Commissioners also honored Executive Assistant Bernadette L. Coleman, who resigned to move with her husband.

From left are Chairman Chris Ponce, Commissioners Harry Browne, Alicia Edwards, Javier Salas, Executive Assistant Bernadette L. Coleman, Commission Billy Billings and County Manager Charlene Webb

Photo and article by Mary Alice Murphy

The first item of new business at the Grant County Commission special meeting on Jan. 17, 2020 addressed the consideration of a letter of support to bring back men's baseball and add women's soccer to Western New Mexico University.

Scott Noble, WNMU athletics director, said the two sports are part of the strategic plan for athletics at Western. "We want to create a collegial atmosphere at Western and we want to add to our population. Two hundred twenty-six students are here because of the sports they play."

"I would like your support to bring back baseball and add women's soccer," Noble said. "It will provide positive impact to the community. I interviewed football and volleyball players and asked them over the course of the year how many times family members or friends come to watch them play. I take those numbers from each individual athlete and we come up with this data. The average impact over the season for each athlete was $396. Over the five games of football, it brought to the community $251,460. And for volleyball the total was $166,320. So, there is an economic impact to the community. The head count for college baseball would be 40.

"How much will it cost us?" he asked and answered. "For coaching, additional staffing, team travel, supplies, equipment, recruiting and scholarships it will cost us $419,000, but will bring a positive impact to the community of $551,000. Women's soccer has a 30 headcount, with the same kinds of costs and would cost us $330,806, with a positive impact to the community of $411,000. The numbers are there. Our community was once a proud baseball community. Women's soccer is growing here and nationwide due to the FIFA world championship."

District 5 Commissioner Harry Browne asked how the positive numbers were calculated.

He said the figures were based on a 15-hour course load and for a 40 count would be $270,000, housing for freshmen and sophomores is an additional $100,000 and the meal plan for all athletes is $156,000, for a total $550,000.

Browne noted that was gross revenue. "But aren't there other costs? When you add students, you add faculty members and utilities."

Noble said enrollment and housing numbers are down 300. "Current faculty are serving an average of 14 students to one faculty member. It can be up to 20-1. We are at 91 percent in housing. For the first two years, athletes must live in housing."

"We are asking for $750,000 from the state," Browne said. "What's that for?"

Noble said it would be a recurring cost for the operational budget. "The revenues generated by athletics do not go to athletics. They go to the university for faculty, staff, and facilities maintenance. The students pay $22 per credit hour in an athletics fee. We will net $42,000 for the Athletics Department."

Browne said he was pleased at what he had heard. "Had the university considered replacing two teams?"

"Absolutely not," Noble said. "We would hate to reduce student opportunities. We have eight teams, three are co-ed—golf, tennis and cross-country. We have the least number of sports programs of any university in the state. Highlands has 14 and Eastern has 15."

District 1 Commissioner Javier "Harvey" Salas asked where the fields would be located.

"We have demolished Eckles Hall and we will create a softball field where Regents Row is now," Noble said. "The softball field will become the baseball field. Bayard is our first choice to play while the field is being built, Scott Field is next in choice and then Ben Altamirano Field."

Salas asked when the process would begin.

"The funding is for next year," Noble said. "That will give us time to set up coaching staff. We want to begin women's soccer in the fall of 2021 and baseball in spring of 2022."

District 3 Commissioner Alicia Edwards said the first-year funding of $750,000 would go to the operating budget. "Where is the funding for renovations?"

"The $750,00 would be recurring funding into the athletics fund," Noble said. "Highlands and Eastern New Mexico universities receive more athletic funding than we do. It would put us on an even plane with them. We are running an in-house campaign for $250,000 for renovation of the football stadium to put in artificial turf and a new scoreboard. It's not only for football, but also for soccer. It opens opportunities for the community to have intramural athletics programs. In Cheyenne (Wyoming) they brought in a T-ball league. Families brought their chairs to watch and paid a fee to do that."

Edwards said Western is asking for recurring funding to put it on par with ENMU and Highlands. "What is the source of the funding?"

Noble said he didn't know. "We have the same challenges as all the other universities. Sometimes, we have to cut programs or we rely on alumni. It always comes out of personnel first, then office operations and staffing before it comes out of services to students."

