Grant County Commission held regular meeting 050825

By Michael LaReaux

The May 8 meeting of the Grant County Board of Commissioners began with the Pledge of allegiance, followed by a salute to the state flag. The board approved the meeting agenda and opened the floor for public input. When no one came forward to speak, Chairman Chris Ponce closed the public input portion of the meeting and moved on to the next agenda item.

Pursuant to regulations, the Board of Commissioners is required to hold a public hearing on the resolution addressing the subject of fireworks restrictions in unincorporated areas of Grant County. Severe drought conditions persist, despite the recent arrival of some precipitation. The board received no public input, and the hearing was closed. County Manager Charlene Webb recommended that the fireworks restrictions remain in place, citing the "exceptional drought conditions" that linger in the county.

District 5 Commissioner Thomas Shelley asked about an apparent contradiction in the restriction. "Just wondering why section 2 says we're not allowing the use of fireworks and section 3 opens it up. Why is that in there?"

The apparent discrepancy is the result of state law superseding local ordinances. Counties and municipalities do not have the authority to ban certain fireworks, and so a carveout must be made for them, which results in the two sections included in the restrictions.

The motion to continue the fireworks ban carried and would have to be revisited in 30 days.

Following the resolution's passage, District 2 Commissioner Eloy Medina introduced three Proclamations honoring the contributions of medical providers. The first named May 6 to May 12 as National Hospital Week. The second, National Nurses Week, would run from May 12 to May 16, and May 19 to the 23rd would be proclaimed National Emergency Medical Services Week.

After each Proclamation carried, Ponce invited medical personnel in attendance to join the Commission for group photos. Before Ponce invited the nurses to the floor, District 4 Commissioner Eddie Flores asked to speak.
"I just want to say thank you, Commissioner Medina for the proclamations presented before us. For me this is very near and dear to my heart. I want everybody here in the room especially in the room to hear this and those who have helped me beyond the room. I for one have always taken the medical personnel for granted and the fact that you get sick you go to the doctor and they give you medicine and you move on, and I think until you've been in a crisis-a life or death crisis- which I have been, and I'm not afraid to say that. But I've gone to Gila Regional and I've been in Las Cruces and most of my time I spent at the Mayo during my last few years, when I guess you could total about four months. I stayed at the Mayo 30 days in the ICU and until then, even when the EMS personnel picked me up in Scottsdale one time after an issue and took me back to the hospital, I didn't really appreciate the calling of these people to their profession. Everyone from the custodian at the Mayo all the way up to the surgeons played an integral part in my healing. The custodian would walk in and tell me that he was praying for me and visit with me and talk to me, and I appreciated that all the way to a team of doctors, but especially the nurses. The nurses, they would find out who I was and what my background was and every day they'd come in, and a new nurse and 'thank you for your service,' they would tell me. I would always tell them thank you for your service. You guys are my heroes. Firemen think that they're the heroes of policemen which really isn't true. But truly, the medical personnel, especially the nurses, are my heroes, and I want you guys to hear that from someone whose been in a situation where I've been totally helpless, and the kindness and the empathy and the caring especially after 30 days in the ICU, and they're feeding you and nothing fazes them. You could throw up in front of them and they act like nothing ever happened. Even here at the emergency room at Gila Regional they've helped me, my family, my mom, my dad, and my mom and dad when they've gone in I just think man, these folks are getting tired of seeing my parents, but every time they treated them with care and dignity, which really meant a lot to me…they help me still, and they treat me professionally with courtesy… I want you to know that doesn't go unnoticed, not just by me but by everybody you serve within Grant County or outside Grant County and I for one on behalf of myself, my family, I can't say how much I appreciate you, your service, your calling, your dedication and your passion to do what you do. Thank you so much."

Flores's speech provided a fitting and heartfelt end to the portion of the meeting dedicated to the Proclamations, and the Commission then turned its attention to financial matters.

The FY2024 financial audit report took center stage. Farley Vener of the accounting firm Hinkle and Landers presented the audit results. Vener made his presentation remotely using video teleconferencing technology.

The scope of the audit, according to Vener, was to give "an opinion on financial statements and federal program compliance."

Vener presented a list of resolved discrepancies, encouraging the members of the Commission to delve into the list at their convenience. The audit uncovered instances of improper accruals, discrepancies with prepaid assets, as well as inconsistencies with financial reporting of governmental and proprietary funds, procurement, and suspension and debarment. For each discrepancy, the report included a detailed account of the actions taken to correct the problem.

The report noted a "material weakness in internal control over financial reporting." In addition, problems stemming from the previous year's audit remained on the list, which created significant challenges in resolving certain findings. While the report did uncover issues in the county's financial management, Vener was overwhelmingly positive in his report, declaring the audit "amazing." He assured the Commission that the County was ready for the 2025 audit.

