[Editor’s Note: This is part 3 and the final article on the Grant County Commission’s special meeting held July 26, 2022. Prior articles in the series are linked at the bottom of the article]

By Mary Alice Murphy

Grant County commissioners at their special meeting on July 26, 2022, heard presentations and held discussions prior to making decisions.

One of the discussions centered on an application for a Quality of Life grant, which received a legislative allocation of $45 million for communities statewide to plan, design, furnish/equip and construct recreation projects.

Planning and Community Development Director Randy Hernandez said the summary was in their packet. It states that projects must show demonstrable benefit to a local community with limited access to recreational activities, either by attracting and retaining residents or attracting tourists. The grant has no match requirement, but has three tiers, with Tier 1 for $10,000-$99,999 for small projects; Tier 2 for $100,000 - $499,999 for medium projects; and Tier 3 for $500,000-$1 million+ for large projects. Ineligible expenditures include trail systems, trailheads, signage, outdoor classrooms, river access, heavy equipment or vehicles.

With a deadline of Aug. 12, Hernandez listed county identified projects. The two project include the Gila Community Center and Park improvements, which would provide for a new facility, either prefabricated or constructed, along with playground equipment; and Bataan Memorial Park improvements, including electrical upgrades to the pavilion and vaulted toilets, turf replacement and field drainage.

District 3 Commissioner Alicia Edwards said she would like to see something for Mimbres, “maybe a small application for a place or to identify a place.”

Hernandez said land is eligible for the grant, with Priscilla Lucero, (Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments executive director), indicating that the potential purchase of land should be on the ICIP (infrastructure capital improvement plan). “She suggested land acquisition for next year. One county-owned parcel is the EMS station, and it has restrictions for emergency use only.”

Edwards asked if it was possible to do a public/private partnership with the Roundup Lodge. “Do we own the land for the senior center?”

Hernandez said the county-owned senior center land can only be used for senior services.

District 2 Commissioner Javier “Harvey” Salas said the senior service land had been donated by one of the ranchers specifically for senior services.

Hernandez said about the Roundup Lodge, “if we plan to upgrade, we would prefer to own it. I can’t give a definitive answer on the lodge.”

Browne asked if the county was limited to two applications.

“There is no limit, but we need to focus our efforts,” Hernandez replied.

Browne agreed that the county should focus on the two concrete ideas.

Hernandez said the Comprehensive Park Plan would create the groundwork to move forward with other projects.

Edwards said she was thinking about taking Bataan off, because “we have other opportunities to fund it. I want the public to know that we’re trying to think of possibilities for everyone.”

Hernandez said he would recommend that Bataan be moved from No. 1 on the ICIP, but also to leave Bataan on for this grant.

“If we’re not awarded this money, then what would we have for Bataan?” District 1 Commissioner and Chair Chris Ponce asked.

Hernandez said the county still has $500,000 for Bataan, “but I’m pretty confident that we can get these awards because of what we’ve already done at Bataan. Let’s leave Bataan toward the top of the ICIP.”

He noted that Aug. 19 is the hard deadline for submitting the ICIP.

Edwards said middle ground would include moving Bataan to No. 3 on the ICIP and explaining it at Prospectors.

Ponce was adamant not to move Bataan from No. 1.

The next discussion dwelled on the ARPA (American Rescue Program Act ) and where commissioners should allocate the funding.

Hernandez said the county has already received Tranche No. 1 of $2,622,022.50, with $2,37,649.24 allocated, leaving an unallocated balance of $384,373.26. As of June 30, 2022, $1,176,502.13 has been expended, with $321,112.82 encumbered and $740,034.29 unencumbered.

Tranche No. 2, which the county expects to receive in August or September 2022. It totals $2,622,022.50, with none of it yet allocated.

Edwards asked why almost three-quarters of a million of the first tranche remained unencumbered.

Hernandez said the Detention Center needed assessments, which would lead to recommendations for physical plant changes. “Joseph (Andazola, administrator) is looking at quotes, which means about $300,000 is encumbered but not yet spent. Some is unspent and some makes up the contingencies.”

To a question from Browne, Hernandez said for the unencumbered funding, the county is looking at the Detention Center and North Hurley. “They are the only ones that have come in below estimate. $384,373.26 remains unallocated.”

For the second tranche of funding, Hernandez said any entity that has received under $10 million, the federal government has decided to lump it into general services. “However, we are still bound by the ineligible expenditures, such as for general infrastructure, economic development or workforce development. Pension funds, federal matches, legal services or deposits into rainy day funds cannot be done with ARPA funding. But general infrastructure is eligible for the Quality of Life grant.”

Edwards said the county still has more$550,000 for Bataan. “We are asking for $500,000 from capital outlay, and the $500,000 in the Quality of Life grant. Would that $1.5 million complete our priority projects for Bataan?”

Hernandez said only $450,000 remains for Bataan.

Jason Lockett, facilities and grounds maintenance supervisor, said he believes that would be close to enough money to complete everything. “However, to replace the turf right now is $8-$10 a square foot, which would be about $400,000-$600,000 per field. But I think those prices are very high. I think we could do better. We could possibly get a reduction for buying for all three, but it’s still high.”

