The Legislative Forum hosted by the Prospectors featured presentations by several community groups. Sen. Howie Morales, and state reps. Dianne Hamilton and Rodolpho “Rudy” Martinez listened to the presenters.
Prospector Cynthia Bettison served as timer for the 10-minute presentations.
County Planner Anthony Gutierrez represented Grant County.
“When we discovered we didn't have capital outlay, it was good for us,” Gutierrez said. “It taught us to be independent and to work regionally. We came up with different planning methods.
“It has resulted positively,” he continued. “Most of our topic question answers involve infrastructure and the problems with regulatory requirements by the Department of Transportation and the Environment Department.
“There is no money, but we have to spend local resources to meet mandates,” Gutierrez said.
He explained that DOT regulations and engineering guidelines have put a financial strain on local and small rural communities.
“We are working on an economic development plan,” Gutierrez said. “If there is money available, an increase in match money to match federal money would be helpful.
“Because the work force may not be adequate, we're looking at developing the work force, as well as creating incentives for new or expanding local businesses.”
Morales asked the first question. “What's the timeline for the Business and Conference Center?”
County Manager Jon Paul Saari said the county is in the design process, and it plans to go out to bid the first of the year and complete the project by 2012 for the $2 million grant.
Morales asked about the Arizona Water Settlements Act planning process. “I know we're in the process of determining projects.”
Gutierrez said the town of Silver City could talk to the issue of the regionalization of the water system.
“We're working with Santa Clara to link the Arenas Valley water system to Santa Clara,” Gutierrez said. “And the county is working on a reservoir project. The deadline for Tier-2 proposals is Dec. 14.”
Morales asked what the New Mexico Association of Counties priorities are.
Saari said there is a tax lightening proposal, as well as better tracking for gross receipts tax, so it is recorded in the local area where the work is done, in the case of construction.
“We in the NMAC also want to decriminalize traffic citations,” Saari said. “The jail is full of people for failure to pay fines.
“Another proposal is to allow counties to ban fireworks,” he said. “I will get the list to you.
“Hold harmless is not a priority, because we thought the issue would not be brought up in this session, but now we're finding that it will be brought up. The county managers will be meeting the 16th and 17th right before the session.”
Hamilton asked about the four-lane highway from Hurley to Deming.
“I have had discussions with the DOT, and the last I heard it will be four-lane to the Grant County line from Deming, and an enhanced two-lane to Hurley, but the DOT didn't get the funding,” Saari said.
Morales said the money was sent to another part of the state.
“What they plan to do is widen the highway to prepare for a future four-lane,” Morales said. “The question is whether the federal government will allocate the funding.”
Hamilton said the secretary of the Economic Development Department said the main hold up for Grant County in economic development is the lack of a four-lane highway.
Morales pointed out that the now-secretary of the DOT is Alvin Dominguez, who worked in the area in the DOT District 1 office, so he is well acquainted with the area and its needs. Also Muffet Foy Cuddy, as DOT chief of the programs division, is a native of the area.
“They have really helped us,” Morales said.
Saari asked that if Morales, Hamilton and Martinez are talking to the DOT to ask them about a problem.
“When we get local road funding we have been able to use an in-kind match, instead of cash,” Saari said. “We asked the DOT about it and the department looked at the issue and reduced what our in-kind is worth, so now it's worse than it was. Our blade costs are $100 an hour; DOT rates it at $50 an hour. Just let us use our costs as a match. Diesel prices have gone up; tack oil has gone up $200 a barrel. It makes it difficult for us to do road projects.”
Morales said in a road meeting, it was noted that the costs of projects for the DOT had jumped from $12 million to $24 million.
Gutierrez pointed out that the County Road Department used to use a waste product for asphalt, but now a process has been developed to turn the waste product into gasoline, so the cost of asphalt has gone up.
“I don't know of any new technologies,” Gutierrez said. “We tried to use old tires and tried using polymers, which was better and a bit cheaper, but they don't hold up as well.”
Saari said Tony Trujillo's son, T.J. Trujillo knows about a product that can be put on dirt roads. “I will try to get some more information, because we have 700 miles of road and only four blades to fix them.”
Morales said, looking at local projects, he knows roads will be a priority.
“We have worked with Bayard and will work with Western New Mexico University to repair roads, because we have the equipment,” Saari said.
Martinez thanked the county for stepping up to help small communities and Silver City.
“In a conversation with Dominguez on highway 180, he said some money was available from Deming because of all the side roads just north of the city,” Morales said. “It's good news to keep the project on the books. We'll keep working on it.
“On the state and federal levels, we're looking at loan/grant money at 60/40. Can the county benefit from that?” Morales asked.
Saari said the North Hurley wastewater project is a loan/grant.
“We're also looking at community development block grants and using our own money to match larger federal dollars. When the match is 20 or 30 percent, we can do them. If we get match money from the state, we can use it to match, too.”
He said the county has had $70 million in construction projects in the past few years with the Fort Bayard Medical Center, the Business and Conference Center and the jail.
Martinez said regionalization is working and he thanked the Grant County Economic Development Coalition for Progress, made up of municipal mayors and the County Commission chairman, for working together.
Gutierrez mentioned another regional project. The Stronger Economies Together training has resulted in the Southwest New Mexico Economic Development Partnership. Every municipality and county in the four-county area of Grant, Hidalgo, Catron and Luna has signed a memorandum of understanding. “We are one of the first in the country,” he said.
The next article will cover other local governmental entities.