By Lynn Janes

The Silver City Town Council held a regular meeting March 11, 2025. Attendance to the meeting included Mayor Ken Ladner, Mayor Pro Tem Guadalupe Cano, and Councilors Nicholas Prince, Rudy Bencomo and Stan Snider.

Alex Brown, town manager, introduced the new town attorney Charles Kretek. He works with New Mexico government law and municipal law out of Albuquerque but actually lives in Deming. He has over 30-plus years of government law experience.

Ceremonies

The town awarded Patricia Pino the employee of the month award. She had not been able to attend. Brown spoke to why she had been chosen by the public works department. She has been the receptionist / secretary for the public works department for 25 years and will be retiring at the end of the year. She has been an outstanding employee with exceptional skills and customer service. Brown said she had been a team player and an asset to the department and never missed a day of work. Pino has been self-motivated and more than just a secretary to the department and will be missed. Brown said he wholeheartedly agreed with this recommendation.

Council comments

Both Snider and Prince didn't have any comments currently.

Cano said the past weekend they had an issue at Gough Park that would be a good reminder that if the public wants to have an event at any of the parks, they need to have a permit from the public works department. "It's really important, especially if you are going to be having a lot of people. There is also insurance involved along with other things."

She thanked everyone who had come to the first community dinner at the Warming Center the past Friday. They had about a hundred people show up. The cooking had been great by the staff and volunteers of the Warming Center. She thanked SPIN (supporting people in need) for not serving dinner at their facility and instead having a field trip to the Warming Center that night for dinner. They had brought 20-25 people, and she hoped for that continued involvement. Another one will be scheduled for April 18, 2025, and will be a potluck. Cano thanked Bencomo for his continued support and involvement in the Warming Center.

Bencomo said the past week he had gone to Deming to attend the renaming of the state police office in honor of Darian Jarrott a fallen officer. It had been well attended including by Senator Gabriel Ramos and Lieutenant Governor Howie Morales.

Bencomo brought up the welcoming reception that would be held at Western New Mexico University for the new incoming regents.

The council approved the minutes from March 25, 2025.

Public input

Laura Schoen had spoken at the last meeting to invite the council downtown to experience what the business owners have to deal with every day. "Sadly, only one had shown their face, I am disappointed to say the least." She has heard downtown Silver City called a gem. She disagreed but said it could be.

Some stores have been vacant, and they have a problem with loitering on every block. Business owners have cut their hours drastically or don't open at all. The continuance of the people loitering has suffocated downtown and again invited them down to see what they have had to deal with so they can see firsthand.

Paula Geisler wanted to speak on the quality of life and safety downtown. She said this has not only been important to her but should be important to them. The downtown has been deteriorating since Grateful Living opened up on the 300 block.

She had come to teach at Western New Mexico University in 1988 and lives in the historic district. Geiser used to have many art shows. She had continued to be open to the public until about a year ago when a number of aggressive, frightening and obviously drugged-out substance users made it dangerous to open her doors. This has made a major impact on her financial stability, and she said others have been having the same problem. "Only you have the power to make the historic downtown a place of safety, beauty and joy for all citizens of Grant County and travelers that come to Silver City expecting it to be a welcoming place." Instead, people have been met with substance abusers either sleeping on the street, aggressively panhandling or threatening individuals or businesses.

Geisler had provided each council member with a packet of information and questions. She knew they could not address this now. She will be addressing these questions on a radio show with Raul Turrieta called Local Flavor. She had invited the mayor, town manager, chief of police to attend. She wanted them to all work together to rediscover the healthy magic that used to be found in historic downtown.

Geisler said downtown businesses have been very concerned about Grateful Living's plan to dispense free cannabis and naloxone to substance abusers. "Personally, I think it is a very bad idea for many reasons." She noted a Silver City Daily Press release on April 3, 2025, entitled New Mexico Recovery Coalition partners with Grateful Living to launch state's first naloxone vending box. Giving away free cannabis and Narcan to marginalized unhoused individuals would not be the way to go.

Reports

Bobby Shaw attended to make a presentation to the council concerning SPIN He had provided some figures for the council to review. The figures he would be speaking to had been for the month of March. He thanked the Warming Center for the barbecue they had and invited them to. Eight staff and about a dozen clients had shown up and everyone loved it. He added they looked forward to working hand and hand with the Warming Center.

