Silver City Fire Chief Milo Lambert and Deputy Chief for Fire Prevention Kylle Marshall accept proclamation from Mayor Ken Ladner declaring Oct. 6-12 as Fire Prevention week.By Roger Lanse

Town Manager Alex Brown told the Silver City Town Council at its Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019 meeting that the town has $250,000 in a previous award to build new restrooms and concession stand at Scott Park. The bid to complete this construction came in at $480,000, so more funding is needed, Brown said. He asked council to approve another loan agreement with the New Mexico Finance Authority for $616,000, out of which $300,000, combined with the $250,000 on hand, should complete the concession stand-restroom project, with the remainder used to repair one of the baseball fields that has settled.

Council approved another loan agreement with the NMFA, in the amount of $544,000, to purchase a new fire truck and brush truck for the Silver City Fire Department.

Mayor Ken Ladner proclaimed Oct. 6-12, 2019 as Fire Prevention Week. SCFD Chief Milo Lambert and Deputy Chief for Fire Prevention Kylle Marshall accepted the proclamation. Marshall reminded residents that on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Walmart, the fire department will team up with Del Taco to present a fire prevention program where goodies will be available for kids, courtesy of Del Taco.

Brown asked Lambert to tell about the award he received from the state last Sunday for meritorious service, which he did briefly.

Ladner presented Ms. Lee Gruber of SYZYGY Tile Works with a letter from the mayor and the town council congratulating her as the recipient of the 2019 New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. “This award represents well-deserved recognition of the joy and cultural enrichment that you’ve brought to Silver City, to New Mexico, southwestern United States, and to many other parts of the world, through your inspired production of beautiful handmade clay designs and glazes,” Ladner read.

Brown told council that management of the golf course, which Western New Mexico University was no longer able to do, has been turned over to a private management company, OB Sports, which manages golf courses all over the western United States. The new company will take over management of the course, including the clubhouse, bar and pro shop, on Sept. 30. Brown said the town will pay OB Sports $66,000/year to manage the course while the company will handle the operational end.

District 2 Councilor Lynda Aiman-Smith presented a 24-page ordinance with amendments which would regulate, as much as the town is able, small cell wireless communication facilities in town. Aiman-Smith said, “There is precious little that these state laws, federal laws, and FCC rulings leave to local municipalities, but we are going to seize what avenues are available to us to influence how and where this equipment is going to be installed.”

District 1 Councilor Cynthia Bettison asked Aiman-Smith to explain what could happen if this ordinance doesn’t pass. Aiman-Smith responded, “It’s already happened in a few communities in the east. And, that is if there is no ordinance in place or design criteria in place, a wireless facility installer can come in and just begin putting things up wherever they darn well please. And, we don’t want people coming in and putting things up in the middle of our sidewalks, or in places that could block safe line of sight on the streets. We don’t want them coming in and putting things on the face of buildings. It protects us or gives us some authority in terms of where they are placed.” Council approved the ordinance.

Council approved a resolution okaying a membership in an amended agreement with the Southwest Solid Waste Authority which would allow the refinancing of an existing loan with another of lower interest.

Brown told council that $239,000 had been awarded to chip seal, fog seal, and restripe Swan Street from Hwy. 180 to 12th Street, 12th Street from Swan Street to Hudson Street, and 12th Street from Pope Street to Alabama Street, and that the town received one bid for $408,000. Brown recommended council reject the bid from Southwest Concrete and Paving. Brown said this project is actually smaller in scope than the recently completed chip sealing and striping on 32nd Street, but because of federal requirements, is much more costly. He anticipates breaking the project into two phases. Council approved rejecting the bid and rebidding the project.

Brown told council no bids were received for a safety improvement program at the Visitor Center, involving sidewalks, lighting, and signs. Council approved rebidding the project.

Judy Brown Lawson was reappointed to the Municipal Library Community Advisory Group.