There we
go. Good morning. Welcome to the January 16th of regular meeting of the Board of
County Commissioners. I'm Gary Eatson, I'd like to call this meeting to order.
We'll begin by taking a roll.
Sherry Simp here by Shia Weber here commissioner Kimbro here commissioner appears here commissioner Sims here
Commissioner Kimbro would you ladies in the pledge and Mr. Weber would you please in a purgain
If you would join me in the pledge
Father, we do praise you, and we thank you, Lord, that you have blessed us so graciously.
Lord, we just pray your wisdom on us, that we can go about the business of this county
and a way pleasing to you.
Lord, we ask you a protection over our employees and over our officers.
All these things, and Jesus name, we ask you.
Thank you.
Our first item on the agenda is the next one of the chair, or the Lee County Board of
County Commissioner.
We're called.
Commissioner, we've reached that time of the year where you need to select a new chairperson.
So nominations are now in order for chairperson for the Board of County Commissioners for
calendar year 2025.
Is there any nomination?
I'd like to nominate Gary Hitzon for President, or for chair.
All right, so there's been one nomination with any other nominations,
if not, can we call for a roll call vote?
Yes.
Sherry Hudson?
Yes.
Vice-chair Weber?
Commissioner Kimber?
Commissioner Pierce?
Yes.
Commissioner Sims?
Yeah.
Sorry.
No.
Thank you.
Well, thank you guys for the nominating me and appointed me. I enjoyed the last year and I will do my best to serve you well this coming year.
Our next item would be the election of the Vice Chair. Are there any nominations for Vice Chair?
I'll nominate Brad Webber.
Have an nomination for Bradder and any other nomination?
In this call for a vote.
Sherry, it's in?
Yes.
Vice Chair Webber.
Yes.
Commissioner Kimber?
Yes.
Commissioner Pierce?
Yes.
Commissioner Sims?
OK.
Our next item is a resolution
of designating the chair and the vice chair
of myself and Brad Webber to the Board of County
Commissioners.
Second, we have a motion in a second.
Sir, we public comment, and your additional commissioner comment.
Let's proceed to vote.
Sure, each of them.
Yes.
Vice-chair Weber.
Yes.
Commissioner Kimbrou.
Commissioner Pierce.
Yes.
That's easy.
Right.
Next time on your agenda is consideration of the December 12 regular meeting minutes.
And I make a motion we approve of.
All for our calendar.
I have a motion, a second of the meetings.
Let's read the public comment and commission your comment.
Let's proceed to vote.
Sure, Ethan.
Yes.
May I show a webber?
Yes.
Commissioner Kimbrill?
Commissioner Pierce?
Yes.
Which commission?
to annually to determine what was reasonable notice for your meetings and for the meetings
of any committee and board that you appoint.
The resolution that you have in front of you is the Open Meetings Act Resolution for
Lee County for 2025 and it sets the reasonable notice of seven days for a regular meeting.
The agenda to be published 72 hours in advance.
special meetings, work sessions, 72 hours, notice with the agenda being published simultaneously
at 72 hours and you have the possibility of emergency meetings which require at least 24 hours
notice, but there are conditions to emergency meetings with this resolution that set the annual
requirement for notice, I'll stand for any questions.
I believe it's a reasonable resolution, like a motion we approve it.
So I can do, okay, we have a motion, it's like, there's no really no change from what we've
didn't historically do.
Now, it's the same as you approved last year, there was a change then.
It did not make it applicable to the boards and committees that you appointed last year's
resolution did.
This one does the same.
It makes it applicable to the boards and committees.
We have a motion in a second, it's a public comment in the additional commissioner
comment.
It's gone. How come different governing like units has a different sort of rules than we
get? They don't have to publish it seven days early. They have to publish it. They don't
have to go that far out of that thing. Is that true?
I don't know. I'm not familiar with the city of Unis' requirements. The Attorney General
recommends, actually, 10 days, notice, but you all have passed, are the far commission
passed a resolution setting the dates for 2025. So you've actually given almost a year's notice
for meetings in December of 2025. This just says for the specific meeting, you have to give
a seven days notice. But again, the recommendation by the Attorney General is 10 days. I don't know
how units can go less than seven. No, no, no, no, for a fact. I just told there's a different
the hour, I've been ringing to ask.
And Eric could be, but I'll ask for a copy.
And maybe I can answer your question.
I'll see you there.
Okay.
Thank you, sir.
Okay.
Let's proceed to vote.
Sure, you can.
Yes.
