[Editor's Note: Grant County commissioners held a short special meeting right before a long work session on Nov. 14, 2023. This is the sixth of a series of articles covering the work session. It continues with a review of the regular meeting agenda for Nov. 16, 2023 and will include decisions made at the regular meeting.]
By Mary Alice Murphy
The Grant County Commission Nov. 14, 2023 work session continued with the review of the regular meeting agenda.
County Manager Charlene Webb said Planning Director Randy Hernandez would address the first three items under new business as one group as they are all ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) requests for allocation.
Webb read them off quickly, stating the first is an allocation request from the Center for Health Innovations (CHI) for a behavioral health systems analysis with a map of all the providers and services in the amount of $50,000; the second a request for the Grant County Veteran's Memorial Business and Conference Center for floor improvements in the amount of $345,343; and the third a request, which was covered earlier in public input, for the New Earth Project from the Upper Gila Watershed Alliance for $35,000.
District 1 Commissioner and Chair Chris Ponce said:"While I would like to see more information on each project, because I'm a sucker for kids, I would like to change the conference center allocation to $310,343, so we can give $35,000 to the New Earth Project. I hope we can figure out some way to make up the $35,000 for the conference center. How do you commissioners feel about this?"
Webb said the CHI project has other funding for this project, but this would be the local contribution toward the project to create a visual of the services the county has, as well as the gaps. "I would fully support it if it were my decision, but it's up to you. Dr. Cox has made presentations to other groups and she talked about it briefly in her report last month."
"I feel like that money can be made up elsewhere, with the state or unspent funds," Ponce said. "I think everyone here knows how important the conference center is to us, with the meetings and private events that are held there."
Webb said the county has funding in the conference center fund that would make up the shortfall, but "absolutely, I think you could ask the legislators for junior fund money for the shortfall,, but I think we have enough to make up the shortfall"
District 3 Commissioner Alicia Edwards said: "I helped the Upper Gila Watershed Alliance make this application. I was having a conversation with Carol Ann Fugagli and I said, 'oh, my gosh, we should use ARPA money for this,' so that's why it was on such short notice. I am happy to hear that we have money in the conference center fund to make up the shortfall, because I'm sure we can use any state money we ask for to do other things. The New Earth Project is really great. I've been in the schools and on field trips with the students and they are super excited about it. They get to do worms and all kinds of other things. And we must remember that they are creating jobs for young people with this project. And lastly, why do we need $350,000 to redo the floors?"
Webb said: "Because it's a really big building, and the floors are a disaster. We have some unlevel areas, and it gets a lot of traffic."
Facilities Supervisor Jason Lockett said the flooring used the first time was made for foot traffic, not carts carrying tables and chairs and equipment. "We will be replacing the 20 millimeter flooring with 30 mill."
Edwards wondered if it would mitigate some of the noise issues.
Lockett thought it might.
Edwards then said: "One of the things that really excited me about this New Earth Project is that they recycle 600 pounds of wasted food a week, just from the three pilot schools they been doing. The plan is to have it in every school. What I do with Health Kids, Healthy Communities is I'm building school gardens and we will ultimately have one of those Johnson-Su compost bioreactors in every school for the garden and food waste."
Hernandez said he thought the commissioners had covered it very well. "We have $395,242.77 left in the fund. These projects will encumber the rest of it, and we will be fully encumbered. We will be monitoring all of the projects that have been ARPA funded, and if there are any funds left unspent at the end of the projects they will go back into this ARPA fund to fund this shortfall or whatever you want it spent on. Before the three commissioners are termed out, we will have everyone come back and give reports on what they did with the funding."
Webb explained the last ARPA-related item was a second amendment for funding already approved for the Sixth Judicial District Attorney's Office. "This was approved over a year ago, and was for a justice-involved veterans program. This was originally an agreement between the county and the courts. Since then, with conversations with the courts and the District Attorney, he had determined that it is better fitted for his office. So they have presented this amended MOU. It's the same project just moving it from the courts to the District Attorney's Office and it's the same amount of $100,000."
