By Mary Alice Murphy

[Editor's Note: This is part 4 of the Commission work session and regular meeting on Sept. 15 and 17, 2020. Apologies for this being so late. This author had spotty to NO internet for about three days.]

After several presentations at the Sept. 14, 2020 work session, which can be read at the following three articles: https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/60158-grant-county-commission-heard-presentations-at-work-session-091520 , https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/60199-grant-county-commission-work-session-presentations-part-2-091520 , and https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/60209-grant-county-commission-work-session-presentations-part-3-091520 , county reports began.

Detention Center Administrator Mike Carillo introduced Patty Castillo, who is the medical supervisor for the jail. "You said you wanted to meet people we talk about, so here she is."

Castillo said she is the house services administration. "I work for VitalCare. We are following Department of Health standards on testing, isolation and quarantine. Every one that comes into the facility is screened on Day 1, Day 11 and Day 19. Each and every intake is quarantined for 14 days. They are isolated. That's why we have the extra week of testing." Carillo said he had submitted his report and would stand for questions, but no one had any.

General Services Director Randy Villa gave a quick update. "There are 28 fires active in California and Oregon, so State Forestry is backing them up on private land in the two states. As a result, our volunteer fire departments are ready to serve us here. We received a grant for $10,000 for wildfire preparedness for the Ready, Set, Go program. We are doing radio spots and will do more ads and pamphlets. I would like to commend Pinos Altos Volunteer Fire and Rescue for creating the Firewise communities."

He noted the airport was back to business as usual, with traffic picking up. "Advanced Air will start a new schedule on Oct. 1. They are still buying fuel from us. The terminal is done, but only passengers are allowed inside."

Road Superintendent Earl Moore said his department personnel addressed minor rain damage in San Lorenzo. "We've been doing tree trimming and blades are running. The south end of North Hurley Road is paved. The Airport is only 50 percent paved, because the contractor is having a problem getting millings."

District 1 Commissioner and Chairman Chris Ponce said he had received concerns about dust. Moore said Southwest Concrete and Paving said they would water it to keep the dust down.

District 2 Commissioner Javier "Harvey" Salas said the south side of North Hurley Road is complete. "Do you have any plans to continue toward what used to be called Chinatown?"

Moore explained that their application with Colonias to complete the project had been turned down. "We'll keep trying to get it funded."

Community Development and Planning Director Michael "Mischa" Larisch said he wanted to present a new item to the commissioners. "It is for a sewer line on Racktrack Road to connect to Santa Clara. The village of Santa Clara is a Colonia, but this sewer extension is outside their town limits. They would like to take it on, but it's in the county. If you would like to take it on, Colonias does require a 10 percent match and a 10 percent loan outside of any grant. We would also have to have an ordinance naming this portion of the county a colonia. We have a colonias ordinance for the extra-territorial zone, but we don't have one for that area on Racetrack."

Ponce asked about Bataan Park. "We have $750,000 for the park, right? I'm trying to understand the funding."

Larisch said: "We also have $350,000 for Bataan drainage. We applied for colonias funding for the North Hurley Road design to complete it, and for engineering for Arenas Vallely road, but our applications were declined."

Salas asked about the final agreement on Bataan.

Larsisch said he had had to again provide the environment report to the state. "We will need the release of funds, before we can proceed."

Salas said that Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments Director Priscilla Lucero had told him that the some of the money for drainage could be also used for the building. Larisch said his understanding was that it was for drainage only.

Larisch said to make the Racetrack Road are a colonia, it would require public input. "I don't know how we can get public input with the current situation. One of the residents, Yolanda Holguin, did say she would go to the neighbors to seek input and get their feedback."

County Manager Charlene Webb in her report listed all the completed items that are being covered by the bonds and other forms of funding. She said the bond funding projects that are completed include the detention center security, the admin building roof, the admin parking lot, detention center kitchen upgrades, Tyrone ADA sidewalks, conference center AC coils, the painting of the back side of the admin center, Bataan Park lift station, the admin building roof HVAC units, and the airport terminal building. The facilities lighting and retrofit and the Silver Street facility are about 95 percent complete. The stucco of the front of the admin building has not begun yet. The county is working on the Silver Street roof replacement and the airport FBO (fixed base operator) roof replacement. She also said she has asked to put the perimeter fence for the Detention Center on hold in order to determine what software and provider would be used for the security system. The Silver Street complex and Fairgrounds have ADA compliance issues that "we will present to the congressional delegation for shovel-ready items to perhaps provide funding for."