Vice-chair Weber.
Commissioner Kimbro.
Commissioner Pierce.
Yes.
Commissioner Sims.
Yeah.
At this time, we recognize those of you in the audience who would like to make comments to the commission.
have that commissioner comments, commissioner seems. Good morning. I don't know how many
y'all been following the stuff out Los Angeles. Pretty bad. I hope everybody
praying for the people out there. 180,000 people displaced out here now. I've been
talking to, we're making sure our fire hydrants work here and doing everything we can to get
our weeds removed.
Welcome our two new board members.
We'll be a bright new shining year.
We've got a new county manager.
Siding new times.
We'll see what happens.
Welcome.
Thank you.
I just thank for this opportunity.
And you know, I can't wait to work with everybody and it's hard to be very helpful and good.
meeting with everyone out here and working with them and I'm just excited to do that, so thank you for that.
The Commissioner Kimber.
However, I think coming to these Commissioner meetings for a while, and I might have promised to
gossip in back there that the first thing I would do is would be to request cushions for those
campaign promise, and thank you for the opportunity to be here and I've really looked forward
to this.
This is going to be a great group of people to work with and I'm excited about it.
Thank you for that opportunity, thank you for that.
Hi.
I just stopped listening to welcome our new commissioners and excited to kick the new year off
and we'll look into getting some donuts for people over 65 to sit on them.
Welcome to the new commissioners and manager need of what is going to be an exciting year
on O it is and I have requested a few times get cushions out there and falls on that
there.
So, manager, this is in our manager, this is one of your new missions here.
Anyway, you really will be good to see everybody here today.
Thank you.
All right.
No comments for me?
You're new.
You'll have some of these.
We'll move on to the next item on the agenda, which is regarding our audit.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, commissioners.
I know we have some new faces.
Unfortunately, you've heard this a lot of times, so if you start snooze and I won't blame you.
What I have here is highlights from our exit conference.
At the exit conference auditing standards require that we discuss a few things to kind of go over and give the results
High-level results of the audit and what I have here is the highlights from that and so
Should I switch or okay, just hit enter
Okay
The first thing is and I took out a slide that maybe I shouldn't have since we have some new commissioners
in New Mexico, the state audit rule, not only requires that we follow auditing standards,
but also requires that we follow what they call the yellow bookstandards or the government auditing standards.
The reason is, this government auditing standards require that we actually test internal controls.
So things like cash disbursements, cash receipts, payroll. Those are significant cycles.
Under regular auditing standards, all we have to do is test one of those transactions, and we've met those standards.
The yellow book standard says, no, we need you to actually test controls.
State Auditor also expands that, and there's 21 potential items that we have to test.
Things like travel and podium procurement.
So in our state, we look at a lot more transactions, and we also take the yellow book standards,
and also make them a little bit more stringent when it comes to findings.
When you have that yellow book standard, you have what we call significant matters,
which is up here.
New Mexico State Audit Rule says, no, we want any finding, any exception reported as a finding
in our state.
We don't care what the yellow book standards dictate.
And so we have more transactions in our state that we test, and we have a lot more findings
in our state than other states, because of the fact that the state audit will requires it.
And the whole purpose for that is transparency.
The state audit wants us to learn from audits.
audits are a tool to get better, to enhance internal controls.
And so we went through, we had to follow two different standards in completing your audit.
This slide talks about the results of just the regular auditing standard.
We're issuing an unmodified opinion, which is exactly the type of report that the county wants
to receive.
It's a clean opinion and that's why I put there.
It states that your financial statements are materially correct.
In your audit report, our two other reports that are ours, the one on the left is that
yellow book report that I talked about, and we don't give an opinion there.
All we do is state how we test internal controls in accordance with those standards, above
regular auditing standards require.
The one on the right is because the county receives more than seven hundred or spends more
than seven hundred fifty thousand federal funds, you have a compliance audit that you have
to do.
We go through and test those federal grants and based upon our testing, we again are issuing an unmodified opinion.
So both opinions we're issuing are exactly the type of reports that the county wants to receive.
This next slide is talking about difficulties encountered before from the auto.
The whole reason standards do this is to let the commission know how are your records being maintained.
And as you can see here, we did not have any issues.
As we asked for supporting documents, it's given to us entirely.
given to us in good order. We did not have any problems. And so the takeaway here is your financial
records are being well maintained by your finance staff. The next one is also a very important
one because if we as auditors are having to change numbers the commission should know because then
you might need to be a little bit more critical of the financial statements as you get them throughout the
year. But as you can see here we did not have any adjustments as we went through our audit process.
