s going to be.” He advised drivers to be careful and have patience. “It’s all about being patient.”

Bettison was adamant that people must be made aware they can’t make a left turn onto Highway 180 from Juniper Street.

Silver City Police Chief Ed Reynolds assured council that his officers are enforcing in the construction and detour areas. He reminded motorists that a citation in a construction zone will result in a heavier fine.

Mayor Ken Ladner profusely thanked all the volunteers who work to make Silver City better, especially those who gave of their time last week with all that was going on.

Cano gave kudos to Gary Stailey and his Community Youth Building Group for their participation in the Ybarra Park clean-up and painting day.

Colleen Morton, Executive Director of Silver City Arts & Cultural District, stated that a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held for the new Trail Kiosk at 11:30 a.m. on May 1, at the Visitor Center parking lot where the kiosk is located.

Numbers of people going through the Visitor Center, Morton said, increased 6 percent in the third quarter of FY 2017-2018 over the same quarter the year before.

According to Morton, a new column was added in her visitor report, the question “How did you hear about Silver City?” The internet was most listed with 17.8 percent, with maps and travel websites ranking second and third.

Brown brought up the issue of the town’s recycling program, stating, “There is no market for almost anything anymore except cardboard and metal. The Solid Waste Authority has been sending recyclables to Tucson and they were paying us just enough to cover the cost of transporting the material. But, last month we actually got a bill because there is no market for most materials. China which has been the largest purchaser of recycling materials is no longer purchasing the materials.”

The Authority has been working with another company out of El Paso, Brown said, to see if the town can send recyclables there. “But, if not,” Brown stated, “Council is going to have to make a decision, well, the council and the Solid Waste Authority Board, because now that we’re having to pay to take the materials, we no longer are covering our costs to transport it.”

"We have three options," Brown said: "one is to do nothing and just eat it and see if we can survive the cycle that we’re in; number two is follow the lead of Las Cruces who has researched the problem and are taking fewer types of items – those which have market value; and three, raise rates for collecting recyclables."

Council approved a new Grant County Regional Dispatch Authority Joint Powers Agreement. Assistant Town Manager James Marshall stated the old agreement did not require all users of the system to help fund it. Under this new agreement, Silver City and Grant County will each fork out 35 percent of the cost of funding the authority, while Bayard, Santa Clara, Hurley and Western New Mexico University will each cough up 5 percent, and Gila Regional Medical Center will shell out 10 percent. Marshall told the Beat that the new agreement must be signed on by all participants, but he is hoping the agreement will become effective by July, 2018.

Ladner proclaimed May 5, 2018 as “Give Grandly! Give Local Day”

 

 

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