She also presented a list of grants that her office administers. They include a Bandoni project on the agenda; the airport secondary containment and apron repair; North Hurley Road; an application to the EDA for an economic specialist for the county is under review; for CARES Act and Small Business funding she will be meeting to determine reporting requirements and working with the chamber and the municipalities to get notices out to apply for the small grants; administering four grants for the senior centers; managing the Juvenile Justice Program grant; two grants for the general obligation bonds for the Gila Library; as secondary recipient for the behavioral health outreach at the Detention Center, known as the RISE program; DFA Census grant; wildfire risk management through the Association of Counties; small grant for consumables at the airport; three DOT grants which are for traffic enforcement for the Sheriff's Department; a grant through New Mexico Homeland Security, which pays for part of the salary of the emergency manager; Operation Stonegarden for the Sheriff's Department; DOT funding for Corre Caminos; and local DWI program. For Colonias funding, resolutions are on the agenda for three projects—Ridge Road design, Little Walnut design and the Truck ByPass design. On capital outlay projects, she said the county is waiting on the grant agreements.

"I met with the sheriff's department yesterday and was notified of some potential computer issues with them not being compatible with the CAD system," Webb said. "I have made a request of DFA to expedite that grant agreement and they assured me they would. If I don't hear from them in the next day or two, I'll ask again. I'll be persistent. That one is critical. And the bonds haven't sold yet for the outdoor rec and trails. Pending projects we have out there are: we've been working for years on improvements at the Shooting Range. We did get the permit from the Forest Service, so now we're trying to find some matching dollars for the Pittman-Robertson Act grant to get design completed. We've also included that in the Congressional wish list package."

She also mentioned several sewer projects, which could be Colonias projects. "We continue to look for funding for the North Hurley Road Phase 3 design and the Ridge Road pavement. About a year ago, the Administrative Office of the Courts came and talked to us about a judicial complex. We are looking at the old detention center. Phase 2 brownfields is underway, and we'll continue to work on that. The project kind of fell silent, so we'll continue to work with them on that."

Webb talked about several Volunteer Fire Department projects that are paid for with fire funds to each station and their progress.

She said the Great Divide Wind Project is still on track and she has requested quarterly reports. The project manager emailed Webb and told her the major problem remains outtake opportunities, as there hasn't been much transmission marketing this year., but they will be submitting a proposal to PNM, which is looking to purchase renewable energy. The project is still looking at crossing the SunZia transmission line at the interconnection point. "They are still looking at how to get the wind turbines off I-10 and onto Separ Road. They are working with DOT on that transportation plan. They continue to gather data from towers and have more than 3 years-, just short of 4 years-worth of data. They are still targeting quarter 4 of 2022 for commercial operations."

"We do have some shovel-ready projects that we have no funding for," Webb continued. "Fleming Tank Road flood prevention, we've tried a couple of opportunities, but they didn't pan out. For the Emergency services repeater replacement, we have a lot used for law enforcement and fire that need replacing, so we included that in the congressional package."

She commented on some other projects "floating around. We applied to Freeport for some funds for the trails at Bataan Park. We were unsuccessful, but we will continue to look at possible outdoor funds to complete that project. We are working on getting into our budget a vehicle replacement plan. We need to identify what roads need work, so we can seek funding to complete the projects. As for IT, Spectrum did an analysis last week. I'm also working on a help desk policy. I realize you wanted it on this agenda, but my computer died for a couple of days. It's back up and running, so I'll have it for the next agenda. I'm also drafting an acceptable use policy. That concludes my report."

Ponce thanked Webb for the report. "It shows how busy Grant County is. I thank you and your staff to see what you are bringing in. It's great for the public to see that. Things are still going."

Ponce had asked that a discussion on the noise ordinance be put on the agenda but has decided he wanted to table the ordinance. "It was passed in 1998. I would like to look at the disorderly house statute."

The next item began the review of the regular meeting agenda, which will be covered in (a) subsequent article(s).