So, again, the communication here is the council or the commission should feel confident in the numbers as they're being reported to you throughout the year because your infrastructure, how you're processing the data is working and we did not have any issues.
The last thing is talking about the findings, even with that lower threshold, even with the expanded transactions that we had to test, the county is following all your procedures.
So they're doing everything properly.
We did not have a single exception as we went
throughout our audit process.
So there were no findings, and I can't tell you.
But I think it's been a few years since we've had a finding.
It's probably been four or five years.
So the policies and procedures that have been established
are working.
The county went through a conversion a couple of years
to a new software to be honest.
Normally when that happens, audits are late.
Because changing from one software to another,
we were never late.
The county has actually did a very good job in that transition, probably one of the better ones I've ever seen and so
I think again finance department is running well and doing a good job and I think it's something that the county should be proud of
We'll talk here on this next two slides again
I think it's something that the county should be proud of, because you do what we call an annual
comprehensive financial report. Act for is what it's more commonly referred to. Your financial
audit that you get includes a lot of information, a lot of statistical information that is not
required by the state. Audit rule is not required by auditing standards. It's only, it's a
different, it's a higher threshold that GFOA, the government finance officer's association establishes,
And you submit your audit for an award and we'll talk about that here in a moment.
But there's a lot of extra information that takes more effort to get your act for done than it would if you didn't do it.
So the GFOA program, the county is only one of 19 governments in the state of New Mexico and there's over 700 governments in New Mexico.
only one of 19 that goes after this award or that receives this award.
The county is one of five counties out of the 33 in the state that receives this award.
So again, it is something prestigious.
It is something that takes effort and you submit your audit report.
They go through the checklist.
I give you comments.
And then they say whether you pass or fail.
And the last three years, you guys have passed.
And so again, that's something I think you should be.
your citizens should be happy because there's a lot of information that you can get out of
your financial statements, it's normally not there. The last bullet point I have here is the
triple crown. So GFOA has three different types of awards that you potentially can get. There's
the Achfer, the Paffer, and then the Budget Award. You are one of only six New Mexico governments
that receives all three of those that get the triple crown. So again, not a lot of people strive
and go after those awards, and again something the county should be very proud of.
So that is all the required communication, the last few slides are just some financial
highlights. In your financial statements, we have four pages that are on what we call full
accrual, where we have long-term assets, long-term liabilities that show up. When you get your
financial reports and how you report to DFA is a different methodology of accounting. It's
base is accounting. This is full of cruel, more like a business. So at the end of the year,
the county ended up with 990 million, yeah, 990 million in assets, 89 million in liabilities,
giving you net assets which in essence is your equity of 901 million dollars.
The components of your assets, the biggest component is cash and then investments.
You have not quite 700 million in investment investments.
Receiveables are 20 million.
Your capital assets are 278 million.
To further outflows, which really relates to your pension amounts that you send to the state of New Mexico.
There's 20 million in assets there.
Liabilities, you ended up with 89 million in liabilities.
The biggest one is actually out of the county's control.
You can see the pension liability and the net-opead liability and that deferred inflows.
All those relate to para and retiree healthcare.
So the pension and retiree healthcare plans.
What happens is the county is responsible for making payments based upon payrolls.
And again, that is one of the things we looked at when I talked about how the state order expands our testing and we had no issues with the payments getting set to the state.
But what happens is the state of New Mexico, for example, para, is $6 billion underfunded.
And what that means is their assets are less than their projected liabilities.
And by $6 billion and what happens is the state allocates that amount.
out your portion you have to book as a liability in your financial statements even though it's
out of your control. So the majority of the liabilities on this financial statement, this set
of financial statements really the county has no control over. You really technically, if you were
to look at, if I was a commissioner, I would just look at our liabilities, are about $15 million,
the rest of it again is you're never going to write a check, other than when you do your payrolls,
you're going to make those submissions, but we do have to from an county standards show your
portion of that liability.
What are deferred info?
There are calculations that go their temporary changes.
So what happens is, is, parapher example,
they go through and they have an actual report that's done,
they come up with, okay, here's what we expect payments
to be in the future.
Those are more temporary because of change in interest rate,
change in estimates that happen,
but it's actually all actual performed
that comes up with those numbers.
are just temporary items that show up on your balance sheet.
Should it lead that larger of a chunk of pie?
Yes, it changes and it will go back and forth because, you know, interest rates over
the last couple of years have changed.
The state has changed what they're using.