Vener closed his presentation with a discussion on new GASB accounting standards, some of which apply to compensated absences such as sick leave and vacation accrual. These standards have changed. He also discussed that the County could be vulnerable in the future to larger liability when it came to financial risk disclosures. He mentioned upcoming changes in financial reporting models and capital assets but stressed that these were things that would be addressed in the future and did not require immediate attention. In closing, Vener once again praised the financial management team. "A tough audit, but we got great cooperation from the management and finance team, so thank you so much for that. "

Shelley asked Vener for clarification on the list of findings, and what actions the Board would have to take "It's a long list of findings and repeating findings, so on the repeated findings…is it a different meeting or conversation on where we go from here?"

Vener directed Shelley to the report, where each finding contains a response from the management team, detailing how the issue will be corrected and the timeline of that correction.

County Manager Charlene Webb provided additional information. "Mr. Vener alluded to this part of why we have so many repeated findings…is because our previous year's audit was so late. The audit was a year late and they didn't have the opportunity to correct those. We will work really hard not to have to put something like this in front of you again. We're happy to set a meeting with you once you've had a chance to review those, and let you know what our plans are and how we intend to permanently resolve this."

Shelley responded, "Thank you. I think that's valuable clarification both for the new Commissioners but also for the public. Thanks."

With the audit report completed, the Commission invited Robert Whitaker, CEO of Gila Regional Medical Center, to present his report. He began by thanking Medina for recognizing medial personnel. "Thanks for the proclamation. It's wonderful to recognize our staff and our caregivers and what they do. I support them in all they do and their efforts. I can't push the button on the CT – on the lab machines – bad things might happen if that occurred, so I'm here to support them in what they do."

March saw higher admissions year over year, while deliveries remained relatively flat. Swing bed admissions increased, and Whitaker expected that trend to continue. Surgeries, and inpatient surgeries in particular, saw lower numbers, while ER visits spiked. It was the highest Whitaker had seen since his tenure began, with 180 more visits than the previous March. Over the course of the year, the ER saw 500 more patients than the previous year, while outpatient services saw a 2,000 -visit increase.

Less activity occurred at the clinics compared to the previous March, though there was growth at the primary care clinic.

The increased volume brought in additional revenue; GRMC recorded $900,000 in increased revenues over the previous year, a figure balanced out by higher operating expenses. Much of the increase in expenses resulted from the hiring of a slate of new providers, but overall, the higher revenues resulted in a $550,000 surplus for the month, excluding HDAA and SB151 funding.

The hospital continues to search for a contractor to handle construction on the MRI project. With the lowest bid coming in at $700,000, Whitaker is willing to delay moving forward, as in his words, "$700,000 is a little higher than what we want."

The operating room HVAC project is underway, as well as a redesign of the emergency room and OP registration areas. The hospital is also working diligently to replace the existing nurse call system.

Whitaker reported on several completed projects, such as the telephone system and the telemetry system. The hospital is on pace to spend $4 million on capital projects for the year, a number Whitaker described as "a good number in terms of reinvestment back into our facility."

Ovation Healthcare, a company that specializes in hospital management, will begin operations at GRMC on June 1st. A recent board training meeting familiarized new board members with the duties of a board member, specifically duty of care, duty of loyalty, and duty of obedience.

UNM site visits would be scheduled for May 12 and 13, and on May 21, as part of building back the family medicine rural residency program. The GRMC employee and family picnic was slated for July 12.
Whitaker and his team intend to hold a town hall meeting to discuss the new management company and what it means to be a critical access hospital. He did not have any firm dates for the meeting.

With the newly established CARES program, GRMC has formalized their community assistance and sponsorships. One program involves awarding a portion of the cafeteria sales to community groups. Whitaker reported a $2,500 donation to The Commons, a non-profit dedicated to improving food security in Grant County. The next check would go to Siver Regional Sexual Assault Support Services.

Ponce thanked Gila Regional's CEO for his report and noted that the hospital had enough operating cash for 128 days, but Whitaker assured him that $12 million in long-term investments were excluded from that number, but remained available should the need arise.

With no further questions for Whitaker, the Commission invited Sheriff Raul Villanueva to present his report.

Total complaints in April numbered 1650. The department responded to 25 alarm calls, 35 domestic violence calls, 58 traffic collisions including 23 with injuries, 13 criminal damage calls, 62 animal calls, 38 calls regarding unwanted subjects, and 39 reports of suspicious activity. For the months of March and April, the department received 5 total complaints about the use of prohibited fireworks, but Villanueva anticipated that the number would increase as the July 4th holiday approached.

On April 26, an individual was found unresponsive in the Faywood Hot Springs. Investigators called to the scene determined that the cause was medical rather than criminal, and there was no sign of foul play.

