[Editor's Note: This is part 3 of the Grant County Commission combined work session and regular meeting on April 8, 2021. This article will complete the agenda items, their discussions and outcomes.]

By Mary Alice Murphy

This portion of the agenda began, after the approval of various meeting minutes, with the financial report of March 5-April 1, 2021. Financial Officer Linda Vasquez presented the report. Total expenditures for the month were $2,049,851.09, including two payrolls of $427,339.01

Below is the PDF of expenses above $10,000.

{pdf}mypdfs/extraordinary-expenses-March-April-2021.pdf{/pdf}

Commissioners approved the report.

The next item addressed appointments to the Tu Casa Advisory Board. County Manager Charlene Webb noted that they had received enough applicants to fill all available positions, "which is a first in a long time."

District 3 Commissioner Alicia Edwards moved to appoint Susie Trujillo, community member; Scott Fleuter, Advocate; Ron Hall, community member; and Dr. Derrick Nelson, HMS medical provider to the Tu Casa Advisory Board. She said Scott was a new applicant to the community position, and the other three were returning to prior positions. Commissioners approved the appointments.

The following item was to appoint the Board of Commissioners to serve as the Gila Regional Medical Center Governing Board at the request of the DNO Insurance carrier. Commissioners approved the item.

Under agreements, an amendment to increase funding for more than $16,000 from Children, Youth and Family Department for the Continuum and Board Activities at $49,729, the Restorative Justice Community Youth Building Program at $36,575, the Learning Lab (based on 80 youth to be served) at $36,000, and the Strengthening Families Program at $26,400, for a total grant award not to exceed $148,701. Commissioners approved the grant amendment.

A resolution addressed the Grant County Investment Policy and repealed all former county investment policies. Commissioners approved the resolution. The policy includes sections on purpose and scope, investment authority and delegation of authority, advisory investment committee, investments, investment objective, investment guidelines, standards of prudence, safekeeping and custody, ethics and conflict of interest, cash management, reporting policies, internal controls, portfolio performance, implementation, and distribution of policy.

District 5 Commissioner Harry Browne thanked Treasurer Patrick Cohn and Webb for their work on the policy. "I think we need a legislative change. I expect the current statute will be an impediment to our investing locally."

Edwards agreed with Billings that if it is an impediment that it should be taken to the Treasurers' Affiliate "to see what can be done."

Vasquez, in the following item, listed the budget adjustments that had been made mostly because of receipt of grants. The total of the transfers was $30,908, revenues increased by $1,105,218.42 and expenditures increased to $1,136,126.42.

Commissioners approved the budget adjustments.

Under consideration of an RFP for Grant County Veterans Memorial Business and Conference Center management services, Procurement Officer Randy Hernandez said he issued a solicitation for property management services for the conference center. "We received one proposal from the Silver City-Grant County Chamber of Commerce, which has been managing the center. Manager Webb and I reviewed the proposal, and we are comfortable with recommending issuing the award for the management services to the chamber of commerce."

The chamber of commerce presently manages the conference center. Hernandez said no significant changes were made to the solicitation or the proposal.

Browne noted that he thought reports were going to be made regularly. Edwards and Ponce concurred.

Edwards said she has had the occasion to work with the chamber Executive Director Steve Chavira and Romeo Cruz and all interactions have been positive.

Hernandez said he would take the reporting request and the positive comments back to the entity during contract negotiations.

Commissioners approved the award.

Commissioners recessed as the Board of Commissioners and convened as the Grant County Health Care Claims Board. They approved health care claims for February 2021 in the amount of $1,477.74, an indigent burial for $600, and indigent claims for March 2021 in the amount of $2,334.35.

Browne said he was curious to know if the declining claims is comparable to the number of detention center inmates. Hernandez replied: "Probably." Webb said she would agree that it is a contributing factor, as judges have issued citations rather than arrest warrants. "But we're also seeing the population in the detention center increasing in recent months."

Edwards commented on the large difference between the requested claims and what is allowable.

Hernandez said they base the paid amount on Medicaid rates. According to the formulation, some are not eligible.

The indigent health care claims and indigent burial claim were all approved.

Adjourning as the health care claims board and reconvening as the Board of Commissioners, commissioners then gave reports.

District 2 Commission Javier "Harvey" Salas, who had attended the meeting on the phone and voted on every issue, said he would be getting another COVID test, as he was quarantining. "Hopefully I can rejoin you soon. And thank you for the proclamation for Luis and Ramona Morales."

Billings thanked Salas for the proclamation. "It helps honor a family and tells the story of how to address a problem. I also thank my fellow commissioners for listening to my recent information on Wild and Scenic. I have hoped for compromise, as the Forest Service superintendent in the new plan was not recommending some of the portions listed in the bill as they were not qualified. My argument all along, in my opinion, is that New Mexico Wild, a special interest group, was given free rein to put in any segment they wanted to. I hope there is room for compromise. There are parts that don't qualify for wild and scenic, because they have been actively used for many years. Heritage Waters, a group I helped found, has identified sections that are acceptable on Willow Creek, Whitewater Creek, Iron Creek and the organization has serious issues with some other sections."

Edwards said, she, too, wanted to thank Salas for the proclamation that tells the story of local folks. "I remember when SWSH was around. I am the Healthy Kids, Healthy Community coordinator for Grant County. I attend a lot of meetings where we talk about trails. I was recently on a Zoom call with people all over the state on the issue. Grant County got $200,000 for an outdoor recreation plan. That's unusual for anyone in the state. I continue to be hopeful of the results from SE Group. Another Healthy Kids, Healthy Community coordinator was working on a trails plan, but it was taken off that county's ICIP (Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan). I really appreciate the commissioners, Charlene and county staff for helping to get the funding for our plan."

Browne said he thinks everyone should all be open to additional facts and perspectives on the Wild and Scenic issue. "It is a two-way street, and I hope the Heritage Waters group is also willing to reconsider its stance on segments. I believe a lot of what I've heard is misplaced fear. It's incumbent upon me to allay that fear, and it's incumbent on the senators who created the bill to also do that. There must be willingness to have that fear allayed. I hope there is a two-way street."

He said he wanted to remind people that it's the first week of school being back in session. "There are kids around. I, yesterday, saw a driver go through the Silver High School area pretty fast. So, please be careful, drivers."

Browne said he also wanted to correct something he said last meeting or the meeting before when they were discussing the Bronco mining project in the Burros. "I talked about the 1872 Mining Law. I said that a person can find an economic amount of ore and can patent that location and change it from public to private land very inexpensively. It's true, but now, there has been a moratorium in place against that happening for about 15 years. So, I wanted to correct the record that although technically possible, it's just not being done. Personally, I'm happy to hear that. Lastly, I'm also looking forward to the guidelines from the federal government on how we should be spending the American Rescue
Act funding that's coming our way. I understand it's $5.24 million for this area in two half allocations for two years. I hope we can use it for an increase in lasting economic development and quality of life. We've talked a lot about opportunities, and I look forward to our spending it there."

Ponce thanked Webb and Executive Assistant Taysha Walter for helping Commissioner Salas with the proclamation. "It's great history. Today at noon, I will be on the radio with Sen. Martin Heinrich on the American Rescue Plan. The other part is what Commissioner Billings and Commissioner Browne talked about Wild and Scenic. We are getting information, and we are discussing it with constituents. We are also getting feedback from Freeport. We appreciate the feedback from everyone."

The meeting adjourned.