I think it was seven and a half percent.
And it's what's grown there.
It's okay.
Okay.
So again, to be honest with you, those four pages on your audit report, I wouldn't even look
at.
because it's a fund for budget.
It's not a fund for it.
It has things that are out of your control.
It has assets on their things like roads,
strut, you know, bridges that nobody can use as an asset.
But we have to show them as assets in those reports.
And then we have liabilities here that are really out of your control too.
So I think what's more important is the fund financial statements
and more specifically looking at the general fund
because that's the operational fund of the county.
Thank you.
Sure.
With that, I'll open up to any questions.
Very question.
It's always good to get this good news from you.
Thank you.
This will be the last year we have to rotate off.
And I just want to say thank you.
You know, as the eight years we've been here, we've seen a lot of growth.
Again, a whole new system that was implemented very successfully.
And I'm going to miss working with the county, but you guys are in good hands.
I appreciate it.
I know we're going to miss you, and I know Chip and Binance Department will also,
so I'm
motion to accept the, I'm like a motion we accept the report, but I think that I have
a motion in a second, is there any public comment, additional commissioner comment, must
proceed to vote?
Yes.
I would like to also recognize our Finance Department, they've also received the
audit and accountability award from the state of New Mexico and New Mexico counties.
And this is not the first time that like he said, it's several years.
So the finance department is doing an outstanding job and under the leadership of the trip.
I would truly appreciate all they've done.
Give them an adept boy and leave the room.
I know.
All right, we're ready to move on to the next agenda on the item and that's for the appointments.
This is regarding approving the confirming appointments to the eddy, lead, energy alliance.
That's probably said in
the inquiry.
Court needle.
We've got a report.
So currently it's Commissioner Webber.
And as the primary director and a pointing quarry to replace, is it Mike?
As the secondary director is there any discussion regarding that?
So is there a motion to approve?
I'll make a motion to approve.
Now, second, we have a motion in a second.
So is there any public comment?
Commissioner comment?
Will proceed to vote?
Yes.
It takes some time going through all this.
What is our next one here?
It's the consideration of improving confirming departments to the Lee County Airports Advisory Board.
I'm not prepared for this.
Do we want a table to the next meeting?
I'm prepared.
Yes.
You've got to go.
We can.
I guess.
I'm going to talk about all the appointments.
Try to get it all taken care of.
So we don't have to do it again next time.
Is that work for everybody?
Well, it doesn't because it doesn't because I need to get my fair board person on there
because they have a meeting next time before we meet again.
And until they're appointed, they can't sit on that board.
And they've got other things they're supposed to be working on.
So we can go ahead and do the fair board and then skip over that and postpone the rest.
If that's okay with that.
That one's okay because I have a new appointment on the fair board also.
Okay.
How do we work?
Well, fireboard is not on this list.
How do we do it?
Okay.
Item K.
Okay.
So that's okay with the commissioners.
We'll do that.
Me, everybody.
Okay.
So we're going to skip the item K.
We're going to postpone them.
I'll figure out how to read.
I'm prepared.
Let's go.
But we're going to go ahead and work on the Fairboard now.
So, at this point, let's find a list.
I would suggest that you have a motion to postpone items H through T, excluding items K
until the next meeting, which one is K?
Yes, K is the Fairboard.
Well, I'm ready for all of them.
I mean, what do you are in CT?
I'm going to be stopped at the point.
To those boards.
Oh, they're in good.
So what are you done with this actually?
Well, let me ask this.
Is everybody ready for all of their appointments?
No, I think there's a few that we're still waiting on some confirmation.
I'm not going to read a point.
You know, looking for change in anybody?
Yeah, there's a few.
On some of the other boards that I just said,
OK.
I mean, that's only thing.
I mean, I think there's a few that we're still...
I just read the no-known appointments as somebody I needed to get in and out of line.
So typically, if we don't have all the appointments addressed at this time, then we'll
have to come back and do it again next week, and so I suggest we, until we get all of our
appointments settled for each committee or each board, then we should do it all at one
time.
So suggestion was to postpone items H through T excluding item K so we can do that.
Is that acceptable to everybody at this time?
So the counting measure has indicated that we should not exclude items R, S and T.
So it would be a motion to exclude items H through Q, excluding item K.
And then that leaves out R, S and T. So you would still decide today K, R, S and T.
Okay, okay, I'm confused. What are we doing? Sorry.
Okay, we're going to, is there a motion to exclude items H, I, J, L, M, N, O, P, Q.