The Civil Process Division provided 11 round trip transports for a total distance of 6,527 miles. In addition, the division served 380 documents, including subpoenas, summons, and writs.
Supervisors attended a required training centered on effective employee discipline. The program, presented by the state, provided information that was "crucial for us to be able to understand the importance of addressing issues that come up that they encounter."

Other officers were scheduled to attend basic CIT training. Villanueva invited agencies across the southwest to attend. CIT, or Crisis Intervention Training, provides law enforcement personnel with verbal skills that enable them to de-escalate tense situations. Additionally, the 40-hour course helps officers understand how people behave and respond in a crisis.

Instructors from Blue Bridge Autism would be training two staff members, so that those staff members can then train officers within the department to respond more effectively when they encounter citizens on the autism spectrum.

In addition, Villaneuva selected certain members of the department to receive additional training in room clearing and close-quarters tactics.

The Sheriff's Office, working in conjunction with Lexipol, recently finished changes in department policy. The changes span 152 policies, many of which are already in use across the department. Villanueva distributed the new policy manual to every member of the department, and each officer and staff member is expected to review the changes and acknowledge their understanding of the new policies. Lexipol will automatically update the manual when necessary.

Villanueva closed by thanking his staff for their efforts and inviting the public to bring their questions and concerns to him.

Following Villanueva's report, the Commission approved the Consent Agenda unanimously.

In New Business, the Commission approved the acquisition of three buses at a cost of $396,049. Funds for the buses were already in place, but the Board's approval was necessary because the County Manager oversaw the grant that provided the funds.

The buses would replace aging buses operated by Corre Caminos. In addition to the three buses, the board also approved the $86,101 purchase of a minivan equipped for riders confined to wheelchairs.

Fort Bayard Medical Center would receive a nearly brand-new van to assist veterans in their area. The board unanimously voted to approve the transfer. The van, which the county had acquired with grant money, had been intended to help transport veterans to their appointments. The van was later loaned to the District Attorney's Office, and will now have a new home in Fort Bayard, fulfilling its original purpose.

The Commission turned to Deputy County Manager Andrea Montoya for a discussion on the preliminary budget. Montoya informed the Commission that her office continued to update the information available on ClearGov, a financial transparency app recently adopted by Grant County. ClearGov makes budget information readily available online to the members of the Commission in the form of detailed spreadsheets. Montoya assured the commission that her office continued to build up the budget, and she would send it well in advance of the May 24 regular meeting.

Cash balances reported in ClearGov would fluctuate until the end of the fiscal year. While the numbers were preliminary, Montoya estimated that GRT or Gross Receipt Taxes, would be "much higher than previous years."

District 3 Commissioner Nancy Stephens questioned Montoya about the county road budget, and whether the 2.8 million listed in ClearGov was the total budget for the year. The number represented the entire road budget, including salaries and all other expenses associated with the road department.

"So, when constituents ask about expensive upgrades that would be millions of dollars," suggested Stephens, "It's true to say we just don't have the budget for that, right? We have to spread out that money equitably."

Webb assured the Commission that the operating budget of $2.8 million was indeed all the money Grant County had earmarked for road maintenance, which meant that million-dollar projects were simply not in the cards. "Whenever you have a constituent that asks for a $4 million project, we don't have $4 million in our road fund."

Ponce remarked that the road budget seemed a little low, but Webb assured him that the number was actually higher than it had been in the past. "You're probably going to continue to see that grow because we have not budgeted anything outside of less than $100,000 a year outside of our LDRF projects to keep up with roads. Our roads are falling apart, and we have got to start doing more with our own dollars to make sure that we can stay ahead of some of those."

Webb noted that there was still work to be done about salaries. "I am still working with Michelle on salaries, looking at what an appropriate increase would be." A few employees have fallen below the minimum, and those employees will need to be brought up to the minimum so that they are on the compensation plan. Additionally, the County is exploring the possibility of "a percentage increase across the board."

Ponce reminded the Commission that county employees receive health insurance at no cost to them, as the county pays the entirety of their premiums, cost that will only increase in the future.

Ponce reassured his fellow commissioners that they had ample time to carefully consider the budget. "We'll keep looking at it. Don't stress yourself out. We got time. If your computer's not working. Mine, even when it works, it doesn't work," he joked.

With the budget discussion ended, the Commission considered a mutual aid agreement with Luna County. The agreement was nearly identical with an agreement struck with Sierra County, other than the omission of EMS services from the agreement. Webb praised Emergency Manager Scot Fuller for his work. "Scot's been doing a really good job reaching out to our neighboring counties and partners and getting these updated. He's worked hard on these." The motion to adopt the agreement carried unanimously.

