By Lynn Janes

The town of Bayard held a regular town meeting August 22, 2022. The meeting started with Mayor Chon Fierro calling the meeting to order. Attendance at the meeting included Mayor Chon Fierro, Mayor Pro Tem Raul Villanueva and councilors Jose Diaz, Frances Gonzales and Eloy Medina.

The council approved the agenda

Public input

Resident Melissa Rackel addressed the council. She said the council and administration displayed a lot of hostility and the residents didn't like being targeted. She went on to chastise them for their public scolding of the municipal judge in a public forum at the last board meeting. She said he had a better pulse on the community than any of them did. She told them they needed to communicate better and without the hostility.

Resident Tighe Berg with Recreation Works addressed the council and told them she had seen in the last meeting that Diaz had been quoted in the Silver City Daily Press and Grant County Beat saying that the business with the antique tractor needs to be gone after, just as they had M and M Auto. Berg said no one had ever reached out and said there had been a problem or an ordinance not being adhered to. She said they obey rules and ordinances, so she had not been happy about the statement. She noted the tractor had been moved July 11, 2022, and Diaz knew that, so it has been seen as an attack on the business. She went on to ask if it could be because the business is a white-owned business in a predominantly nonwhite community.

Judge Jose Sandoval swore in two new police officers, Anthony Macias and Manuel Galaz.

Consent agenda

The council approved all the consent agenda. It included minutes from the regular meeting August 8, 2022, accounts payable report for August 8, 2022, and police report July 2022. Also included in the consent agenda approval had been the administrative staff to attend New Mexico infrastructure finance conference in October and Police Chief Hector Carrillo's attendance to police chief training in Farmington this month.

Diaz had some questions about the accounts payable report. Kristine Ortiz, city clerk, answered them. One had to do with the cost of cameras for security. Diaz wanted to know why the cost of the cameras at city hall had been twice as much. Ortiz explained the difference in the service between all the locations and that denoted the different costs. Diaz also wanted to know if people renting the community center will be made aware of the cameras. Ortiz said the cameras and recording has been included on the contract they receive.

Old business

Larry Ojinaga addressed the council with the concerns he has continued to have that have not been taken care of. He wanted to know when the railroad would fix the road and what has taken place with the abandoned house. Police Chief Carrillo took the question about the abandoned house. He said they had been warned and now a citation would be issued. Ojinaga said the building has been an eyesore. He went on to ask about the sidewalk project. Ortiz gave him an update. She explained some utilities would have to be moved and has been taking longer. She did say the city still had the funding because of an extension for another year.

New business

The council approved the project award of construction services to Southwest Concrete and Paving using CES (Cooperative Educational Services) procurement and the budget adjustment to complete the project using monies from the general fund, municipal streets. Ortiz explained the cost of the project. The cost from Southwest Concrete would be $115,891 total and of that Bayard had to pay $11,216. She said the project should start by the end of September. The project would be for Rosemary, Dayhill, Park and Royal streets. Fierro said they would continue to try and get funding for all the streets.

The council approved the homecoming parade for Cobre High School on October 7, 2022. Ortiz said the town just needed to provide a letter and then DOT (Department of Transportation) would approve it.

Chief Carrillo added in that if in the future Mr. Ojinaga would call him with questions, he would have answers ready to give at the meeting.

The council went into closed session to discuss personnel matters.

The council came back into open session and reported what decisions had been made.

The council approved the hiring of Kevin Armanny Rivera Camacho as an uncertified police officer.

The council approved the termination of Joseph Gomez from the maintenance department.

The council approved disciplinary action of suspension without pay be changed to administrative leave with pay for Gerald Polk. The letter of suspension would also be removed from his file, and he will return to work immediately.

Mayor and councilors reports

Villanueva didn't have anything to report.

Medina didn't have anything to report.

Gonzales announced they had a library meeting earlier in the month and would have another one in November. She encouraged everyone to attend. She gave an update on the Housing Authority and that 17 units now have new heat and air conditioning.

Diaz said he had a call from Mike and Carmen Gomez. They said they had tried to meet with the mayor for the last six months. They live on Elm Street and because of the sidewalk she had fallen twice. The problem they see has been no one lives across the street, but that sidewalk had been fixed but not theirs. Fierro said he had talked to them but at the time could not go look at the problem. Later he said he had gone by and contacted them to let them know the city didn't pay for sidewalks.

Diaz received a call about sewer lines and a problem one of the residents had been having. Mr. Candelaria has called the city and he just keeps getting the run around. Ortiz said she checked on this and he has the brand-new sewer lines, and the maintenance department checked the line and it had been open and clear. The problem seems to be on his side.

Fierro said maintenance had been doing a great job and he thanked them. He went on to thank Jason Jaeger for doing a good job at the wastewater treatment plant.

He said they had a lady that used to work for Freeport McMoRan and had worked all over the world and her expertise had been helping with wastewater issues. She had come to Bayard and took a tour of the wastewater plant and had been impressed by how clean they kept it. Fierro said he hoped she and Freeport McMoRan would help them with the problems they have been having. They have in the past built wastewater plants for small communities. Gonzales asked where they had done that. Ortiz said Africa and South America. Fierro commented he had been in the union for many years but if Freeport wanted to help, he would not question. Gonzales said they just need to be watched with clear glasses. She went on to tell Fierro not to get upset with her. She said, "She is a city councilor, and she must look out for her residents." Fierro said that has been what he is doing. Gonzales jumped at Fierro for not letting her finish speaking and getting mad at her for everything she did. Fierro said he didn't do that. Gonzales argued with him that he did, and it had been getting old. "I can't talk because everything I say is stupid to you." Fierro told her to go ahead and talk. Gonzales said, "She had just been concerned because of all the problems in the past they had with White Water Creek." She did point out that happened when Kennecott owned the mine. Fierro said they had to think positive and hope to get help from Freeport. Gonzales said she could think positive, but it will still be a copper mine. Fierro pointed out Freeport to be the biggest employer in the area. A resident pointed out if they could get their help the city needed to go for it.

The next regular meeting will be held Sept 12, 2022

Meeting adjourned.