And then we will go ahead and vote on our items k r s and t.
We're going to vote on g k k k k
R s t r s and t.
Right.
I'm making a motion that we vote on those.
Okay.
Second data. Second.
Okay.
Let's proceed to vote.
Well, I mean, is there any public comment? And I know we're trying to confuse in everybody with no public comment.
Stay with us, guys.
This person's vote, do you?
Sure, you can.
Yes.
I share a letter.
Yes.
Commissioner Kimbro?
Commissioner Pierce?
Yes.
Commissioner, yes.
Yes.
Okay.
Did we get a second on that?
Yes.
Okay.
We're going to move to item K regarding the Fair Board appointments.
Commissioner Sims, you have any changes to your appointments on the fairboard?
No, no.
No.
No, okay.
Commissioner Pears.
Yes, I'm adding heath combs and Alex Gagan.
Heath?
I've never known that man's name.
We can't say Rooster.
Rooster.
I didn't know he was talking about anything.
Nobody's going to know.
He talked about
Rooster.
And
I always thought his name was just Richard.
That's it.
Mr. Campbell.
Yes.
I'm adding Jennifer Young.
And then I'm keeping Amber Gross.
She's not new, but those are the two I have.
Amber Gross.
Does that have her?
She currently.
Yes, she's currently on there.
Yeah, it's not.
It's not anybody on replace.
I don't think so.
Do you need the knife?
Are they new appointments or are you just re-appointing?
Re-appointing?
Cal Johnston and Dustin Gaskin.
Yeah, I have no changes on that.
I wish we were there.
I, since Commissioner Kimbroke can no longer serve on that board,
I'm going to replace her with.
I'd like to make a motion to approve all these new appointments.
Do we have a second?
Sir, you're public comment?
You're additional commissioner comment?
Let's proceed to vote.
Yes.
Vice your member?
Yes.
Commissioner.
Yes.
Commissioner here?
Yes.
Commissioner.
We do want to thank all of those who have served on the fair board.
All of those leaders.
And we want to congratulate those who were stepping into this new role.
I hope they know what they're getting into.
We're finding out.
Okay, we're going to move to the next appointment and that has to do with the economic
development district council of governments.
Where are we?
Thank you.
We don't.
So these next three items are S&T.
Our largely just replacing my Gallagher with myself.
Some of those boards are going to meet between now and the next commission meeting or during the session in Santa Fe.
Just little housekeeping to what it sounds like.
Are there alternates that are on these lists?
And appointing Chiflow is the alternate for this one.
So this is three appointing Robbie Roberts as the private sector.
There's two different positions.
And then the public sector would be replacing my Gallagher with myself and then the point each
chip loads the alternate if I'm not able to to be there.
Okay.
Mike emotionally except those appointments.
Well, I would probably go through one item at a time so, okay, so your motion is for
item R. Yes, for that appointment. Is there a second?
I'll second. Okay. We have an emotion in a second. Replacing Mr. Natham with the
the others will stay the same. Is there any public comment, additional commission? Was that?
Sorry. Oh, I'm okay. That's the best perceived vote. Yes. Yes.
Yeah.
Next item on the agenda is that
of approving confirming the appointments of the
South Eastern Regional Transportation Planion Organization.
There's our motion.
I'll make a motion where you approve those appointments.
We have a motion.
Okay.
We have a motion.
Second.
Commissioner comment.
We'll proceed to vote.
Yes.
Commissioner.
Yes.
Commissioner.
Next item is approving confirming
to the Mexico County Insurance Authority of the pool, is there a motion?
I'd like to motion we approve those moments.
A second?
We have a motion in a second.
Certainly public comment.
Additional commissioner comment.
We'll proceed to vote.
Yes.
Next item, we can skip on to the action item.
Sheriff helped it.
Point Chair commissioners, like first, I congratulate Mr. Court and you can provide interim
county manager.
I'm your commissioners.
Welcome.
I look forward to the next few years that I have left, so look forward to the next two
years.
So, welcome.
Congratulations, and I'm glad to be here.
First, I think to you, is something we do every year, request resolution 25 January, 19
hour, ratifying the memorandum agreement with the Jagu system's grant.
It's a grant that's shared with House Police Department, and we can share his office, and
the fund usually this year is $23,930, which you know is a 6040 split between us and
the city.
So, our benefit that we would receive would be that 9,572.
These funds are generated through the courts and funds that are received through the courts,
and we use it for training equipment.
I wish it was a smaller split, but this is just the way it is, so we'll take any money we can get from the state and go with that.
