The county commission will hold their monthly meeting on Monday October 17 in their chambers at 1712 N. Date Street in Truth or Consequences. The public can attend the meeting in person or listen on the radio at 101.9 FM or observe either live or later on facebook.
The regular county commission meeting will begin at 10 am. The agenda and its accompanying packet are available online. Items and their corresponding pages in the packet are described.
p. 199 The county will sign an agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation to allow the county to maintain existing roads through a BoR project area west of Caballo reservoir. The roads allow people who live west of the project area to access their properties by driving through the project. Without this agreement, the roads would not be maintained by the BoR nor are private users allowed to maintain them.
p.127 The county will provide office space (150 sq ft) to the State Fire Marshal in the county administration building. The space is currently unoccupied and no fee will be assessed to the fire marshal.
p. 136 The county will accept $131,250 from the Department of Finance and Administration over three years to fill one law enforcement position.
p. 138 Olive Tree, a private entity which is administering the county’s Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Abuse demonstration grant will have its contract renewed for another year. The grant is funded in part by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. Olive Tree is payed $1,000 per month.
p. 148 The county is responsible for the lease for offices housing the Sierra Soil and Water Conservation District and will renew the current lease for 705 sq ft of space at 2101 S Broadway for another 4 years at a rate of $8,100 per year.
p. 159 The county will enter into an agreement with Compassion Care Clinic of Elephant Butte to provide employee clearances and physicals when Sierra Vista Hospital doesn’t have openings to provide services.
p. 167 The county will utilize the services of Las Cruces based DJ Walker Construction to repair the roof of the building housing the sheriff and road departments. As discussed during July’s meeting, before the monsoon rains began in earnest, the commission had decided the roof to this building needed immediate attention and they should fund roof replacement internally rather than go through the time consuming process of obtaining legislative funds. At that time, the cost to replace the roof was estimated at $165,000. DJ Walker Construction will perform repairs for $108,000. The scope of work can be found on p.198 and will provide a 12 year warranty. We can hope the commission will discuss the preference in repairing the roof or spending the extra $57,000 to replace it with, potentially better protection and a longer warranty.
p.200 The city of Elephant Butte utilizes the services of the sheriff’s department for its law enforcement needs. At present, those services are provided under contract. This will be changed to a joint powers agreement so that EB can provide $30,000 in addition to its share of funds from the New Mexico Law Enforcement Protection Fund ($45,000) to the sheriff. The money will be used to “offset additional expenses associated with providing trained and certified personnel which LEPF monies may not be utilized”
p.206 The commission is expected to sign resolution 110-115 in support of a National Women in Agriculture Association’s project application to a Natural Resources Conservation Service funding opportunity. The NWIAA, according to the resolution, works with limited resource veterans, beginning ranchers and famers and provides facilities for community gardens, agriculture education, locally grown food, STEM programs and safe haven for underserved youths.
However, the New Mexico chapter of NWIAA, New Mexico Women in Agriculture Association, mentioned in the resolution is not included in the NWIAA list of chapters and does not have an internet presence. Further details about the project being applied for are not available
Update: A representative from the NWIAA confirmed that New Mexico has a chapter. NWIAA will update their website. Additional contact info will be added when available