Brown made a motion to support the effort. District 4 Commissioner Billy Billings seconded it.

District 2 Commissioner and Chairman Chris Ponce said he thought it was great. "I thank you for the community. When I attended Western, we still had baseball. It will bring in people and economic benefits to Grant County. I am big on supporting this."

Edwards said she had very mixed feelings. "I know how much baseball is a part of the community, and I think this has the potential to be great for the community. But more than 600 people in the community don't know where their next meal is coming from; 378 families don't have a working adult in the home. Many are on SNAP and the adverse childhood effects are through the roof. 14 percent of families have no working adult. Of three and four-year olds, more than half are not in school According to Kids Count, New Mexico is 49th in the country for child well-being, and we're talking about an appropriation for three-quarters of a million dollars. My priority is taking care of kids. It reminds us that while it is important to think about these activities, we have to think our priority should be for children."

The motion was approved by the commission with all voting aye.

The next item on the agenda was declaring Friday, Jan. 17, 2020 as Bernadette L. Coleman Day.

Coleman has served as County Manager Charlene Webb's executive assistant for more than two years. Webb read the proclamation. She tried to keep tears at bay but did not fully succeed.

Salas said he wanted Coleman to know that it has been "a pleasure. You've led me the right way and always performed in a professional way. You will be truly missed. God Bless you."

Billings said: "Your patience, kindness and work ethic are incredible. We will miss you. I hope we can keep in touch."

Edwards said: "You have done an amazing job. Your demeanor and kindness have meant so much. If we could, we would chain you to the desk."

Browne said he has really enjoyed working with her. "We will miss you a lot."

Ponce said he had enjoyed his first year as a commissioner working with Coleman. "Your professionalism in getting me through the learning curve is appreciated. My instructions were not to vote for this, because we appreciate you."

Webb said she echoed everything the commissioners had said. "I've offered to tear up her letter of resignation. She is one of those employees that it will be impossible to replace. We'll find someone to do the job, but not replace you. I wish you the best, but I will miss you."

Coleman's last week ended Jan 24, 2020. "Thank you, commissioners, and I thank Charlene. She was a great mentor. I appreciate you, Charlene, for your passion. Grant County is home, so I will be back."

The discussion on the next item, Grant County legislative priorities for the 2020 legislative session, took up much of the meeting.

Edwards said she wasn't sure what the process was nor how to proceed. "We are giving direction to the lobbyist, right? There may be some things that come up at the Legislature that we don't approve of. We approved the New Mexico Counties priorities. Can we give the county manager authority to speak to the lobbyist and not to lobby on things that we are divided on?"

Ponce said his thinking is the county's lobbyist should help bring money to the county. "We have also looked at things that might hurt the county, such as increased taxes. Items that we are divided on, we can do on our own. I want what will benefit and not hurt the county."

Billings agreed. "I would defer to the county manager. I pushed for a lobbyist to alert us to things that come up. The items on our ICIP (Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan) are our priorities. Where we are divided, I agree, but if it's something we agree on, he would push for us. I caution him on pushing things that are not of importance to us."

Salas said he felt it is important to have a lobbyist. "It's important to have someone there to have a finger on the pulse. How will communication take place? I look forward to learning more. Maybe we can take advantage of opportunities."

Browne asked if Webb was looking for anything from the commissioners.

"I'm very clear on your priorities," Webb said.

"Will the lobbyist be coming to us?" Browne asked.

"During the session it is my job to communicate to you what he says," Webb replied. "He will come at the end of the session and give you a report. He will meet with me and the chairman before the session."

She noted he has several other contracts in addition to the Grant County one.

Browne said he considered it as an experiment. "The issues we need to take a stand on are easier. I would recuse myself on any school issues, because of my job with Aldo Leopold Charter School. Last year, legislation made significant cuts to the budget of Aldo and Silver Schools. Over five years, the loss to Aldo is about $640,000, and to Silver Schools over the same five years, about $1.5 million, including to Cliff schools. House Bill 147 would reverse that decision. I'm completely for the Silver Schools and capping it. The second item I feel strongly about is that the commission should spend time supporting the Grant County Regional Water Plan, because water bills are rising for Hurley. It's now up to $34 more per month. I believe the Legislature can impact the use of the New Mexico Unit Fund."

