By Roger Lanse

Town Manager Alex Brown told the Silver City Town Council at its July 14, 2020 meeting that by the next council meeting a fiscal year 2021 budget is going to have to be adopted. "I feel that I'm fairly confident that working with the 15 percent decrease in revenue is going to be very conservative for the situation we're in right now," Brown said. "We did end fiscal year 2020 with gross receipts taxes in the amount of $10,600,000 and that, actually, is the most we've ever brought in GRT, so we're having a really very good year."

Brown stated this reduced budget "would not take us doing any more cuts. All of the hiring freezes we had done in fiscal year 2020, most of those positions are not here in fiscal year 2021 and those have helped out quite a bit and allowed me not to have to cut any more than necessary."

According to Brown, the water and sewer fund which was projected to be down three percent in fiscal year 2020 has increased by five percent. Sanitation fund was fairly flat. "The lodger's tax is by far the one that is going to be hit the most," Brown stated. "We budgeted $364,000 last year and to date have brought in about $320,000, because during the start of our tourist season basically bringing in a quarter of what usually we have." He projected about $169,000 in GRT for next fiscal year with most of that going to the marketing firm.

Brown answered a question by saying certain safety positions that are vacant will be filled in fiscal year 2021.

District 4 Councilor Guadalupe Cano stated she had received comments about mosquitos from local ponds being a problem and asked if the town has any remedy (much of her remarks were inaudible and unclear with audio cutting in and out). Brown answered her later in the meeting saying residents having those issues with mosquitos from local ponds in a public setting can be addressed by notifying the Utliities Department.

District 3 Councilor Jose Ray Jr stated he appreciated the town putting on the July 4 fireworks display even though some thought it was too expensive and others complained it was too noisy. He also advised he contacted the governor's office to request that the governor's weekly COVID-19 briefing be also in Spanish. Ray encouraged the press to report what councilors actually say. The Carnitas, Musica, y Mas fiesta scheduled for September will be cancelled, Ray said.

Ray also stated that he contacted Lt. Governor Howie Morales to support keeping schools closed until Jan. 1, 2021 to protect the kids and the teachers, saying that home-schooling is fine. Lastly, the councilor said he will not watch any sporting events that play another anthem besides the National Anthem.

District 1 Councilor Cynthia Bettison expressed concern about stores – at least one big-box – store that permit customers to enter without masks and asked Town Attorney Robert Scavron to comment on the effectiveness of mask orders in communities.

Scavron stated that Taos and Santa Fe have ordinances requiring residents under force of law to wear masks most of the time, while Las Cruces passed a resolution having no force of law encouraging residents to wear masks. "You have a resolution, you have an ordinance and you have an encouragement. Whether they've been effective . . . the bottom line is that if a community doesn't want to protect itself, if the community doesn't want to abide by the common good, there is very little that law enforcement or government can do. The people need to cooperate. If they choose not to do that, I'm not sure how much more education is available."

Scavron went on to say "Arresting people for not being a good community member may be an impossibility because of resources and spacing in the jail (some remarks of Scavron's were inaudible and unclear). He added that community pressure may be the best way to secure compliance to wearing a mask. "You tell them. I don't know what else you can do."

Cano stated she believes we're passed the point of asking people to do things and should fully support the governor. She believes our leaders should also, stating "there are several people in this community who are supposed to be leaders and right now aren't."

Council approved an ordinance granting a telecommunications franchise to Fatbeam LLC to provide fast broadband service instead of WNM Communications, which also applied. Scavron recommended the franchise grant, citing the absence of disqualifying facts. Town Clerk read an email from WNMC asking council if Fatbeam plans to open a local office and how many local people they plan to hire. The WNMC representative stated they already have a local office and employ about 60 local people.

Council approved a resolution for the annual exercise of transferring and appropriating funds at the end of the fiscal year, because, according to Brown, things change during the year.

Council also approved a resolution to participate in the Local Government Road Fund Program administered by the New Mexico Department of Transportation regarding chip and fog sealing of streets. Brown stated the program for fiscal year 2021 will include streets in the Pine-Kimberly area and streets in the Western New Mexico University area for fiscal year 2022.

Council approved another resolution ratifying an agreement between the town and the Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments which would pay the SWNMCG $6,189 for representing the town in Santa Fe. Brown stated this is a good investment as the SWNMCG brings in $2-3 million in projects to the town.

Linda Nunez was reappointed to the Cemetery Board and David Krisch was reappointed to the Library Community Advisory Group.