So I'll stand for any questions.
Where you going to spend it on?
Say again, where you going to spend it on?
I will put it in the account where we need to, whether it's equipment best, things that for community outreach,
It just depends on where we fill it and needs to go in other communities, so.
May the motion be approved?
Yes.
Okay.
We have a motion.
Second.
And is there any public comment?
Additional commissioner comment?
Miss proceed to vote.
Very good?
Yes.
Good.
Thank you.
Thank you, Chair.
Corey, we're starting to see some deputies down south. Good job. Thank you.
I would just, I know it's important on the agenda.
You know, we've increased the number of deputies that are on the road today, so there's about 83 sworn.
That's almost double the what it was in 2018.
And then unfortunately, commissioner, I, it's probably the result of all the accidents down there that
to consume our life down there, we all know what's going on on them, on the embrose with the
oil field, but it's tough, it's tough, and I'm glad you say that because we find ourselves
mainly in the municipal towns lately, for reasons that are out of our control. So I'm glad to
hear that since what we're seeing in Hobbes and some of the other communities. So thank you.
Thank you.
Mr. Needham.
Chairman and commissioners, today I'd
green resolution 25 January, 020R. This is authorizing the purchase of a track
mounted crusher. As you can see, this picture is up. We own a pit Lee County
owns about half a section north of Lovington, about five miles where we
crusher materials be used on the roadways. We've tried to optimize this process
different ways. We had a co-creture set up there for years. Then we've looked at going out to
bid to see if the private sector can produce this material for us at a more cost-effective manner.
We rented a cat, a track-mounted crusher last year, and then we rented this crusher
about three months ago that's all approved. We've had very good success with this crusher. We've
got our crushing operation rate to about $8.9 per ton, which is almost half of what we're
crashing for two or three years ago.
So we really think this is the method to do.
This is a couple of dollars cheaper than we could go
out to the private sector to produce the same material
for us.
We've rented this machine now for three months.
Those rental fees would be applied towards the purchase
of this machine.
And I would ask for your approval in the purchase.
It is budgetary.
I'd love to make that motion, because it's a good thing to have.
I only regret it, don't get to play with it myself.
Yes, I'll make a motion to prove.
Can you make a motion?
Yes, I'll start with it.
OK, we have a motion in a second.
It's certainly public comment.
There's no commissioner comment.
So you devote?
Sure, anything?
Yes.
Did I show your luck on this?
Yes.
I'll come and show you.
Yes?
I'll show you.
Yes.
I'll show you.
Yes.
Consideration of Lee County Resolution 25, January 0, 21,
are, would authorize the easement and construction agreement
between Lee County and Excel Energy for improvements
at the, we kind of regional airport.
As you guys know, over the last year and a half,
we've been extending a runway moving some navigational
aids, different things.
Excel Energy worked with us great.
They were able to install those underground improvements,
get us fed back with minimal outages during that time period.
And this is the housekeeping for those underground improvements that they made and so this is granting them an easement for that primary electric that was buried with that project.
No cost to Lee County. They produce the survey. This would just be granting them the easement for the line they already have in the ground.
I'll make a motion that we approve.
I'll start our commitment.
I'll have a motion in a second, sir.
Any public comment?
Commissioner comment?
Mr. Perseet to vote?
Yes.
to roads, consideration of resolution 25, January 22, are a proven engineering task court or
square root services for the design of industrial. We split it into three sections. You
can see here the yellow portion on the top left is phase one. The green section is phase two,
and the red section would be phase three. We split those for various reasons. One is everything
not in blue is in the county so it's going to be at a different tax rate both for a design and construction.
The portion there in the blue is going to be largely or partially within the city limits.
So it's going to have its different tax rates difference things going on with it.
And then the portion is in this running up and down in the red.
You can see we superimposed the floodway and floodplains with FEMA across there.
And so they're going to take a whole different level of engineering and effort and coordination
with different federal agencies to get that portion done.
So, as you look at this task court, it's broken into three segments, and that's the reason why.
So, we do have a long-term plan to, you know, both address our roads, but also have the bypasses
around some of these cities, and this would be one of the two that we're looking at doing
over the next two years around the city of Lovington.
It's three point six miles section stretches all the way from commercial to U.S. 82.
Like I said, broken down in three phases, FEMA be in one of the main reasons that we have to coordinate that phase three a little bit differently.
We currently have a contract with several engineering firms,
square root being one of them that we have on our on-call
contract, so that's the procurement method that we'd use for this.
