By Alexis Rico

 The City of Bayard Council met for a work session meeting followed by a regular session meeting on August 10, 2020, via Zoom at 1:30 p.m. Present for the meeting were Mayor Chon Fierro, Mayor Pro-Tem Raul Villanueva, Councilor Charles Kelly, and Councilor Eloy Medina.

The Council began the regular session portion of the meeting by approving the agenda for the meeting followed by the Consent agenda. The Consent Agenda consisted of the minutes of the July 27, 2020, regular meeting, the accounts payable report for the period ending on August 10, 2020, the wastewater report for the month of July 2020, and the fire report for the month of July 2020.

Under Old Business, the Council approved an amendment to the rules and regulations of the Bayard Cemetery to remove the flat plaque requirement and allowing for upright monuments and section wording for Part IV. This item was first discussed during the work session held on July 27, 2020.

The cemetery rules and regulations part IV - graves and markers new language will read as the following –
• Prohibited items on graves or lots are coping, gravel, decorative rocks, plants, trellises, metal fixtures, frames or boxes, and chairs and settees.
• No enclosures of any kind shall be permitted around any grave or lot.
• Monuments are recommended to be installed by a pre-approved monument company.
• Monuments/Markers must be installed on a cement pad. Each grave monument/marker shall be installed on the top center of the grave it identifies. Prior to the installation of a grave monument/marker, a city employee will stakeout the grave space for the correct placement of the monument/marker.
• The City will have the authority to enter upon any lot and remove any objectionable or prohibited items, including but not limited to, copings that may have been placed there contrary to the regulations.
• The City shall provide all landscaping and planting in the cemetery.

During the New Business section of the regular meeting, the Council approved to increase the professional services fees related to the rebidding of the Well #3 Project for the amount of $3,872.75 excluding gross receipts taxes. The fees relate to the second bid process for the project.

The Council then discussed and approved of destruction of miscellaneous municipal records in accordance with Resolution 6-2019 Municipal Records Retention Policy and Email Retention Guidelines. The records destruction list included approximately 385 boxes.

"Once they get shredded, it just depends on the policy what they do with the documents," Clerk-Treasurer Kristina Ortiz stated. "Back in the past we were able to do the shredding of the documents, could burn the documents, or could bury it with a witness. Now I am not too sure what their policies are, but they will shred the documents."

Bayard Fire Department Chief Gonzales and Agent Romero came before the Council to discuss the ongoing training the department is doing. At the moment they are completing the hazmat training in Socorro, New Mexico. They stated that they are looking to get trained through the national firefighter safety training via online instructor course for defensive driving. This is to get certified in defensive driving.

"We have gone through safety counseling, which should provide all of the safety training for the city," Chief Gonzales stated.

Gonzales and Romero also brought up another course that will take place sometime in August and September. This course will be for emergency vehicle driving. They also stated that they have applied for universal training requests through the national firefighter training facility and that they would like them to come in October 2020 to teach.

Clerk-Treasurer Ortiz stated that they will need to put these training courses on the next agenda for discussion and approval by the Council.

Clerk-Treasurer Ortiz in her report discussed that she has requested the purchase of a bucket truck, animal control vehicle, utility vehicle that would include a crane. Waiting for USDA to process the request and encumber the funds in the city's name so that the city can begin the process of purchasing the bucket truck first.

"For the State funds under the Cares grant fund, they gave 1.5 million dollars," Clerk-Treasurer Ortiz stated. "I have set aside amounts for COVID relief and supplies funds. I am looking to purchasing Clorox wipes and other sanitary items with the funds. I am also hoping they will help to cover some funds for vehicles. It is a business grant, but I am not sure if they will work as business loans. I am hoping this can also help the local businesses with costs and paying for sanitary products. I put these in the proposal, but we will see if they approve it. I will know in 7 days if it is approved."

Mayor Fierro stated that "Railroad cars are parked within municipal limits and the city has requested that the cars be located further south, Mayor Fierro stated. "There are no further comments by Southwest Railroad were received.

Mayor Fierro also thanked the maintenance for the park and cemetery upkeep.

The regular session meeting was adjourned at 2:32 p.m.

The next regular meeting will be held on August 24, 2020, via Zoom.