Shaw said they had served 1,563 meals. Last month he had said they provide three meals a day, but he had been incorrect, and they only serve lunch and dinner. Corre Caminos does provide SPIN clients with a bus ride to the Gospel Mission for breakfast Monday thru Friday. For the month of March, they had facilitated 1,195 occupants with an average of 39 per night and provided 502 showers.

The staff had requested an ambulance three times in March for medical issues. Police response had been requested three times. Staff members had attempted to deescalate in each instance. He then went over all the other services the staff provides clients.

Cano asked that if he continued to come and provide reports that the council would be capable of reading the report he had given them, and he didn't need to read it to them. It would be redundant, but if he had extra things to add that would be great.

Bencomo asked what type of medical calls had been required. Shaw said he didn't want to go into specifics and cited HIPAA reasons. He did make a point to say they had not been overdoses.

Senator Gabriel Ramos had come to give an update on the past legislature. He wanted to give a special thank you to Brown because, no matter when he called with questions on the needs of the municipality, he had answered. He felt fortunate to serve on the tax and education committee.

On the tax issues, he had Representative Luis Terrazas serving on the house side and they could help each other. They worked to cut taxes for everyone. The legislature had 1,200 bills and some, as hard as they had worked, made it through. One of the gun bills had been to make semi-automatics illegal but it would not have been just semi-automatics the way it had been written. It would also include paint guns and a few others that met the criteria. Most of the attorneys serving said it would be unconstitutional. That one they had been able to stop.

Senate bill 247 ensures students assessment results would not just be collected but provided to the superintendents in a timely manner to make decisions.

A big bill had been senate bill 220 which strengthens transparency and accountability in the government. What that means anytime they have a lawsuit against a municipality or state that it will be reported, and everyone will be able to see the amount paid out. He said a lot of suits had happened in Albuquerque that involved children being hurt or rapped and the city sued, and none of these amounts had been publicized anywhere.

Senate bill 81 ensures every New Mexican has access to fair property insurance. This bill had been done because a lot of people in Grant County have not been able obtain insurance or lost their insurance because they live in the mountains. They need insurance to abide by the lenders and bank rules. The bill failed. However, because of the bill, they had the insurance superintendent actually pass a rule to make sure the coverage for those areas would be increased and allow the state to provide that insurance.

Senate bill 19 he cosponsored with Senator Steinborn. It will require board of regents to take 10 hours of courses in ethics, budgets and rules of order.

Ramos said Senator Crystal Brantly sent her regards but had been unable to attend. He had worked with Terrazas, Senator Rebecca Dow and Representative Jones to come up with funding. He listed all the funding they had secured for Grant County. They had not received any grow funds this year and had been very disappointed due to using those funds to help everyday operations for entities and different nonprofits. He hoped to have them again in the next year.

Ramos was excited to be in Santa Fe but hesitant. Last time he had been on the other side and didn't know how he would be treated. Actually, he said, "Once you get there it is urban versus rural. It is not really republican versus democrat." Seems the urban areas stick together, and the rural areas stick together. "I want to thank the citizens of Grant County for sending me back. I am always here to help you." He thanked Cano for being at the legislature. He said it had been very important to hear from the people in Grant County on these bills. He can be reached at 575-313-2077 and would be hiring an assistant on April 13, 2025. He said most would know his new assistant Brett Kasten.

Terrazas had a report for the council on the legislature. It had been a great session but a little different from others. He said Ramos said it well, it had been nice to work together, and they worked together well to bring their resources together. He thanked Brown and the council members for always taking their calls when they had questions on municipality needs. It had also been important to hear from the people of Grant County. They had 1,200 bills and it had been important to hear how these would affect the public. He spoke to the help Bruce Ashburn, his assistant, had provided.

He said knocking on doors he had learned the biggest thing concerning people had been the cost of living, then public safety and after that education. Many had spoken to the infrastructure. Cost of living by far had been at the top of the list. People on fixed incomes have been having a difficult time. As a businessperson and having an understanding of accounting and economics, he saw many bills that would affect the cost of living. They tried to keep a balance of these bills that would affect people.

"We are out of balance in the legislature." Meaning a balance of republican and democrat in both the house and senate so they could come together and have conversations. Right now, they have been outnumbered two to one. Terrazas used the analogy they had been like the blinkers, saying this would affect the district and the people at home, but the other side has the car and control of the wheel.

They had been able to help veterans by providing property tax exemptions. Terrazas had been a sponsor of that bill. Veterans will have passes to use the parks for free. Gila Regional will have a CT scanner funded for $700,000. In education they had addressed absenteeism, something the local superintendents had really wanted. Although some things didn't pass, it brought attention to the issue and a conversation. On higher education Terrazas had worked towards something to address responsible spending for all universities throughout the state.

