Tuesday, December 20, 2022

County Commission Room

Roosevelt County Courthouse

Portales, New Mexico 88130

 

The Roosevelt County Commission met in regular business meeting on Tuesday December 20, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. in the County Commission Room with those present being: Commissioner Paul Grider, Commissioner Rodney Savage,  Commissioner Shane Lee, Commissioner Tina Dixon, Commissioner Dennis Lopez, County Manager Amber Hamilton, County Attorney Randall Van Vleck, County Clerk Mandi Park, Assistant County Manager Liliana Rivera, Special Projects Coordinator Carol Acosta-Flores, Road Superintendent Ricky Lovato, Lt. Javier Sanchez, Probate Judge Kendall Terry, Chief Deputy Assessor Stevin Floyd, Treasurer Layle Sanchez, Commissioner-elect Roy Lee Criswell, United Way Executive Director Erinn Burch, NMDOT District 2 representatives Mannon Arnett and Louis Matta.

 

Call to Order – Chairman Commissioner Lee called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.

Invocation – Amber Hamilton

Pledge – Commissioner Lee

 

  1. Approval of Agenda: Commissioner Grider made a motion to approve the agenda with a second from Commissioner Savage. Commissioner Grider-Yes, Commissioner Savage-Yes, Commissioner Lee-Yes, Commissioner Dixon-Yes, Commissioner Lopez-Yes.

 

  1. Approval of Minutes from the December 5, 2022 regular meeting and the December 2, 2022 workshop: A motion to approve the minutes from the December 5, 2022 regular meeting and the December 5, 2022 fleet workshop was made by Commissioner Savage with a second from Commissioner Grider. Commissioner Grider-Yes, Commissioner Savage-Yes, Commissioner Lee-Yes, Commissioner Dixon-Yes, Commissioner Lopez-Yes.

 

  1. Approval of Accounts Payable and Payroll for the month of November 2022: A motion to approve the payroll and payables for November 2022 was made by Commissioner Savage with a second from Commissioner Lee. Commissioner Grider-Yes, Commissioner Savage-Yes, Commissioner Lee-Yes, Commissioner Dixon-Yes, Commissioner Lopez-Yes.

 

  1. Informational Items: Erinn Burch gave a presentation on the results of the 100% Communities barriers to necessary services survey conducted earlier this year. She provided commissioners and others with a handout of the results of the survey and highlighted the needs identified by Roosevelt County residents. Ms. Burch explained the objectives of the 100% Communities Program and the stages including identifying needs and steps necessary to removing barriers to providing the needed services.

 

  1. Public Requests: There were no members of the public in attendance.

 

  1. Elected Officials / Department Heads Reports:

Treasurer: Ms. Sanchez reported the October general fund balances. She stated there was a beginning balance of $2,217,722.63 with debits of $799,027.36 and credits of $640,003.36 and an ending balance of $2,376,746.63. Ms. Sanchez wished everyone a merry Christmas.

 

Probate Judge: Judge Terry stated there have been 44 probates filed in the county in calendar year 2022. He stated there have been lots of inquiries from people who wish to avoid probate. He has hosted workshops relating to probate and the necessary documents, as well as what documents to have in place prior to a death in order to easily facilitate the transfer of property without probating an estate. He stated there were 25 attendees at the November workshop. Commissioner Lee thanked Judge Terry for being proactive in educating the public on probate matters. Judge Terry stated a bill will be introduced in the legislative session that will make changes to probate statutes. He stated if passed, the bill would extend his term by 2 years to bring him and two other judges back in line with the other 30 Probate Judges, where all 33 counties would elect a probate judge on cycle with the Governor. The bill would also allow for judges from neighboring counties to act on behalf of a judge who is unavailable, incapacitated or needed to be recused for any reason, as is common practice among magistrates and district court judges.

