By Lynn Janes

The town of Hurley had a workshop and regular meeting June 9, 2026. Reynaldo Maynes, Aron Phillips, Ester Gil, Robert Candelaria and Jason Cox attended.

Public input

Archi Padilla hoped the council would be voting yes on the adoption of the animal ordinance. She knew last time they didn't have everyone onboard but reminded them that,  besides the language on the community cats being important, but  also the increase in fines especially for dogs running at large. She thought it would help people do a better job at controlling their dogs to avoid those fines and help the animal control officer. It will provide more public safety and fewer animals in the shelter.

Kendra Milligan had come to speak to the council about Tree New Mexico an urban forestry nonprofit that plants trees in people's yards for free. With the help of volunteers, they had already planted 125 trees in Silver City. Now they will be reaching out to the rest of Grant County to participate in the program. They want to bring it to Hurley on October 17, 2026, and would like to have the council's help. The group would be planting diverse trees that would go with the plan Hurley had in place. The trees will be climate ready and require less water. She left information with the council.

By Lynn Janes

The Silver City Consolidated Schools held a special meeting May 29, 2026. Members in attendance Ashley Montenegro, Michelle Diaz, Patrick Cohn and Kimberly Klement. Superintendent William Hawkins also attended. Mike McMillan did not attend.

The board held a special meeting to have an executive session to hold a personnel hearing regarding the termination of employment for Jerome Ortiz.

The board went into executive session.

By Lynn Janes

The Silver City Town Council held a regular meeting May 26, 2026. Attendance to the meeting included Mayor Simon Wheaton-Smith, Nicholas Prince, Stan Snider, Victor Nanez and Angela Salaiz.

The council approved the agenda with the addition of the library advisory committee under committee reports. It will also include the addition of an executive session as the last item on the agenda.

Proclamations

The town of Silver City recognized the town's new poet laureate Christine Nealson with a proclamation. She will be the town;s poet laureate for 2026-2028. Nealson said, "Silver City is a moveable feast of the arts." Poetry breaks down barriers between different art groups, integrating them more into different populations of the community as well. She defined community as not just human, but also non-human with all the natural and wild elements here. "I'm really thrilled. You're going to see me out there a lot. You're probably going to get tired of seeing me out there because I've got some great ideas." She wanted to read a short poem and provided some context to it. The community has a large turkey vulture roost by the Mobile station and R and L Service Center. She said it has been quite a sight to see them leave in the morning and come back in the evening.

Moderated Weather Conditions Help Firefighters on Bear Fire

Acres: 6,654
Start Date: June 9, 2026
Location: 18 miles southeast of Quemado, NM
Personnel: 471
Containment: 3%
Cause: Lightning

Summary: Favorable weather conditions and hard work by firefighters increased containment to 3% on the Bear Fire with more containment expected today. Work continues to protect values at risk and stop fire progression.
Despite moderated weather conditions the fire behavior remained active on Saturday. The Bear Fire spread to the southwest yesterday, moving through heavy dead and down fuels.

June 13, 2026
Slower Fire Growth Aids Firefighters in Making Progress on Bear Fire

Acres: 6,042.6
Start Date: June 9, 2026
Location: 18 miles southeast of Quemado, NM
Personnel: 352
Containment: 0%
Cause: Lightning

MAP below

Summary: Favorable weather conditions on Friday slowed growth of the Bear Fire on the Gila National Forest. The fire is in an extreme drought-stricken area, where heavy fuel loading, recent tree mortality and steep terrain continue to challenge firefighter safety with direct tactics.

The Town of Silver City has released the Draft Comprehensive Plan Update and is inviting community members to review the document and share feedback!

>>Review the Draft Plan and Submit Comments <<

The Comprehensive Plan is a long-range guide for the community's future, helping inform decisions about housing, economic opportunity, transportation, infrastructure, public spaces, natural resources, and overall quality of life. The draft reflects community input gathered throughout the planning process and identifies goals and strategies to help guide Silver City's future over the coming years. Residents, business owners, students, workers, and community members are encouraged to review the draft and submit comments before the plan is finalized.