By Lynn Janes

Silver City held a regular meeting April 11, 2023. The meeting started with Mayor Ken Ladner calling the meeting to order and leading the Pledge of Allegiance and salute to the New Mexico state flag. Council members attending the meeting included Lucian Farmer, Jose Ray, and Nicholas Prince. Guadalupe Cano did not attend.

The council approved the agenda. They did decide to hold off on submitting the names for the committee to address the search for a new town manager when Alex Brown retires in November of 2024.

Ceremonies none currently.

Proclamations none currently.

Council comments

Prince said the Friday coming up would be the day for the final signatures from the governor. This year the community had gotten a lot of funding. Soon the budget would be coming out and Prince encouraged them to look at other alternatives for basing income on other than a consumption basis because it would not be sustainable. He had referred to the loss in money coming in due to people using less water last year. He spoke to the city officials concerning the raising of property taxes and its effect.

Farmer didn't have any comment except for everyone to enjoy the great spring weather.

Ray didn't have any comment.

The council approved the regular meeting minutes from March 28, 2023

Public input

Mick Smith addressed the board. She said she would be sad to see Farmer go. "When you are looking for a new councilor, it would mean a lot to look for a parent with small children and especially a mom."

Smith asked the council if they had heard or could do anything about the guards at the Silver Schools carrying guns. She said the statistics show that guards carrying guns does not reduce shootings or make schools safer. "Guns don't protect people from guns." She added that they needed mental health care. Adding firearms do not solve the problem. "I don't feel comfortable where there are guns."

Smith wanted to address the council about the trail proposed in district one that had been a topic of conversation a few council meetings back. "There have been some serious comments in the paper and a lot of crazy accusations about backend deals with people. It has been really offensive to people in district 1. You need to listen to the people in that area and surrounding blocks. I recommend people go to the meetings." She suggested that for the people that can't attend, maybe they could post the meeting minutes. "It is kinda hard to find information on it."

Smith heard that when they did the "toss no mas" garbage clean up the mayor had told them not to pick up the glass between the park and Century Link. She said the mayor stated they would talk to maintenance about cleaning it up. "I work in the area and there is a lot of glass but no trash cans. Maybe more trash cans would help."

Reports

Senator Siah Correa Hemphill had come to the council meeting to give them an update on the recent legislature. They had a $9.5 billion dollar budget, and it helped them increase funding to places that have not been adequately funded in the past.

$12 million in capital outlay came to Grant County. She listed some, $350,000 for the Silver City Annex building, $75,000 for a backhoe for solid waste. $250,000 for Gila Regional Medical Center telecommunications equipment, $350,000 for construction for Tu Casa Crisis Center, $100,000 to expand healthy fresh foods to the community pantries and schools. This would include the use of local farmers and ranchers.

They have funded a $500 rebate to single taxpayers and a $1,000 rebate to people filing jointly.

Hemphill said she carried a bill that would help streamline the process for funding from the Water Trust Board. They provided grants for rural health care facilities to help them stay open. They had asked for $3 million for the Black Fire repairs of damage but only had received $2 million. She said next year they will ask for $2 million more. They had gotten money for healthy school meals, easy access to mental health care. She named a few others.

They had been able to fund a study for $500,000 to see how to cover more people in Medicaid going forward.

They had used the trust fund in the amount of $150 million to increase early childhood education.

Hemphill asked if they had any questions. The council thanked her for her update.

Alex Brown, town manager, gave the council a brief update on the projects the town currently has going. They had received a draft of the contract for the recreation center and Jim Reynolds, town attorney, would be reviewing it. The annex building had $350,000 in reserves and had just gotten $350,000 from the legislature. Brown said he would be checking into how they would pay the additional funding needed for the project and then they could move forward. The swimming pool project would be starting public meetings the end of the month. The golf course has been getting busier with the nice weather. Little Walnut should have been done but they had to do some work on a manhole cover. The regional water project will have presentations given in Ruidoso for the funding, and Brown said he would be attending to do that presentation for the project. The 32nd Street project currently has been out for bid and the award will be ready by the next meeting and the project should start the end of May. He asked them if they had any questions.