Ponce said this is for the veterans with PTSD. "When they come to courts, it's often a cry for help. But this money is sitting out there not helping. Can you reach out to some of the attorneys and see what they are doing? Can they give us a presentation in December and tell us when they will get this going?"
Commissioners approved all four ARPA allocations with their changes at the regular meeting.
Under agreements, at the work session, Webb said the first was an appropriation agreement from the Aging and Long Term Services Department in the capital outlay amount of $38,200 to the Mimbres Senior Center to purchase a vehicle, a hot shot vehicle for meal delivery.
She described a similar appropriation agreement for a hot shot vehicle from the same department at the same amount for the Gila Senior Center.
Commissioners approved both at the regular meeting.
The next agreement was an easement agreement with the village of Santa Clara for a 50-foot easement between the Dollar Store and the Armory for access and egress to the Veterans portion of the Bataan Memorial Park.
At the regular meeting, commissioners approved the easement agreement, which had already been approved by the Village of Santa Clara.
Ponce noted that he and Commissioner Edwards had gone out to the park to see the area. "They have such a beautiful park. We are working with them, so when the road's built, we can work out a lease or something, because they will maintain it."
Webb said: "We looked at several alternatives and this one made the most sense because we didn't have to deal with drainage or anything like that."
Edwards appreciated everyone's effort on the project.
Commissioners approved it at the regular meeting.
The following agreement addressed the annual agreement for the Homeland Security Operation Stonegarden operated by the Sheriff's Department. Webb said the grant amount of $272,025 will be sent to the county "The full grant is $279,000, but the state takes their portion, leaving us with $272,025."
Commissioners approved the Operation Stonegarden agreement at the regular meeting.
The final agreement was a maintenance agreement for roadway light and flashing beacon with the New Mexico Department of Transportation on U.S. 180 between milepost 123.36 and milepost 123.44. The agreement will give authority to the county manager to execute the final agreement, "if you choose to approve this maintenance agreement. When the NM DOT does road improvements like this, they go to whatever local government has jurisdiction over the area and they ask us to maintain the lighting and pay for any utilities, and this one is roadway lighting and a flashing beacon. The project is in Bayard, but it extends at bit of a way out of Bayard and it is on county property. I spoke to a gentleman and he couldn't give me a cost and recurring cost. I asked them what would happen if we chose not to enter into this agreement. What they will do is not install those lights."
Edwards asked where the project is. Webb said it is a tiny gap of county-owned property between Bayard city limits and the Santa Clara safety corridor limits
"I also said we don't have any expertise in this, and he replied that often the on-call engineering firm can help with this and change the timing when it's daylight saving time, for example and work on the fixtures," Webb said. "It was sent to the wrong department, so I just recently learned about this. He showed me on a map that it's a tiny piece between city limits that fall in county jurisdiction right about at the curve. He explained that the beacon is like a warning, similar to what Santa Clara has on the safety corridor for pedestrian crossing."
Edwards asked about something in the agreement. "It talks about installing LED 'luminaries' for a fully-lighted area, but it's a larger area than what is on the agenda."
Webb said she couldn't speak to the boundaries, but this tiny bit is what the man told her the county would be responsible for. "The other reason it is in draft format is they asked the county to approve it and then they will execute the final agreement. That's why it gives me authority to do that."
Edwards said she would like clarification that the county is only responsible for the 8/10s of a mile, not the 3.1 miles that the agreement has in it. "I don't want us to wake up one day and find out that these 'luminaries' are $1,000 a piece and we're responsible for all 39 of them."
Webb said she would call and have it resolved by Thursday.
Browne commented that he has not noticed a lack of lighting between Santa Clara and Bayard "at all. By my judgement, it's too much lighting."
District 2 Commissioner Eloy Medina said he didn't know where the 3.1 miles came from. "It's a small section right on that curve across from the bank. Did he explain it as a warning? There's already a flashing speed limit sign right there. Is it a pedestrian warning?"
