Silver City council receives extensive presentation by school superintendent

By Lynn Janes

The Silver City Town Council held a meeting September 8, 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 exception of removing the executive session.

Ceremonies

Jackie Harnandez Davis had been awarded employee of the month. She had not been able to attend but a letter from Judge Mark Van Buskirk was read. He said she has been dedicated for seventeen years as a court administrator and her contributions warrant recognition. She has an impressive understanding of the office operations consistently ensuring everything runs smooth. His letter continued by saying she has been the go to person for troubleshooting technical issues and managing video presentations. She has an unwavering willingness to help her colleagues. Van Buskirk continued to expound on her contributions and said, "She is the Wikipedia of our municipal court and a fountain of knowledge."

Nanez had attended the Municipal League training and brought a certificate to present to Prince for his hard work and dedication to the community.

Proclamations

The town proclaimed September 7 – 11, 2026 as Union Workers Recognition Week. Salaiz had come up with this proclamation and she read it to the group of union workers that had come to accept it. The strength, prosperity, safety and quality of life have been built and sustained on generations of working people whose labor provides essential public services. Labor unions provide working people with a collective voice and their labor has helped build and sustain the region.

In the beginning of October 1950, the predominantly Mexican American members of the International Union Mine, Mill, and Smelter Workers, Local 890, undertook the historic Empire Zinc Strike in Grant County to seek fairer wages, improved benefits, equal treatment and dignity in the workplace. An injunction restricted the union workers from maintaining the picket line. The women took the picket lines over. This action inspired the film Salt of the Earth that preserves an important chapter in the local history.

Council comments

Salaiz passed until everyone else had made their comments.

Nanez thanked the town for allowing him to participate in the New Mexico Municipal League Conference. It had been beneficial, and he had learned a lot. He welcomed the new town clerk, Lisa Barker. He has known her from the recreation center and said she runs a clean ship.

Snider also welcomed Barker and thanked Crystal Lester for filling the position until someone had been hired.

Prince said he had not planned on having too many comments but had three big issues that people had reached out to him on recently. The first would be the concerns over data centers but he didn't think that any area of property would be large enough for the scale of a data center. His second concern came from mobile home park sales and will result in rent increases for the people in those parks. He had received information from constituents that had received these notices. This puts these people in precarious situations. They own their home but not the property underneath. Some of these people say they have been scared to speak out but will be seeing a 60-70 percent increase in their rents. Questions have arisen on the legality of this, and some legal groups have become involved. He asked the other council members to keep up with the Municipal League Reporter. It will have information on upcoming legislation as far as the lobbying interests of the Municipal League. Prince had been disappointed that they weren't able to come up with enough substantive changes to start implementing land banks and making sure that the lien process could move quicker because of the number of vacant buildings.

Wheaton-Smith welcomed Barker, and she already had ideas on how to improve things. He wanted to point out that when these rents increase on people in the mobile home parks people can be evicted. He said he had learned a lot at the Municipal League, and one had been on the cooling systems of the data centers. He wanted to announce the police department had hired four new officers. The third Wednesday, meet the mayor meeting time will change to 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Salaiz welcomed Barker and welcomed Fire Chief, Milo Lambert back to work. She wanted to address the data center being proposed. It will be in southern Grant County and well out of Silver City jurisdiction. She did not have a concern of this project but did want the city to be prepared if a similar proposal comes into the town jurisdiction. The mayor had asked her to take the lead on exploring a temporary moratorium and have information provided to community development and planning and zoning. It would not permanently prohibit the data centers but give the town time to thoughtfully consider appropriate rules and regulations. She wants to be proactive and not reactive.

Salaiz wanted to address the Silver Consolidated Schools proposed baseball field project at La Plata Middle School. The town and school district already has a long history involving the Benny Altamirano Sports Complex. In 1999 a joint powers agreement included four baseball fields and two soccer fields. The school district has been responsible for maintaining the facility. Now they would be talking about millions of dollars for new baseball fields at La Plata Middle School that will include artificial turf. "I have serious questions if it would be the best use of taxpayer dollars." Salaiz continued, "What happens to the existing facilities and long-term consequences of replacing natural playing surfaces with plastic turf, including extreme surface temperatures, athlete safety, environmental impacts, and microplastics?" She looked forward to the presentation later in the meeting.

