[Editor's Note: This is a continuation of the multi-article series on the Grant County Commission work session of Feb. 19, and the regular meeting on Feb. 21, 2019. It will include parts of the meetings, not necessarily in order of happening. This one addresses the review of the regular meeting agenda, with work session discussion and decisions made at the regular meeting. The decisions made at the regular session began at about 5 p.m. for the meeting that began at 9 a.m. They occurred after four hours of public input, and several hours of presentations supporting and not supporting the main issues on the table, plus the commissioners' discussion and votes, which can be read at: http://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/49441-grant-county-commission-at-regular-session-022119-votes-in-favor-of-three-of-the-resolutions-that-received-public-input ]

By Mary Alice Murphy

After public input and presentations at the Grant County Commission work session on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019, County Manager Charlene Webb asked for the expenditure report since January.

Financial Officer Linda Vasquez reported that the expenditures from Jan. 19, 2019 through the period ending Feb. 13, 2019, totaled $1,370,087.62. These expenditures included a pay period 3 and a partial from pay period 4 for a total of $200,972.53. Extraordinary expenses are shown in the following chart:

expenditure report 022119

Commissioner Javier Salas asked about the payment to Caterpillar. Road Superintendent Earl Moore said the cost is for a lease of six blades for five years.

The next item on the agenda was the appointment of three members to the Voter Registration Board. County Clerk Marisa Castrillo said the members must be appointed in February of odd-numbered years. Each major party in the county submits a list of four for consideration. No more than two from one party may serve. "We must choose three and we can have alternates."

At the regular meeting, two were chosen from the Democratic Party – Frances Vasquez and Sharon Bookwalter—and Carol Lutz from the Republican Party. No alternates were chosen.
At the work session, commissioners heard about inventory transfer and deletions. A 2007 Ford F-150 will go to auction and a 2010 Chevrolet Silverado will be transferred to the Western New Mexico University Police Department. These were approved at the regular meeting.

DWI Coordinator Cindy Blackman, at the work session, explained distribution and grant funding application for the Local DWI Grant Program by the Department of Finance and Administration Local Government Division.

"There are two pots of money," Blackman said. "The Local Government Division has a formula. It's like a guesstimate on the state level. Then there's the big pot of money. Over the past seven years, it's been given to Drug Court. Last year, we got 70 percent to DWI and 5 percent went to Drug Court. The guesstimate this year is that we will receive about $168,000. Three times we've gotten less than their estimate, so we have to budget carefully. Craft beers are taxed at a lower rate, so we don't get as much from them. $30,000 goes to Corre Caminos and a prevention person. We put things into the grant that we know we will spend. The distribution amounts, we've received more than halfway through the year, so we have to spend sparingly the first three quarters of the fiscal year. In prevention, I've talked about enforcement money, which we are asking for, but haven't received for the past several years. For screening, we pay a contractor who recommends if treatment is required. He addresses misdemeanor DWI compliance and also domestic violence. Alternative sentencing is self-funded. We have prevention programs in a lot of schools. We report them by contacts and the number of hours we spent. I have one person doing that full-time. On compliance, we have 114 on supervised probation. They pay $30 each month for the service. It helps pay the compliance officer. We provide 10 percent in-kind services. We have 48 on unsupervised probation. They don't pay the $30. 98 percent of offenders are recommended for treatment. We want them to be productive citizens and we help them with resources. We have to pay for drug testing. We pay $1200 for supplies and $240 for testing. We have to send them in."

Commissioner Alicia Edwards said: "I think you do great work."

Commissioner Harry Browne asked the difference between the distribution and the grant.

"The distribution is by the formula and comes from excise taxes on alcohol," Blackman said. "The grant program is set up for smaller locations and programs. Santa Fe doesn't apply. I'm not sure about Las Cruces."

At the regular meeting, the commissioners approved the application for the DWI funding grant.

Commissioners considered the 2018 volunteer firefighters annual reporting for Public Employees Retirement Association for Pinos Altos, Santa Rita, Tyrone and Upper Mimbres. The reports were approved at the regular meeting

During the work session, commissioners added items to the regular meeting agenda. The original agenda had presentations on implication on the mining bills and on the gun control bills. Edwards asked that the other side be heard, too. And they were added to the agenda.

Under agreements, at the work session, County Attorney Abigail Burgess discussed a potential cooperative purchasing agreement between Valencia County and Grant County. "We believe that Taxation and Revenue has wrongly withheld gross receipts tax that we should have received. Valencia County was going to file a lawsuit against the Department of Taxation and Revenue. We were going to wait for them to file the request for proposal. It was awarded to Gallagher and Kennedy. In this step, we will enter into the cooperative agreement with Valencia County and Gallagher and Kennedy." The agreement was approved at the regular meeting.

The next items on the agenda addressed the items covered in the article cited in the Editor's Note at the top of this article.

