By Lynn Janes

On July 27, 2023, the Grant County Water Commission held its regular meeting at the city annex building.

The meeting started with Alex Brown, Silver City town manager, calling the meeting to order and leading the Pledge of Allegiance.

Commission members in attendance, Bayard Mayor Chon Fierro, Santa Clara Mayor Richard Bauch, Hurley Mayor Ed Stevens and Hurley Mayor Pro Tem Richard Maynes, Bayard City Clerk Gabriel Ramos, and Hurley Deputy Clerk Darlene McBride.

The commission approved the agenda.

The commission approved the minutes from the May 25, 2023, meeting.

Karl Pennock of RCAC (rural community assistance corporation) didn’t have an update.

Priscilla Lucero, director, Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments, said the Colonias Infrastructure Fund had awarded $3.3 million for the design phase of the project. She said she thought that the congressional funding would be releasing this project first. “We have had to jump a lot of hoops, but I think we are there.” She added that the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) had given them guidance after they changed minority business to disadvantaged business for publicizing the RFP (request for proposal). In New Mexico you cannot do preferential treatment. This had been causing some problems. They provided them with enough information that she felt it would show a good faith effort to address it.

Raymond de la Vega, Stantec, gave an update on the PER (preliminary engineering report). Six to eight weeks ago fact-finding letters had been sent to the communities. Not many responded so they would need to send them out again. They had put together the task order and it will be ready to submit.

Lucero said they needed to update all the information to make sure they didn’t have any discrepancies.

Arenas Valley Water Association had a meeting Lucero attended. Recently a local group of investors secured 500 acres near the Whiskey Creek airport. They have been in conversation with Arenas Valley and agreed to enter into a design contract to do an upgraded water line. They would become part of the Regional Water Commission. They needed to make sure the line would be adequate in case of a housing development. They have a possibility of 42 lots. Lucero said, “We need to take into consideration the future plans to ensure an adequate water line to serve the needs.” De la Vega thanked Lucero for addressing the water line Arenas Valley will be doing and making sure it will be adequate, so it does not have to be redone in the future.

He said for the engineering they have been working toward a six-month timeline but need to finish before the end of the year. Lucero didn’t know if they would be ready to apply for Colonias 2024 funding by March 1st for construction funding. She did see, by having conversations with the NMFA (New Mexico Finance Authority) they could possibly get funding for the design. At that point they would know the funding needed for construction. Brown suggested using the PER to get the construction money and not have to wait for the design. De la Vega said each would be similar, design and PER. He added that they would be 100 percent done by January or February. The estimate at that point would be pretty good, at least within 20 percent.

Brown asked when they would have to have the right of way, easements. De la Vega said that would be what takes the most time and would be something they would be looking at throughout the process. Brown said as soon as those would be identified they could start the acquisition. Lucero wanted to be clear that the intent would be to apply for the Colonias 2024 funding using the dollar amount obtained from the PER. The question would be to decide what that amount would be and what they will use for the matching funds. They had already used the funding from the state for design. Melanie Goodman, a representative from U.S. Senator Ben Ray Lujan’s office said they could ask for more funding for 2024. She apologized for all the problems they had getting the first funding and said it should be easier now. She said the time might fit for another round of appropriations in the spring. Questions came up about the EPA funding at that point and De la Vega said when they get to the construction point many of the questions EPA had would become relevant and could increase the costs. It would depend on the funding being offered.

Goodman said that New Mexico got $330 million for water funding through a traditional loan fund. Lucero said their goal had been to get 100 percent funding.

Brown told all the communities involved to make sure their ICIP (infrastructure capital improvement plan) includes the regional water project.

Lucero said the project has gotten a lot of attention already.

Public input none currently.

Fierro did want to take the opportunity to introduce the Gabriel Ramos, the new city clerk.

They discussed the possible need for a meeting the following month or whether to wait a month.

All municipalities had done their agreement with Freeport McMoRan. Lucero thanked them all for getting that done.

Commission input.

Stevens wanted to point out that the monetary worth of the water rights that Freeport McMoRan had given to the municipalities came to a lot. “They have really helped these communities, and we could not have done this without them.”

Laura Phelps, Community Development Manager with Freeport McMoRan, had attended and said the Phoenix office had been in support of this from the beginning.

Fierro also wanted to thank Freeport McMoRan for their help on the behalf of the city of Bayard.

Next meeting will be held August 24, 2023

Adjourned