Salas asked why the limit on the ICIP to $500,000. Hernandez said Lucero told him that it was highly unlikely for anyone to get more than that amount, and the county could get less.

Three of the commissioners kind of muttered back and forth about using ARPA funding to finish Bataan or to spend at Gila on the Community Center.

Edwards commended Hernandez for being so well prepared for the discussion, considering how new he is to the position.

He thanked her and said he wanted both the ICIP and the Quality of Life grant to be on the agenda for the first meeting in August.

Edwards got consensus from the commissioners that they agreed on the two projects for the Quality of Life grant and that Hernandez could proceed.

Ponce said he would like to see Adam Baca, IT director, present on broadband at the first work session in August.

The final discussion item covered a proposal to name a geographic feature in the Gila National Forest as Burro Spring Mountain. The New Mexico Geographic Names Committee will base its recommendation primarily upon the expressed preference of New Mexicans.

Administrative Assistant Kevin Hubbs said a community member had filed a request to name the unnamed summit Burro Spring Mountain. The actual application goes to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. The long ridge reaches more than 7,000 feet elevation in the Gila National Forest. The name suggested comes from the spring that lies at the foot of the “attractive summit to climb. We were asked if we had any strong objections to the name.”

With no objections to the name, Hubbs said he will draft a response via the county manager’s office to state the commissioners had no strong objections.

A resolution on the fiscal year 2023 final budget elicited some discussion. Financial Officer Linda Vasquez said only a few changes were made to the preliminary budget, with some being changes to termination and retirement benefits and a “$2,000 increase here and there for benefits or certifications. I took a look at the revenues and expenses at the end of the fiscal year on June 30, and copper production increased slightly; property tax decreased a bit, but we had increases in GRT (gross receipts taxes). I left the internet tax on the budget because we have no history.”

Edwards said she had a concern that “we’re reducing our average property tax collection percentages to 94 percent, rather than the historic 96 percent.”

Vasquez said she would need it broken down by district to determine what caused the decrease in the collection rate.

“We’re leaving a lot of uncollected taxes on the table every year,” Edwards said. “I request the treasurer give us a report on what he thinks the challenges are. How much of a loss is it?”

Vasquez said the amount was down $200,000 from last year.

Browne said he estimated about a $150,000 loss because after 10 years, the county can no longer try to collect the unpaid taxes. “It makes it sound like skipping out is fine. It has to do with enforcement.”

Edwards asked if it was worth a staff person to enforce the payments. “We have to tie it to results of losing between $150,000 and $200,000 a year.”

Vasquez went into details on the final budget. The General Fund has an unaudited beginning cash balance as of July 1, 2022, of $5,615,462, with budgeted revenues of $14,912,250, budgeted transfers out of minus $4,816,350 leaving a cash balance of $3,392,389, with a reserve for unbudgeted expenses of $185,129, the local reserve requirement of $3,079,589 leaving a cash balance (surplus) at the end of the year at $127,671.

The County Road Fund had a beginning cash balance of $468,337, budgeted revenues of $980,000, budgeted transfers in of $790,000, budgeted expenditures of $2,061,626, with an estimated ending cash balance of $179,712, a required reserve of $171,602, leaving a cash balance of $4,909.

The Detention Center had a beginning cash balance of $1,066, budgeted revenues of $907,700, budgeted transfers in of $3,315,116.37, budgeted expenditures of $4,192,271, with an estimated ending cash balance of $31,600, with no required reserve.

Ponce noted that he had received a letter of request for funding from the Bayard Library. Vasquez said it’s in the budget. The final budget was approved.

Edwards said when she left her office the previous night, “Linda was still in her office working on this budget.”

Vasquez said: “It’s cumbersome to do different formats. I hope IT can fix it.”

Under commissioner comments, Ponce said he had had the privilege the previous week of speaking before the Legislative Finance Committee. “It’s quite a learning experience.” He noted one of the senators questioned ICIP projects, “especially projects that have not been completed and if there is money still hanging out there that is unspent. We need to make sure all our is spent. The county staff helped me with this process. Thank you. I was really nervous, but it was a good experience.”

Edwards and Salas had no comments.

Browne said he was happy that Mr. Hughes of the Coalition of Sustainable Communities had presented. “I used to give a brief reminder about climate change, but I stopped. I understand that some ranchers are selling off cattle because the drought is so bad that the grain is not growing as well as it should. Climate change is by far my top priority. I think our little area should join the coalition to do our part to reduce fossil fuel consumption, increase efficiencies and get their recommendations on steps we can take to address these problems.”

Ponce said at the LFC meeting Sierra County Commission Chair Jim Paxton had also spoken alongside him. He talked about the Black Fire. “Fires burning for 30-40 days aren’t helping either. Some of the ideas that came out were to go in and get downed trees out, maybe go in with logging and clean it up.”

Edwards said she just drove I-25 to Colorado Springs and “it is terrifying how close the (Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon) fire scar is to Las Vegas. It is like right there.”

The commission adjourned.

To read the prior articles, please visit https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/73463-grant-county-commission-holds-special-meeting-072622-part-1 and https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/73467-grant-county-commission-holds-special-meeting-072622-part-2 .