The total cost for the design,
services, surveying services, and FEMA coordination,
it's $414,697,414,697, and it is currently budgeted
in this year's budget for roadwork and I'd request your approval.
I will make a motion to prove that.
Mark in it.
Have a motion down to second.
Sir, you public comment.
Additional commission to comment.
Let's proceed to vote.
Yes.
Commissioner.
Yes.
According before you go to the next one, I'd like to recognize Jeremy Baker, who's with
represents Square Root Services.
Here, Jeremy is also my appointee for the Planning Board.
Jeremy needs to step down from that Planning Board, because it's being a surveyer engineer
sitting on the Planning Board is a difficult, because you always have to recuse yourself
from speaking about your projects when you're sitting on the board and so I thank Jeremy
for a service on that board and appreciate all the work you've done and totally understand
why you need to step down. Thank you, Jeremy.
Thank you, Gary.
That board's going to be in trouble too because I'm not on there either.
Right.
That is two of us that won't be there.
I had to, I have to repeat.
It's going to be an issue for next month meeting.
Okay.
And this one is if you want to call it exciting.
And this is the most exciting one that I have on the agenda today, I think.
So 25 January, 0, 23, R. This is approving another engineering task court of a square
of services for the design of New Mexico 28 or the road. Intersection. This is not an exception
picture caused by an accident or anything else. This is the common situation that we got
of the drone picture about 10 days ago of Orla being the road
that you're looking at in 128V in the one at the bottom
of the screen that happens every night at 5am.
Can you see the end of the line in this picture?
It's like it's too long.
You're going to Orla.
It's five to 10 miles long.
It's amazing that you didn't capture the traffic on 128.
That prevents that from moving.
It is called a gap there.
So what happens here, crawls bad be into the right of the screen, jowl me into the left.
If you have any of this traffic, probably like this blue truck here, they're trying to take
a left hand turn.
It takes it a long time to be able to cross that traffic on 128 and just backs up that
traffic for miles, miles, hours, hours on this roadway.
So what we're proposing here is DOT is planning to redo a series of five intersections along
this roadway, but it's as funding and different things happen over the next two to three years.
This would address a portion of the problem that we can deal with on our side of it to
help alleviate that problem while we're waiting for the larger DOC.
T intersection project to take place.
So, what DOT is looking at doing is doing what they call
high T intersection, and this is out of their design plans for that project. But the yellow traffic
is going towards Carl Spad. The green traffic is going towards JAL and it kind of separates
it, gives it Excel lanes, decil lanes, and it's a good permanent fix for that project. The other
thing is going to add even more traffic to this intersection is the currently installed Atlas
can Bayer project. This going in and the improved intersection on it's going in. This is
the picture that can Bayer project near that intersection about four miles south and it's
going to generate between four and six hundred more trucks at that intersection we believe
per day. So I know that sounds like a lot that intersection right now is seeing about
7,000 a day. So it is, it's going to be a 10% increase. But for all those reasons, that's why I think this project is exciting.
And so what we're looking at doing in the interim, this services would help us with is come up with the right hand turning lane off of Orla
and then a free right onto New Mexico 128 so that they can get an XL lane. So that traffic that's going to cause bad to stopping everything currently
It can still set there, but anything going to jail has a free right and get on 128.
You know, less than that problem by several whole.
The total cost of this is $133,671.
And I'd request you approval.
I would love to make the motion to prove that.
I'm sorry.
Okay.
We have a motion in second.
Is there any public comment?
Commissioner coming?
Miss proceed to vote?
Yes.
Yes. Yes.
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Thank you. Thank you.
Mr. low. Good morning. Good morning. Thank you. Again, congratulations on receiving that award. I know you stepped out of the home. Yes. I stepped out to say say goodbye to Criers. Sir. Microsoft employment. Yes, sir. I think we've already done that. But I
I do appreciate it and you know our staff works very hard the whole county I mean it's it's not just a finance department deal
Involved everybody in the counties involved in you know the success of our audits and the success of our finances, so I do appreciate all of them for their efforts
And welcome Commissioner Cambro and Commissioner Peer.
I'm looking forward to working with you over the next few years along with Commissioner Weber and Commissioner Sam's and Commissioner Aydens.
So kind of moving on, I've got three items here this morning.
First of all, yes, some of the commissioners were back in June.
We had an assessment performed from an outside third party of our IT department to look at where we were, to see opportunities to improve, to see where we were doing, which we found some areas that we were doing well, but we're also looking at some areas of where we could use some improvements.