Prince had some questions about the swimming pool project, sewer back up and the project associated with it. Brown addressed all his questions.

Brown said they had to address the situation they had by coming up short on the water income because of less water usage. They will need to look at it and make sure it doesn't happen again. One idea they had talked about so as not to have to do a rate increase they could stop the pickup of the green recycling containers.

They received a grant of $600,000 to help with the Little Walnut project and 32nd Street.

One item they must address had to do with the recent loss of insurance for the town. The company had dropped them, and they would be looking for another one and it will probably be substantially higher. This will have to be considered while doing the budget.

Ladner asked about online billing and when that would be available.

Brown said they had two parts to the software upgrades. It needed to be cloud-based and run on Windows. They will be able to do the upgrades by the end of the fiscal year and start taking online payments by the end of the calendar year.

Representative Luis Terrazas had been able to join the meeting and give the council his update. He said he didn't want to repeat what Hemphill had told them and continued with an update.

He had 34 projects and only one had been vetoed. The one vetoed was for Fort Bayard for $100,000. For Silver City he had gotten funds to fix the irrigation problems at the golf course.

He went over some of the bills. A main concern had been addressing economic development and inflation rates. "I am concerned and feel economic development would help." If Fort Bayard could get restored, it would help bring people to the area. Terrazas had cosponsored a bill with Hemphill to do a joint memorial between the state and Santa Clara. This would allow them to obtain funding for restoration and police protection. It passed the committee and voted for 66 to 1 in the house. The governor and lieutenant governor had not been in favor of it. They did bring attention to it by introducing the bill. "It is the only fort in the state with designation and it is a shame it has fallen in such disrepair." Already 100 trees have died because of lack of water. The state owns Fort Bayard and they have neglected it. He said he had gotten a commitment from the General Services Department and lieutenant governor to look at it.

Terrazas went over some other bills they had worked on. They had gotten $100 million to help with public safety. He had sponsored four bills to return to work. It would help police attract, retain, and bring officers back from retirement. They got funding for all areas concerning the Black Fire. He commented on his concerns with the inflation and the average income of people in the area. He said the legislature had spent too much time in social issues and not the day-to-day needs of the people. "It was a good session but could have been better."

Legislation passed in 2021 concerning medical malpractice devastated the state. It increased insurance for the medical community by 900 percent. He referred to HB75. It had required a special session to make sure they could even get insurance. In a report for 2021 it gave the shortage of medical personnel in each area for the 33 counties. Every position in the medical field had a shortage in every county.

They have $4.26 billion between federal and state funds for roads.

Prince thanked him for all the work he had done.

Public hearings none currently.

Prince said he wanted to continue the conversation about the committee for the search of the new town manager at the next work session. Farmer said they needed to bring in the names for the next work session. Reynolds said that it had not been on the agenda and had to wait.

Unfinished business none currently.

New business

The council approved the special dispensary license for Q's Southern Bistro to serve at the Blues Festival May 27, 2023. Anthony Quintana gave the council a short presentation on the event.

The council approved the special dispensary license for Little Toad Creek Brewery and Distillery at the Blues Festival May 27, 2023. Kristen Warnack gave the council a short presentation on the event.

Stephen Lindsey wanted to also address the council concerning the Blues Festival. He wanted to let them know what would be happening with safety and protocols. They would have a security fence around the perimeter. They will have a private security staff and the main focus would be on safety and security. The event will have first aid available and hydration stations. Prince wanted a list of the security personnel. Lindsey said they would be using the campus police and Eddie Flores would be putting that list together and he could send that to them.

The council approved ordinance No. 1317, the notice to of intent to adopt an ordinance repealing ordinance No. 1270. It pertained to the adoption the Agmechtronix LLC Manufacturing facility as an economic development project. James Marshall, assistant town manager, said they had allowed the town to be a conduit for funding to start the business. They had gotten funding through the economic development department and had met all the qualifications needed in the past two years so the town could release the mortgage on the property. It has been a huge success for the community.

Ladner recommended the appointment of George Carr to the municipal museum community advisory group. He had reviewed his application and the director of the museum had endorsed him. The council approved the appointment.

Meeting adjourned.