Webb said she would call him that day to get clarification on all of it, including what the beacon is, whether it's slow down or pedestrian or what and how many 'luminaries' are between 123.36 and 123.44.
At the regular meeting, Webb said she was unable to get hold of the gentleman she had talked with before. She said she went out there and the strip is quite dark at night. "If you choose to table this, the project is slated to begin on Nov. 27, and if you do not approve this agreement, they will remove those lights from the project."
Browne said he drove out there and looked, and said the flashing beacon notifying people of the change to 35 miles per hour is functioning. "Do you know who is maintaining that right now?"
Webb said when she began working in counties 20 years ago, when DOT put in facilities, they maintained them, so she made a "huge assumption" that DOT was still maintaining this beacon. "DOT's procedures have changed over the years and they have sought partnerships."
Medina asked again about costs, and Webb said she didn't know what the maintenance costs would be. "But I do know that installing those lights can be up to $75,000 per light. We are talking about a very short strip. I don't see that this is going to break the bank."
Medina said a couple of months ago, they were talking about putting up warning lights about cows, and to a question from Browne about whether the cows could read it, Medina chuckled and said he had never seen them looking at them like they were trying to read them.
"However, this strip is along a busy road, where there have been pedestrian fatalities, so it's a safety issue," Medina continued.
Ponce said the county likes to be good neighbors and he would hate to see the county take them out and then something happens.
Edwards said her issue is that DOT cannot give the county any idea about how much it will cost. "I don't have a problem with being a good neighbor and doing this. That curve is dark. The problem I have is that DOT asked us to do this and then it's not willing to answer our questions around costs. Our responsibility is to understand the cost to taxpayers."
Webb said she would give the benefit of the doubt to the fellow, because he had been in the job for only three weeks. "I know the investment the DOT is putting in is $50,000 to $75,000 per luminary. I don't think maintenance on this piece will be terribly burdensome to the county. I think it's a safety issue for all of our residents. It would be my recommendation that you enter into this agreement."
Browne said he disagreed that it was a safety issue, because when he drove out, it wasn't that dark and all the lights on the south and west side in Bayard were out.
Medina said they are being repaired.
Browne said ever since the safety corridor went in, it has been an extraordinarily well lit section and the flashing light is still working. "I think we have gone way overboard in trying to light up our night, on P.A. Road south of 32nd and by Walmart. One of the things that makes this community special is our dark skies. These lights distract from that. The lights also attract wildlife, and it's even a possibility that it decreases safety by attracting wildlife, according to an article I read. It's not about safety, but about the bureaucracy and what makes the best quality of life for our community. I will be voting no, and for .8 of a mile it may be only one light."
Ponce said he will vote yes. "Safety is one of the biggest things in my mind. I believe there is a pending litigation on lighting in Silver City, which I can't speak to. In most of the municipalities you're not going to see the stars very well. You need to be out in the wilderness."
Medina said he agrees with Ponce on the safety side, "I've had to respond to two fatalities out there and had to watch their families crying on the side of the road. We're facing the issue in other parts of the county, and I think it needs to be addressed."
Edwards said there are ways to increase safety "by the type of lights we install, such as ones facing downward. I wish we were more conscious of that. They're all valid points."
Webb said the agreement does allow the potential to terminate the agreement.
The agreement passed with a 3-1 vote. District 4 Commissioner Billy Billings was not present.
The next article will start with resolutions discussed at the work session and decided at the regular meeting.
For previous articles, please visit https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/81381-grant-county-commission-held-work-session-111423-part-1 ; https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/81427-grant-county-commission-held-work-session-111423-part-2 ; https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/81509-grant-county-commission-held-work-session-111423-part-3 ; https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/81548-grant-county-commission-held-work-session-111423-and-began-regular-meeting-111623-part-4 ; and https://www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-articles/81565-grant-county-commission-held-work-session-111423-and-regular-meeting-111623-part-5 .