 

Healthcare: Ms. Acosta-Flores asked the commission to go into indigent healthcare board meeting. Commissioner Lopez made a motion to go into indigent meeting with a second by Commissioner Dixon. Commissioner Grider-Yes, Commissioner Savage-Yes, Commissioner Dixon-Yes, Commissioner Lee-Yes, Commissioner Lopez-Yes. Ms. Acosta-Flores reported 13 claims totaling $12,592.19. She recommended 9 claims for approval of payment totaling $4,264.61 and 4 for denial totaling $8,327.58.  Commissioner Lopez made a motion to come out of indigent meeting with a second by Commissioner Lee. Commissioner Grider-Yes, Commissioner Savage-Yes, Commissioner Dixon-Yes, Commissioner Lee-Yes, Commissioner Lopez-Yes. Commissioner Lopez made a motion to approve the indigent healthcare claims as recommended by Ms. Flores, with a second by Commissioner Dixon. Commissioner Grider-Yes, Commissioner Savage-Yes, Commissioner Dixon-Yes, Commissioner Lee-Yes, Commissioner Lopez-Yes.

 

Road: Mr. Lovato stated his crews are nearing completion on capitol outlay projects. He will be turning in final paperwork to Ms. Acosta-Flores for those this week. He stated 2023 LGRF projects have been started and will continue as weather allows. Mr. Lovato stated he will have 2 crews building roads in January. He stated he has paired new equipment operators with veteran operators to train on the equipment and the processes. Each new operator will train with a lead operator for 3-4 months and then will train with a different lead operator to learn as much as possible. Mr. Lovato stated they are shredding, cleaning cattle guards, removing tumbleweeds from roadways, patching and addressing safety issues. Mr. Lovato reported a downed powerline which resulted in a road closure on 11/25/2022 near NM 480 and SRR AC. It was resolved and the road re-opened the next day. He reported working with Mr. Montiel and the Electric Co-op to provide electrical safety training to his staff. For some the demonstration was a refresher, but for the new guys it was an eye-opener.   Mr. Lovato and Ms. Hamilton discussed a draft proposal presented to the city for the re-construction of portions of South Roosevelt Road 6, Industrial Drive, and 18th Street. That intersection near Dairy Farmer’s of America, MyMar and D&H Trucking is in very poor condition. Those road segments are part of the city’s road inventory. Ms. Hamilton stated she is also working with economic development to get contributions from the heavy traffic users. Commissioner Lopez thanked Mr. Lovato and Ms. Hamilton for their research and their work on this. He stated it is long overdue. He asked when and intergovernmental agreement might be in place, and if it could be a capital outlay request in the coming session. Commissioner Lopez stated this road is an example of one road that affects everyone. There was no vote, but the commission gave their blessing for Ms. Hamilton and Mr. Lovato to move forward with the city and economic development on the project. Mr. Lovato introduced guests Mannon Arnett and Louis Matta from NMDOT District 2. Ms. Arnett is the community liaison and has 18 years-experience with NMDOT.  Mr. Mata is an engineer with 22 years-experience. Commissioner Lopez asked both to look at NM 458, NM 114, and NM 235 and thanked them for getting to the projects within the city limits of Portales quickly when they need attention. Commissioner Lee asked Mr. Lovato to look at the microseal on road 12 that is peeling. He also passed on a thank you from Bill Cathey. Mr. Cathey appreciated the work done to the Dora school bus route.

 

Manager: Ms. Hamilton read correspondence from a constituent that would like to see Roosevelt County become a part of Texas. There was no response from the Commission.

Ms. Hamilton stated the swearing in ceremony for newly elected officials will take place on Friday December 30, 2022 at 9:00 am in the district courtroom. She stated Commissioner-elect Criswell, Sheriff-elect Sanchez, Assessor-elect Floyd, herself and others had attended the Better-Informed Public Officials Conference. She felt like it was a positive learning experience for all who attended.

Ms. Hamilton reminded everyone of upcoming events including the NMC legislative conference scheduled for January 16-19, 2023 in Santa Fe and the Chamber of Commerce annual banquet scheduled for January 19, at 6:00pm in Portales, and the chamber legislative reception scheduled for January 30, 2023 in Santa Fe. She asked that commissioners coordinate attendance through her office at any of the events.