Salas said he wants to be kept informed. "I know they want a diversion in Virden, and with the loss of the construction fund money, it will be paid for with New Mexico Unit Fund dollars. We need to keep an eye on how it affects us."

Billings noted the New Mexico Unit Fund is for the four southwest counties, not just Grant County. "The New Mexico Central Arizona Project Entity was put in place by statute. I wouldn't be in favor of using the New Mexico Unit Fund for anything but what it was designated for."

"I am supporting the rural schools issue," he continued. "Cliff and several others had unintended consequences from last year's legislation. While I believe in school choice, the 172 students at Aldo could be in public schools, which would get the funding. It's a drain on the public schools. The legislators were after the charter schools."

Browne said the charter schools are not a drain, because they are public schools. "Yes, one interest among the legislators was against charter schools. In large cities, charter schools don't have to be small, so it's unfair. In small districts, I don't think the changes were realistic. The line chosen was 2,000 students or below. Cobre is below the 2,000, but Silver has 2,500 students. I think the line was too small. The legislation would change it to 4,000. I felt like larger districts are gaming the systems. The incentive was not to close smaller schools that were inefficient. In larger districts, they don't have to be small. But I think it's unfair to rural areas where they cannot be larger."

Salas agreed that it was affecting rural schools "way more than urban school districts."

Edwards said the issue was not whether to be in favor of charter schools versus public schools. "Charter schools are public schools. The issue is that we cannot afford a loss to education money. For the health and well-being of the community, they need to raise the level. Every student here needs every dollar."

"There is $65 million left in the New Mexico Unit Fund," Edwards continued. "Would it be an idea to split the money among the four counties? I think the regional water plan should be completed. If we finish it with unit fund money, it would help the county. My point is the project in Virden could use the unit fund money and every county could come up with its own projects."

Billings pointed out that in the Arizona Water Settlements Act, New Mexico got way less in the amount of acre-feet of water than the state asked for. "The money in the fund is to develop a project or projects o keep the 14,000 acre-feet of water."

Browne said the legislature believes it can control the unit fund. The Interstate Stream Commission attorney believes the legislature cannot control it.

Salas said if Virden isn't going to take all of the unit fund money, it can be used for other projects.

Edwards said: "Maybe we shouldn't weigh in on the unit fund."

Ponce said he appreciated the discussion. "I would have to research the unit fund. Hurley is struggling. I am not educated enough on the unit fund. I think we agree on the schools' issue. Communication with and to the lobbyist will be important."

Edwards agreed that communication is critical. "Maybe we can have Charlene communicate with the chair and vice chair."

Browne noted that Webb can communicate "with all five of us. We just cannot communicate among ourselves."

"We will post legal notices that we will all be in Santa Fe next week," Webb confirmed. "My job is to protect the interests of the county. I won't do anything detrimental to the county. We need to support our county schools. I don't want you to tie my hands in any way."

Billings said that Silver Schools Associate Superintendent Curtis Clough went out to the Cliff Schools for the recent parents' meeting. "Someone then talked to the Lt. Governor, Senator Ramos and Senator John Arthur Smith. A couple of days later things had changed. We do need to agree on the issue."

A resolution followed to request Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and the New Mexico Legislature to repeal the state tax on Social Security benefits for New Mexico seniors.

Browne moved to approve it with his amendments. "There are four types of Social Security benefits—retirement, disabilities, survivors and death. One of the points made in the resolution is that taxing Social Security benefits is double-taxing when it comes to retirement benefits. Most of my changes are to specify that it is retirement benefits that should not be taxed by the state. They are factual changes."

Edwards said that one of the things she would say is: "for seniors living on the average fixed income of $700 of Social Security a month, it's important to them. And if they have more money, they will spend more in the community."

The resolution passed unanimously.

In commissioner reports, Browne said: "See you in Santa Fe." Edwards and Billings had no reports. Salas said the recent visioning session of the commissioners was "really good. I think it will be beneficial to us and the county as a whole not to have things fall through the cracks."

Browne asked the meeting dates for February. The work session will take place on Feb. 23 and the regular meeting on Feb. 27.

"I would also like to remind people of Feb. 15 being Silver City Territorial Day," Browne said.

Ponce said he appreciated everyone's comments and "I'll see you in Santa Fe."

The meeting was adjourned.