At the regular session, the commissioners adopted a social media policy presented to them at the work session.

Commissioners also approved, at the regular meeting, the inventory of Grant County maintained roads. The mileage has decreased slightly because of the GIS/GPS activity during the finalization of the Asset Management Plan and the vacation of 1.71 miles of Burcher Road. Moore said the total mileage, which the county maintains, stands at 690.64 miles, a reduction of about 7 miles.

Community Development and Planning Director Michael "Mischa" Larisch introduced Paul Dulin, who was asking for approval from the county to establish a Census 2020 Complete Census County Committee. He said Silver City would also be considering it.

"It's about money," Dulin said. "New Mexico is the second worst state in responding to the need to have everyone counted. It's an average of about $3,000 per person per year in federal funding. (Silver City Town Manager) Alex Brown was concerned about the university population. If you miss 50 people that's $150,000 less in revenue. Last census, there was about a 28 percent undercount of people not returning their forms. The USDA Rural Development, wastewater, schools, the hospital, all receive funding based on the census. We don't want you to undercount. We want a complete count of the county. We are 13 months away from the first form going out. About illegals, we're waiting for a Supreme Court decision. Let's form the committee. The hardest to count are the foreign-born—migrants, legal or not— seniors, and the youngest children."

Commissioners at the regular session approved it but will name the committee at a later date. Larisch said he would have Mr. Dulin return. "At a minimum, we need representatives of the municipalities and the county."

Webb said, at the work session, the resolution of salaries for elected officials repeals the former resolution. At the regular session, the commissioners approved the schedule of salaries as follows from the resolution:

"NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of County Commissioners of Grant County, New Mexico, pursuant to state statute, that the salaries for elected officials for Grant County shall be as follows:

"Effective January 1, 2019, the salary for Sheriff is $66,250, Assessor is $63,590, Commissioner District 1 and 2 is $25,334, Probate Judge is $22,231; Effective January 1, 2021, the salary for the Clerk and Treasurer shall be $63,590, Commissioner District 3, 4 and 5 shall be $25,334.

"BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the appointed Chief Deputy Clerk, Chief Deputy Treasurer, Chief Deputy Assessor and Chief Deputy Sheriff salaries shall be set at 90 % of the salary of the office’s elected official salary and the Chief Deputy Assessor shall be entitled to applicable Appraiser qualification incentive payments pursuant to Section 4-39-5, NMSA 1978 not to exceed $7,500."

Commissioners also approved a notice of intent to consider, at the March 21, 2019 meeting, an ordinance entitled 2019 Opioid Cost Recovery and Public Nuisance Ordinance. The ordinance asks for "recovery of costs from the responsible party and [the county] may also recover attorney's fees, interest and any other payment or type of damages the court deems proper." It also applies retroactively.

At the work session, Sheriff Frank Gomez laid out the reasons why he was asking for the commissioners to oppose the gun laws being proposed at the Legislature.

He said he believed that only law-abiding citizens would follow the laws; "criminals don't follow laws." He also worried about the safety of his deputies, especially if there were no due process for the citizen to protest the confiscation of weapons. He agreed that those convicted of felonies should have their weapons confiscated, but that law is already on the books. He also felt that enforcement would be problematic, if not impossible.

Gomez also was concerned about the extra costs incurred for confiscation, as well as where the weapons would be stored. It would cost money to enlarge the vault.

Detention Center Administrator Mike Carillo said laws were already in effect for forfeiture of firearms in the case of domestic violence convictions. He felt that concrete legislation to mandate removal of weapons should be even when the person is charged, not just when convicted. If a family member wanted the weapon returned, he or she could petition for return to that person.

The results of the commissioners' votes can be read in the previously mentioned article.

Commissioners awarded, at the regular meeting, in response to a request for proposal, to ASA Architects for architectural services for the Grant County Airport terminal building.

They also approved health care claims in the amount of $24,473.41, which included three ambulance claims of $2,823.25. Webb explained that the costs had gone up, because "we have several ill detainees at the jail right now."

The Grant County Health Care Claims Board also approved an indigent burial to Bright Funeral Home.

At the work session, Chairman Chris Ponce, in commissioners' reports, asked the commissioners to support, for infrastructure funding, the Colonias Days at the Legislature.

Salas said he attended the Grant County Water Commission and said the group is working cooperatively together on projects other than just water. "They are looking into what they can do at Fort Bayard and how."

At the regular meeting, Billings said he looked forward to a discussion on holding evening meetings. Edwards said it was her intent to bring the issue up at the March meeting.

Salas said he was happy everyone had the freedom to state their minds that day.

Ponce also thanked everyone. "A big shout out to the public. When we consider evening meetings, we will have to consider reorganizing the agenda."

Edwards moved to table the executive session and to adjourn at about 5:30 p.m.

The next article(s) will address the public input and presentations at the regular meeting.

 

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