[Editor's Note: This is part six of a multi-part series of articles on the Grant County Commission work session on March 19, 2019 and regular meeting of March 21, 2019.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

During Tuesday's work session on March 19, 2019, Grant County Financial Officer Linda Vasquez presented the expenditure report ending March 13, 2019. Total expenditures equaled $2,620,102.44, including two payroll periods totaling $400,267.25.

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She fielded several questions about the budget from Commissioner Javier Salas and invited him to come to her office so she could explain items.

Vasquez explained that the bay door for a volunteer fire department was paid from the funds the VFD receives from the state Fire Fund quarterly and that each department has its own allotment. She also said that several items on the budget do not come from the general fund, but from separate funds set aside for the purposes, such as the landfill fund, the corrections fund, the road fund and, for instance, costs for Corre Caminos transit come from a federal grant.

Commission Chairman Chris Ponce asked about the $65,000 in medical costs. County Manager Charlene Webb explained that some inmates at the Detention Center have significant health issues. "We are seeing co-occurring physical health issues and mental health issues. They are just ill. The county is paying for them through the corrections fund."

Commissioner Alicia Edwards asked what is happening to address the issues. Webb said at the April meeting, she would be prepared with statistics on the Stepping Up Program. "It's a nationwide issue and no one seems to have the answer."

Edwards also noted that 33 percent to 34 percent of the county budget is for corrections. "At affiliate meetings, I heard that some counties have up to 50 percent of their budget allocated to corrections."

Ponce asked if Tu Casa going to 24/7 services would help.

"That was the goal for Tu Casa to address these issues," Webb said. "We want Tu Casa to provide help on a 24-hour basis. HMS (Hidalgo Medical Services, which manages Tu Casa) is being held up at the Department of Health level on getting the license. They also applied for the Freeport Community Investment Fund to study the issues and get baseline data and to partner with someone in the community. CareLinks of HMS is important to put the inmates in connection with ways to help them integrate back into society. It is all tying together. Hopefully we will be seeing Detention Center costs declining."

Edwards serves on the Tu Casa Advisory Board. "I heard at the last meeting that CareLinks will go out to the Detention Center to make sure the inmate is ready to be released."

Webb said she had another success story. "We are continuing to address the continued recidivism. CareLinks met [a female inmate] at the door and she has not been back to the Detention Center."

Edwards said people really do want the help. "How dense is the DOH at not addressing this crisis by holding up the license?"

Commissioner Harry Browne obliquely answered one of Salas' questions that these expenditures are budget approved, "but we don't know the specifics until we get the bills."

Vasquez also gave the financial report ending Dec. 31, 2018. "We have to report the last quarter numbers to the state."

Browne asked if anything was a surprise. Vasquez replied that the county had a decrease of $300,000 in copper production for the total amount paid.

Webb said the production payment is split into two payments, and it's about a $300,000 decline for the year. "We receive it on a three-year lag, because it is an average of three years of production."

The two reports were approved at the regular session.

In new business, commissioners approved at the regular meeting the application for the Law Enforcement Protection Fund for 2018-2019. Webb, at the work session, explained it provides $39,800 to the Sheriff's Department through a set of statutes that regulate expenditures based on a formula.

The next item brought a lot of discussion at both meetings on consideration of temporarily suspending rentals at the Bataan Park Pavilion.

At the work session, Webb requested the commissioner suspend rentals "until we can address multiple issues. We hope to have at the April meeting a comprehensive picture of what is required. We will honor all current rentals but will suspend further rentals. We have a heater that doesn't sufficiently heat the building in colder weather. We also have a swamp cooler that probably needs to be replaced. According to our records, the building was bought and placed there to house maintenance equipment."

Salas said he was told the intention from the beginning was to rent the facility. "I think we need to do whatever needs fixing now and not wait. I heard that Western New Mexico University may want to use it for baseball. We have to make sure we do our homework and talk to WNMU."

Webb said that is her intention to explore all possibilities. "It will be expensive. We are working on getting cost estimates on the HVAC, as well as talking to an architect about how to plan the improvements. I will have a comprehensive picture to put in front of you in April."

"We are looking at ways to fund the needed improvements," Webb continued. "I am working with Priscilla Lucero (Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments executive director) on potential grants and phasing of the work."

Edwards noted it would need to be on the next iteration of the Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan. Webb agreed that it needed to be on the ICIP, as well as any important projects in any of the commissioners' districts."

Community Development and Planning Director Michael "Mischa" Larisch said he would start public meetings in April and May for the ICIP. "We have to have it to the state in September, so I will bring it to you in July."

Salas asked why it wasn't already on the ICIP.

Webb said the county found out about the issues after last year's ICIP. "Alex Brown (Silver City town manager) and I had discussions in Santa Fe on problems with capital outlay. As long as there is money, appropriations can be made, but there are likely to be changes to the capital outlay process."

Salas asked if there was a dollar amount for improvements or maintenance.

Webb explained that the funding she is looking for is for capital improvements, not maintenance. "We have gotten feedback from the legislature that we shouldn't ask for anything less than $50,000 in capital outlay for a project. I will present in April how we can phase the project, how to fund it and we will show you the opportunities we have."

Ponce said the park is a gem. "One of my biggest concerns is that we don't continue maintenance, so a $10 problem becomes a $20 problem. I don't agree with Sen. (Gabriel) Ramos that the field should be used by Western. I prefer to keep it for our youth."

Browne asked when the latest rental on the calendar is at this point. Webb replied that it is in June. "I suggest we continue to take rentals but not after June 30, for example."

"We don't want to continue to hear complaints," Webb said. "This project is not going to happen next week. We need to replace the lift station. We have some money set aside for it, but not enough."

Edwards said it didn't make sense to temporarily suspend rentals if the report might change things.

Ponce asked then the peak rental times are, and Webb said May and June. "The peak is usually around graduation time. We don't intend to deny anything already on the book."

Salas said he sees the park as economic development for the county, similar to Gough Park for Silver City.

General Services Director Randy Villa said he wanted to make clear that maintenance continues at the park. "It will never stop as long as the county owns it. We're just talking about the building, not the whole park."

At the regular meeting, the discussion continued. Browne said he would vote against tabling the issue because of the potential of liability. "To me it is more prudent to curtail reservations after June 30."

Ponce said he didn't see how that decreased liability. "My biggest thing is with our recreational facilities. We don't have much for our kids to do."

Salas asked if a temporary fix was possible.

"I reiterate what I said on Tuesday," Webb said. "I don't know what the most satisfactory fix is. We will have a comprehensive report in April. We have made as many temporary fixes as possible to give access. I am talking to Cobre Schools; I'm trying to get a meeting with Dr. (Joe) Shepard (President of Western New Mexico University); and I'm talking with the architect. There is not a good answer. The issues are there."

She clarified that the pavilion is the metal building, which has three bays and six overhead doors, restrooms, a snack bar area, one heater and one swamp cooler.

Webb said even with the report in April, there is no quick fix nor a cheap fix. She had looked at the calendar and said they had 19 rentals through the third week of July.

A motion was made and withdrawn. The new motion was not to accept reservations after July 31, 2019.

Edwards said she was not going to vote for it, as she thought the county should not take any more reservations between now and the April meeting. There were two nays, but the vote passed to take no more reservations after July 31, 2019.

The next agenda item concerning evening commission meetings brought a lot of discussion and will be covered in the next article along with other agenda items.