Ms. Hamilton discussed the increasing cost of insurance coverage. She stated law enforcement coverage is up 40% and a budget adjustment will be necessary to cover that cost. She also noted all deductibles are going up to $50,000.00 per incident. She stated there is no truly viable option for re-insurance. Ms. Hamilton said she has enjoyed serving on the NMC Insurance Pool Board. Ms. Hamilton was asked if there was an accreditation program for law enforcement similar to the one for Detention. There is an accreditation process that would result in discounted insurance, but it is not the highest priority for the Sheriff’s Office at this point. It may become a priority once the office is fully staffed and other priorities have been achieved.

Ms. Hamilton reported on the progress of the Regional Behavioral Health project. She stated Union County has been added to the collaborative effort to bring a behavioral health facility to the eastern side of the state. The project would require at least 2 phases of 15-20 million dollars per phase. A general obligation bond or possibly financing from DFA may be an option for funding the phases. The facility would likely be a 45-bed in-patient facility with out-patient services also available. There are currently 7-8 entities involved and the project has statewide support.

 

Commissioners: Commissioners did not give any updates. Ms. Hamilton presented Commissioner Lee with a plaque thanking him for 8 years of service.

 

  1. New Business:
  2. Discussion of Proposals for Utilization of Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund Allocation: Hamilton stated there $50,000.00 available and there is a need for strategic planning that is different than the SWAT planning. She stated $20,000.00 – $25,000.00 could go toward professional strategic planning services for a 1-3 year-plan. The balance could go to the establishment of the food bank and the wage rate requirement that was not included in the original plan. Commissioner Lopez made a motion to approve the priorities with a second by Commissioner Savage. Commissioner Grider-Yes, Commissioner Savage-Yes, Commissioner Lee-Yes, Commissioner Dixon-Yes, Commissioner Lopez-Yes.

 

  1. Discussion of Meeting Logistics for January 10, 2023 Commission Meeting: Hamilton reminded the commission that the first meeting of the year includes a lot of routine business including the open meetings act resolution, and the election of a chair and vice-chair. At the conclusion of the 12-5-2022 meeting Commissioner Savage requested that the venue of the January 10, 2023 meeting be changed to accommodate everyone who would like to participate regarding Ordinance 2023-01. Ms. Hamilton suggested the regular business meeting be held as scheduled at 9:00 am, and the routine business be conducted that morning, then the meeting be recessed to reconvene later in the day at the Jake Lopez Community Center to allow for participation on the single agenda item. After much discussion, Commissioner Savage asked Ms. Hamilton to state specifically in the January 10th agenda that public input would be received on the single agenda item ordinance 2023-01 during the evening portion of the meeting. Commissioner Savage requested a sign-up sheet for each side be used, and the time be limited. Commissioner Dixon made a motion to set a time limit of 2 hours, one hour each for both those in favor of and those against the ordinance, with each speaker being given a 3-minute time limit, and alternating between both sides. A second was made by Commissioner Lopez. Commissioner Grider-Yes, Commissioner Savage-Yes, Commissioner Lee-Yes, Commissioner Dixon-Yes, Commissioner Lopez-Yes. Commissioner Lee made a motion to have a sign-up sheet with sign-ups to begin at 6:30 pm, in person, on the evening of the meeting at the Jake Lopez Community Center, with a second from Commissioner Savage. Commissioner Grider-Yes, Commissioner Savage-Yes, Commissioner Lee-Yes, Commissioner Dixon-Yes, Commissioner Lopez-Yes.

 

  1. Procurements – Contracts – Agreements:
    1. A Request for Approval of New Mexico Sentencing Commission Intergovernmental Grant Agreement for Crim Reduction Award 2022-29: Hamilton stated there is $65,000.00 available to provide training and consultation on setting up a mobile response team. Commissioner Lopez made a motion to approve the grant agreement as presented, with a second by Commissioner Grider.  Commissioner Grider-Yes, Commissioner Savage-Yes, Commissioner Lee-Yes, Commissioner Dixon-Yes, Commissioner Lopez-Yes.