The Commission next voted on R-25-30, a budget adjustment request stemming from the purchase of a stove for the Mimbres Center, along with a correction of the EWPP grant, and money reserved for the paving of the airport parking lot. The motion carried unanimously.

Next on the agenda was Resolution R-25-31, a motion to accept the findings of the 2024 audit. Ponce invited Montoya to address the Commission. "We've come a long way in a year, and I know it looks a little shocking to the new commissioners but all in all we have come so far, and many of these findings are already corrected, and we're very close to having no findings starting in the next fiscal year."

The motion to accept the audit's findings carried unanimously.

Flores opened the final portion of the meeting, which was set aside for Commissioner reports. He met with residents of the Dos Griegos subdivision in Silver City to discuss their needs and concerns. The residents mentioned roadside brush removal, as thick brush on the side of the road left the community vulnerable to fire.

Talks with PNM continue, and Flores is confident that they would soon have a firm date for meeting with Cliff and Gila residents concerning the spate of power outages that continues to affect the area. At the meeting, tentatively scheduled for the end of the month, residents will have the opportunity to express their concerns and have their questions answered. PNM representatives will explain their antiquated fire mitigation system. Cliff High School would be the most likely venue for the meeting, as it has sufficient seating capacity and sound system. A second meeting in Silver City would also be held to ensure that all interested parties would have the opportunity to attend.

Tennis and pickleball enthusiasts in Cliff looked forward to the opening of the tennis courts, and Flores asked Webb for weekly updates so that he would have answers for his constituents.

"I am their voice on the Commission," he said.

Flores stressed the importance of the Gila Community Center, stressing the library and the building's vital role in telehealth visits. He noted that projects to improve the Center would require funding from the state legislature.

In closing, Flores recognized Eloy Medina for his quick action in administering first aid to an employee who suffered a medical emergency. "We have an angel sitting here amongst us today," he said, indicating Medina.

Ponce spoke next, reminding the Commission about the Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan, or ICIP. Webb assured him that her office was working on holding public hearings regarding capital improvements and invited the Commission to present any project needs they might have so that they could be included in the discussion.

Ponce expressed dissatisfaction with the county's performance when it came to funding projects and encouraged his fellow Commissioners to come forward with their needs. "Keep in mind that whatever projects you have we can mess around with the list and see what some of your priorities are."

Medina spoke next, thanking Flores for his kind words. Like Flores, the power outages remained a top consideration, and he echoed Flores's call for regular updates concerning the outages. Medina announced a May 21st meeting in the Mimbres Valley Senior Center, the Sheriff was expected to attend, as well as Fire Chief Roger Groves. Medina spoke about receiving numerous calls about the future of the senior center. "It's tough when a rumor gets started out there, how fast it spreads, like a wildfire. They put a spin on everything they hear." He reassured everyone that their fears weren't being ignored. "…We're working behind the scenes and we're making sure that everything is being taken care of."
Medina closed his report by recognizing Sheriff's Deputy Anthony Bencomo for his dedicated service outside of his job with the Sheriff's Office. Medina noted that "It's often you see him daily in uniform carrying a gun and then you go to church and he's an usher. That shows how you serve your community in every aspect not just as a police officer."

Shelley began his report with a question about the town hall meeting associated with the ICIP. Webb replied that such a meeting is required by the state. The state expects us to host a public input session…We're only required to have one. We like to host three…that's just to solicit public input, and it's a requirement."

Shelley reported that most of the calls he receives concern code enforcement and junk properties, and he expressed his appreciation for the Sheriff's Office and the work they do.

Stephens expanded on Shelley's remarks, thanking the Sheriff for his investment in training. She also thanked Flores for his heartfelt comments and Medina for initiating the proclamations honoring medical workers. "I believe there is no small job," Stephens said. "Everyone's job is important. I think with law enforcement and health care…we're at our most vulnerable when we need those services."

The issues with HMS also weighed on her mind. The organization suffers from high turnover and recently lost both its Chief Medical Officer and its Chief Mental Health Officer. She urged Webb to consult with the County Attorney on possible actions that they could take at the next meeting. "I think with Gila Regional…we've seen a lot of progress in terms of their financial picture, but also their responsiveness to the community. And I think part of that is shining a light on some of the concerns. We all know that transparency and accountability are good…If you just keep chipping away at things and you shine a light on a problem, it will get better."

Ponce closed the meeting with a few final thoughts. "I tink that it is time we do look at that and I appreciate you and I support you in telling our county manager and our attorney to see what we can come up with to start addressing that. It's not so much about HMS. It's a lot about our public…The biggest that that hurts me is our Senior Centers, the work that it's putting our staff through…This is about our community…I support Commissioner Stephens in seeing what we can come up with…and decide what direction we need to go."

At the conclusion of his remarks, Ponce adjourned the meeting.