Terrazas said he and the others had worked well to pool together capital outlay money to fund important things for the municipalities and county. He addressed the grow funds that they thought they would have but didn't. He said none of the representatives had been aware they would not have them but hoped for them next year.

The capital outlay funds and grow funds (also known as junior funds) will be used differently. Capital outlay covers brick and mortar, vehicles, etc. The grow funds help fund different things for the community that have been important.

Last year he had been able to provide SASS (sexual assault support services) with $20,000 for the Silver Regional Human Trafficking Conference being held April 23, 2025. It helps the local area and region and brings much needed attention to something important. Terrazas cosponsored a bill for law enforcement specifically for crimes against police officers.

Last thing Terrazas wanted to add. He had been born and raised in the area. He said Ramos would probably agree. "If you ask us to support you on issues you have downtown, please reach out to us, we would like to see how we can help you."

He and his wife had taken some time off and traveled to California and went up the coast. He spoke to the problems with drugs and homeless they had seen, and he wanted to see how it had affected them. They stayed in Santa Monica at a once five-star hotel that had now been dropped to a three-star and walked down the beach and saw how each municipality had been different on how they handled the issue. Santa Monica had some problems but when they crossed into Venice just down a little way it had been completely different for the worse, totally out of control. He went on to describe some other areas. He didn't know what they had been doing different but suggested looking into it. "I think it is important to have a conversation and invite us to see what we could do to support you."

By them coming together they had secured $4 million in capital outlay for just Grant County and said he is honored to be the representative.

Cano had a comment for both Ramos and Terrazas. She thanked them and said, "We are spoiled, and as a community we don't realize that. We just expect you to do your jobs." She speaks to municipal officials in other places, and they don't even know who their representative and senators are much less their phone numbers. They don't have people that truly care about their community and parts of it. "Both of you are, and so I want to tell you and thank you for all you do." The session ended in March, but Cano said she knew that didn't mean they quit, but she hoped they would take some time off with their families. Terrazas thanked her and said both he and Ramos had been blessed to be born and raised in the area. "We know our community really well. We love you guys very much and are here to serve. God bless you."

Brown didn't have a manger's report currently

New business

The council approved a public celebration permit for Open Space Brewery for the Continental Divide Trail Days and Earth Day Celebration April 19, 2025, at 1201 N. Pope Street.

The council approved resolution no. 2025-14 that accepts the fiscal year 2024 audit. Mike Stone with Stone, McGee and Company attended to provide the report. The audit had an unmodified opinion on the financial statement which was the best they could have. This year they had not been required to have a federal compliance audit, because they had less than $750,000 in federal funding. Stone said they had still done some testing but were not required to report it. The audit did have two comments. The audit had been late from the state auditor's deadline. That being said they had probably contributed to that some because of breakdowns at the golf course and people following procedures. It has been addressed since.

Stone said the golf course is not in city hall and it makes it harder to manage. They had not been following purchasing procedures. It has been addressed and Anita Norero, finance director, has worked hard on it along with Brown.

Stone said he had done the audit for eight years and now the state requires they put out a new RFP (request for proposal) for a different auditor.

Brown commended Norero and Lori Ortiz for the hard work they had done on the issue. The problem pertained mostly to the bar and restaurant. They have closed it for now and have been reorganizing the way it will operate and hiring new management. Previously it had been under the oversight of the golf course. That will change and be directly under finance so they can have more control. If that does not work the next step will be to contract out the whole process and make it private.

Cano thanked Norero and Oritz for their hard work. "Your job seems daunting, and I don't know how you get it done every year." Brown added the budget has grown considerably. Norero will be retiring in 2026 and Oritz has been training to take her place. Stone added they manage around 50 grants, and each one has different reporting requirements. The finance department does very well and documents everything. Ladner said he had been pleased for the past ten years with the audit, and it has been a pleasure to watch. Brown wanted to thank Stone for all the great years of work. He said it had been Linda McGee, Stone's sister, who had been the reason he went to college. Ladner said he hears of other communities that have been behind in their audits and have a lot of findings. Except for the golf course issue, they had not ever had any issues.

The council approved the appointment of Cano as a delegate for the New Mexico Municipal League district director's election to be held April 17, 2025.

The council went into closed session

The council came back into open session and no action had taken place.

Meeting adjourned