Salaiz wanted the make the council and public aware of a matter involving the Municipal Museum and museum advisory group. She has submitted a formal complain to the mayor and town attorney requesting the removal of Scott Zagger from the group. She had personally witnessed his conduct during the town council meeting public input on August 11, 2026. While a member of the public had been speaking Zagger made inappropriate comments while attending as the chair of the museum advisory group. Her complaint also addresses a separate incident that took place at and museum advisory meeting. He failed to intervene in inappropriate conduct by another member of the group. His behavior during the August 11, 2026, meeting had been the reason for her concern. Members of the public have a right to address their government, even critically without hearing any kind of language from someone that represents the town.

Salaiz had formally asked for the removal of Zagger from the Municipal Museum Community Advisory Group.

She updated the council on the MOU (memorandum of understanding) negotiations she and Prince had been appointed to represent the town in. The first meeting took place on September 3, 2026, and met for two hours. They had a substantial discussion but had not addressed all the questions and issues she had hoped for. Significant work still needed to be done before they could bring it to the council for consideration.

The council approved the minutes from August 11, 2026, regular meeting and August 18, 2026, special meeting.

Public Input

John Willow came to speak on his concerns about the AI data centers. It had been appalling to him to see people's concerns about them be ignored by their counties. He wanted to see a resolution passed against the data centers. Mostly he wanted them to see the publics sentiment in the community.

Paula Manning-Lewis said she has been the president of the Silver City Art Association. They rely on donations, membership dues, and public funding. "I am a local artist and been a member of this community for years." She had shown her art at the Guild Gallery and her husband works as a music teacher at Cobre Schools. The art community draws tourists from across the country, and they want to create a rich diverse art scene to make Silver City an art destination. Their mission has been not only to promote art sales but to promote the businesses in general. They have had a lot of visitors from northern New Mexico she said in part due to the advertising of the Silver City Art Association with the Red Dot Art Guide. This year they had added a restaurant guide and next year will be adding a lodging guide. She had recently been contacted by a large New Mexico magazine to do and interview, and it will be great publicity.

Angeline Bishop had concerns about the handling of the lodgers tax receipts. She had learned the city had an ordinance to establish an advisory board to make recommendations to the town council for the distribution of the funds. The funds will be used to advertise and promote tourist events. She understands the advisory board has currently been reviewing and developing a way to process and receive applications. "I am concerned this process has been corrupted and has not been allowed to function as intended." The bulk has been allocated by the city staff members and not the council as dictated by the ordinance.

Gary Staley wanted to address two different matters. He represents a volunteer group from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who have been committed to improving the quality of life in the community. He did not want recognition but wanted the council to be aware the staff has been incredible in identifying and providing support for these projects. He thanked many department heads for this help in accomplishing the projects he listed ranging from painting handrails downtown to repair of a 1939 Ford fire truck for the parade. One of their next projects will be to address the trees of heaven, an invasive species of tree. They will be doing it in the big ditch. He thanked the city for all the help with their projects to give back to the community.

Staley has a second thing he wanted to address. He represents a group of community members that own property around the school and will be opposed to the relocation of the athletic fields from the existing Benny Altamirano Sports Complex to the school campus. Along with that they have opposition to the installation of artificial turf on any of the fields. They have met with the superintendent and feel him to be a fine administrator, but they have higher priorities for the $6 million to $10 million expenditure than relocating and turfing fields. Higher priorities have already been identified in the districts five year plan which will have a more direct positive correlation to student learning. The city and district has been a partner in the sports complex, the city pays the power and water, and the district pays the maintenance and lease. This benefits the entire community. He encouraged the council to become well informed on the issue.

Reports

Lori Ortiz, finance director, went over the expenditure report for the period ending July 31, 2026. The total expenditures for the month had been $3,626,217.29 that included accounts payable and two payroll periods. The next report would be the summary report, and she apologized for the beginning cash balance and not having one. They have been working with the audit preparation firm to have that number. She continued with reviewing the cash balances of each major fund. Prince had questions and Ortiz answered them. Wheaton-Smith wanted to clarify that all department heads have received their fund balances, so they know what funds they have available. Ortiz verified this had been done.

Wheaton-Smith and Prince discussed the collection of lodger tax and how that had been moving forward to pull more people into compliance.

Jacqui Olea, interim town manager, welcomed Barker and would be excited to work with her. She congratulated a number of new hires for the city, four police officers, a firefighter, new recreation assistant, new administrative assistand in community development, two meter readers and new meter crew individuals. They had been working with Nanez to update the lodgers tax ordinance and giving it some teeth to move forward. Community development has drafted some legislation that will be part of planning and zoning for manufactured home regulations. They will have a notice of intent for the council in the next few weeks.