 

  1. Request for Approval of Memorandum of Understanding between Roosevelt County and the New Mexico Sentencing Commission for Data Sharing and Exchange Pursuant to Crime Reduction Grant Award 2022-29: Hamilton stated the MOU is necessary as part of the reporting process for the grant award. Commissioner Dixon made a motion to approve the MOU, with a second by Commissioner Lopez. Commissioner Grider-Yes, Commissioner Savage-Yes, Commissioner Lee-Yes, Commissioner Dixon-Yes, Commissioner Lopez-Yes.

 

  1. Request for Approval of Award of ITB 2023-04 Roosevelt County Detention Center External Renovations to RG Lathe and Plaster, Inc. for $244,180.00: Ms. Rivera requested approval of the ITB to be awarded to RG Lathe and Plaster for the stucco and insulation for the back of the detention center. A motion to approve the ITB for the stucco was made by Commissioner Lopez with a second from Commissioner Savage. Commissioner Grider-Yes, Commissioner Savage-Yes, Commissioner Lee-Yes, Commissioner Dixon-Yes, Commissioner Lopez-Yes.

 

  1. Request for Approval of Award of ITB 2023-05 Roosevelt County HVAC upgrades to JQ Air & Electric, LLC for $144,300.00: Ms. Rivera requested approval of the ITB for 7 HVAC units for the Detention Center, and 7 units for the public health office. A motion to approve the ITB was made by Commissioner Dixon with a second from Commissioner Lopez. Commissioner Grider-Yes, Commissioner Savage-Yes, Commissioner Lee-Yes, Commissioner Dixon-Yes, Commissioner Lopez-Yes.

 

  1. Resolution – Ordinances – Proclamations:
    1. Consideration of Resolution 2022-46 2nd Quarter Financial Budget Adjustment Part II: Rivera stated the budget adjustments were necessary as a result of the food bank project and grants received. Commissioner Savage made a motion to approve the resolutions for budget adjustments, with a second by Commissioner Lopez. Commissioner Grider-Yes, Commissioner Savage-Yes, Commissioner Lee-Yes, Commissioner Dixon-Yes, Commissioner Lopez-Yes.

 

  1. Consideration of Resolution 2022-47 Roosevelt County Healthcare Assistance Policy: Acosta-Flores stated the policy was created and approved in 2015 and updated in 2019. Ms. Acosta-Flores reviewed the two updates included in this resolution and requested approval of resolution 2022-47. Commissioner Savage made a motion to approve the resolution, with a second by Commissioner Dixon. Commissioner Grider-Yes, Commissioner Savage-Yes, Commissioner Lee-Yes, Commissioner Dixon-Yes, Commissioner Lopez-Yes.

 

  1. Request for Approval of Notice of Intent for Consideration of Ordinance 2023-02 Considering a Tax Rebate of a Part of Property Tax Due from Low-Income Tax Payers: Hamilton stated the ordinance is considered bi-annually. It has not been adopted in the past. Commissioner Lopez made a motion to approve the notice of intent, with a second by Commissioner Lee. Commissioner Grider-Yes, Commissioner Savage-Yes, Commissioner Lee-Yes, Commissioner Dixon-Yes, Commissioner Lopez-Yes.

 

  1. Media Communication: No members of the media were present and there was no media communication via text or email.

 

  1. Recess: At 10:42 am, Commissioner Lee recessed the meeting, to reconvene at the Roosevelt County Detention Center for the annual inspection. The meeting reconvened at 11:00 am at RCDC with those present for the inspection being Commissioner Lee, Commissioner Savage, Commissioner Dixon, Commissioner Grider, Ms. Hamilton, Commissioner-elect Criswell, Randall Van Vleck, Administrator Ramsey, and Lt. Clay Layher.

 

  1. Adjourn: The meeting was adjourned at 11:50 am.

 

ATTEST:                                                                                                  BOARD OF ROOSEVELT

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

 

__________________________                                                       _____________________________

Mandi M. Park                                                                                      new chair name goes here

County Clerk