Committee reports

Prince introduced Dr. Robert Van Randolph, Western New Mexico University (WNMU) business professor, as the chair for the economic development and research committee. He had a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation for the council. He had originally come from New Mexico and born in Las Lunas and raised in Catron County. He had been gone for about fifteen years from the state. Many books, speakers and experts have addressed the economy and how to develop it. He went over everything that needs to be addressed such as wages and housing and being hard problems to solve.

They need to understand the employment landscape which has 30 percent in education, 12 percent in hospitality, 10 percent in healthcare, 10 percent in retail and 10 percent in mining. Mining although only 10 percent has been the biggest engine of the local economy. Van Randolph said, "Job count is not economic impact." In economics they use a multiplier effect that allows them to identify different jobs in how different sectors impact the economy. Different jobs put different amounts of money into the local economy. The loss of just 10 percent (64 employees) in the mining industry would be drastic because the mining produces a significant greater value to the gross receipts.

The town needs to find more ways to diversify to build a stronger economy. It has been pointed out to him the thriving creative economy and he thought that had been a very attractive part of being in the area. The creative economy and natural environment have been a wonderful part of the town, but it could not take the place of an industrial economy. Tourism will be an attractive economic indicator. Being able to bring in money through outside businesses hiring remote workers will be a big win. The community will have to fuel the economy with outside funds to grow.

Van Randolph said he had experience in rural economic development, but Grant County does not just qualify for a rural county but what the USDA calls a frontier and remote level one area which would be unique. This means they could not follow a standard rural economic development playbook and expect it to work the same way. This playbook would be to make your town a destination and that can be done and has been doing well. However, still far from high density areas to count on exponential growth. He said the town will be better equipped than most frontier and remote territories because of the coordination of the university and vibrant nonprofit networks.

Because of lack of space for students WNMU campus has pivoted to online programs. Lack of housing has been a real problem, and he said it had been the reason he had come. The committee deserves an actual full blooded economist. "I am a strategist and have experience in corporate consulting. I am economically trained but not an economist." The university had tried to hire an economist and had a few applicants excited to join the team at more than two in a half times the median wage of Silver City. They accepted but when they came to find a home they realized even at two in a half times the median range, they could not find a home they wanted to move their family into and declined the offer. It showed that housing has been an albatross around the neck of economic development. Local small town governments can impede economic development. "If economic development is a genuine goal, that means a willingness to change. A willingness to change means a willingness to remove things, but leave those things behind that aren't helping us, that aren't efficient. That might change the way business is done in Silver City." The changes could spill over to support more culture and entrepreneurship in the town. However, the outcomes could come long after the people that implemented those changes have long since left.

Nanez had a comment about the Lodgers Tax Advisory Board. He said the board has been working very hard and all have been dedicated. Karen Heimer a member of the board had an update. At the last meeting they had special events applications that they scored using a matrix, reviewed reports on tourism advertising, billboard marketing, development of a community lodging inventory and the proposed marketplace amendment. Tourism marketing has been changing rapidly but the board will be tracking those changes.

In the past it has been implied Silver City was traditional click based advertising but that will not be sufficient. Authentic destination content, strong positioning and information that can be surfaced by emerging AI driven travel systems will be increasingly important. The board believes that the town should undertake a deeper examination of Silver City's destination identity, competitive position, target audiences and marketing strategy before committing future lodgers tax funds to another long term advertising contract.

The board has and will be monitoring the changes in Airbnb business model. It has been targeting independent and boutique lodging properties. Heimer continued to go over the changes Airbnb has been making and how it could affect the town. Maintaining an accurate community lodging inventory will be increasingly important.

The board has concerns over the limited amount of discretionary marketing and event funding for the remaining fiscal year 2027. They will only have $59,000 out of $400,000 because much of the funding has been committed to fixed costs to include main street operations and the museum payroll. This presents an important question for the town. How will it allocate limited lodgers tax resources to generate the greatest possible economic return from visitor spending? They recommended the town require meaningful performance reporting and evaluation and tie expenditures to measurable outcomes. She included a list of recommendations the board had come up with and explained in detail. Prince wanted to review some of the recommendations and what they meant suggesting some better guidance.

They discussed for a while about the lodgers tax that had been going to the museum, library and main street. Since the town had not had a lodgers tax advisory board since 2019 the information had not been available that the council asked. They continued to discuss New Mexico law that requires what the lodgers tax proceeds could be used for and what it could not. Wheaton-Smith, Salaiz and Nanez had concerns on the stats of the tax usage had been. They had been presented numbers that Nanez said is flabbergasting. Nanez thanked Heimer for the report. The other council members thanked her and said it had been an eye opener.

Presentation

Willam Hawkins, Silver Consolidated School superintendent, came to present a possible future project using general obligation bonds. He started by providing an update on projects that had been done. He said he had come to have a conversation and have feedback to share with the district leadership.

He started with addressing Cliff Schools. It had been a major component of the 2024 facilities master plan. Currently it has been in the design stage with Dekker Design and in December will be going out for the construction bid. By the community approving the 10 mills bond they have been able to do this. By meeting the 10 mill it unlocked the district to receive additional funds for the project. Initially they had been told the new school would be $48 million to $54 million but the costs keep increasing. Cliff schools have 190-200 students.

Harrison Elementary School has had many projects they hoped to complete over the summer. Because of having to have approvals from PED (public education department). Some had been able to be done including the HVAC system and playground. They will be replacing the roof and replacing the swamp coolers. Next summer they will be addressing the needs at Stout Elementary.

Hawkins came to do a presentation on the athletic field projects. They had decided after a lot of research to use existing land owned by the district to put in more athletic fields and artificial turf. It made more sense to build a long term investment on school owned property. Both Silver High School and La Plata Middle School have athletic fields that need repair and upgrading.

The facilities master plan first had been to right size the schools due to having to many schools for the number of students. Writers note: The school capacity had been for over 4,000 students and now the district has just under $2,000. This created a lot of unnecessary costs for many years.

In 1997 the district entered into an agreement with the New Mexico Land Commissioners office to lease approximately 37 acres for a 30 year lease that came into fruition in 2022. This land also known as the Benny Altamirano Sports Complex. The cost of the lease had been $5,000 a year. The district and the town came together to develop the property, and both could use the property. The district has been responsible for the lease and maintenance, and the town pays the utilities per an agreement made in 1999. With the lease being up in 2022 they started having conversations with the state in 2020. The land commission said they could trade the land for land of equal value. The district did not have this. The town had offered some land to help with a trade and the state did not accept it.

By this time, they needed to renew the lease. Hawkins did it for five years and the lease increased to $11,300 and will continue to increase.

The other choice they had would be to acquire the sports complex but would have to win an auction and could not purchase the land outright. The state would have to put it up for public auction. A lease will hold the district to the property and if they want to break the lease Hawkins said it would cost $190 a day until they came into a negotiation situation.

Hawkins met with the coaches in December of 2025 to discuss options. For the work they wanted to do turfing the sports complex they would have to do a tremendous amount of work repairing and preparing the area for the artificial turf. They would have to solve drainage issues and remove a lot of rock. Seven months out of the year the property remains unoccupied, and they have a lot of vandalism.

After almost an hour of Hawkins presenting Wheaton-Smith asked if he could condense the balance of his presentation and wrap it up. Hawkins continued.

He had pictures of the vandalism that they encounter each year from the unhoused that have broken in and moved in. It has presented safety issues. The property has not been in the line of sight so goes unprotected.

He discussed the reason for using artificial turf. First having grass would be a lot of maintenance and water. He went into the research that has been done on the artificial turf and said it had improved greatly through the years.

Prince after a long comment had concerns about PFAS contamination from the artificial turf Hawkins said they would be installing. Prince added that the community has been blessed with a significant water supply. He then continued with a long comment on information presented.

Salaiz had concerns about the parking for the fields at La Plata Middle School. Hawkins brought up pictures of the proposed area and the parking that would be available and would have ADA compatible areas.

Salaiz pointed out they would be saving water but introducing PFAS to the ground water. Hawkins said the turf being made 10-20 years earlier will be far different than what they have available now. This discussion went on for a while with everyone.

Nanez also expressed concerns over the parking. He also inquired if Hawkins had any statistics on the number of injuries on grass as opposed to the turf. He thought more injuries happened on the artificial turf. Hawkins said he had done extensive research, and it came down to the type of turf. He said he would share the research he had done to the council for their review.

Public hearing

The council approved the transfer of ownership of a liquor license with package sales only. Olea said Walgreens will be doing a merger and the license will be under the new name. They had done all that the state required processes, and it had been signed off on.

New business

Snider had continued his research on an executive search firm to help find a new town manager. He had obtained four quotes and two had been very close in cost, $15,000 to $25,000. One would only work with the council virtually but the other would come to town also one had a flat fee and the other would be hourly. The two had excellent references. Snider asked Olea if they had to do anything else to comply with procurement regulations and she responded they only needed three quotes. The council approved awarding Academic Partners based on their fixed flat fee as well as attention to communities of similar composition.

Meeting adjourned