And there was a report that came back, I'm not sure if you'll be out in a copy, I'll be happy to get you on if you want it to review.
But it makes some recommendations, man.
Oh, I'm sorry.
It makes some recommendations to the county that we should do in line of best practices.
And one of them is that the county needs to form an information stick,
and I'll be steering committee, which would develop a short long term strategic plans for
IT and also review recommendations from staff for changes and enhancements to our technology
infrastructure.
And we had a lot of discussion and first of all I'd like to, if you haven't met this Robert
Francis, he's our new IT director, he came in in December and is already made
some considerable changes and make some considerable upgrades to the infrastructure in this building
and I believe within what about 30 days we have the Sheriff's Office.
The next week we'll have the Sheriff's Office up to where up to the most current technology
as far as which is and things like that.
So we're making headway but what we need is a committee to be able to sit down and help us plan
for the future. And it's recommended that the board chair or someone that he would designate
off of the commission to be on the committee, the county manager, interim county manager,
myself and Kelly right now, the assistant county managers, and then the county under share
of my floor. So I'm submitting that, asking that you approved the formation of this committee
with those members and I stand for any questions not to have.
There are any questions.
None at all.
If you want to make a motion, we approve.
So I can do.
Have a motion in a second.
Sir, your public comment.
Commissioner Rahman.
Let's proceed to vote.
Yes.
Thank you.
definitely go on in the great direction I think it is. I teach changes. It's not daily. It's
like hourly anymore. It's hard to keep up. I'm learning lots of new words.
Okay, moving on,
we're heading into the fun time of year for all of us, which is the budget development period where
work on, develop the annual budget for the FY-25-26 year. I'd like to take an opportunity
before I move on to introduce Vanessa Flanagan. Y'all know her. She's our new
finance director. She's actually here today for the first day. So she'll be heavily involved
in this along with Anthony. I think that may not be here, but we'll have a number of people involved
in this, including all the departments and everyone.
We put this in for Commissioner Kimbero and Pierce's information.
We began doing these timelines about eight or nine years ago, setting a path.
It's a great path that tells you what we're going to do.
It lays out a plan for us to follow with dates, specific dates.
We're required to turn in a preliminary budget to the state by May 31st.
There are a lot of entities out there that don't make it.
But we've found that by using this, we've never had a problem with that.
And then we're required to submit a final budget to the state by July 31st.
So I've said this has been really good for us over the years to follow.
It also tells the public if the public wants to come in and make comments.
It also, if you'll notice, everywhere it says LCBCC is where we're going to come in and make presentations to the commissioners and for their consideration of different things.
I think it was a great help if you go back to, I guess it was 2020, 2020, when the bottom fell out.
We had the, I think you were the only one that was here at the time, right?
Yeah, I think so.
I believe so.
When we had the budget, it was the end of April.
We had the budget completely done ready to approve.
We're always one of the first ones to get it turned into the state.
And the bottom fell out on that Sunday afternoon.
And fortunately for us, we had about two weeks to be able to figure out what we were going to do.
So that's what this plan does and I ask for approval of that so we can begin work on the budget
and I stand for any questions that you might have.
We all appreciate the accountability y'all.
I'll make a motion that we approve that certification.
I'll second it.
Okay.
We have a motion.
Second, sir.
In public comment.
Additional commissioner comment?
No.
I've been sitting through these commission meetings for a while and I just am amazed
it because we go to different entities and stuff in the precision that your department has done
is impressive. It's very impressive. I tell you in everybody up to, you know, everybody
there. It's, it's not to know that you have that there. Thank y'all. Thank y'all.
Chair Eats and Commissioner Kimbero, we couldn't do it without
to help support, and the Board, the Commissioners have always been
very supportive of everything we've done, they've encouraged us to take
these steps, and that's what we help going forward into the future that
we continue this, because I think, you know, we're looked at from a financial
side, we're looked at very highly by the state, and I would like to keep it
that way.
Well, we hear that when we've gone, you know, been going to these New Mexico counties.
You know, your team is very highly thought of and just, you know, at the top of the list on everything.
And it makes us proud to be from Lincoln.
You know what I mean, your department is a big part of that.
Thank you.
Okay.
There's no other comment.
And I do appreciate this schedule that you put together.
You always follow it so well.
and it makes it so easy for us to approve a budget.
Let's vote.
Yes.
All right.
Thank you.
Ms. Flanagan.
Welcome aboard.
You come highly recommend.
We hear lots of good things.
So, look forward to working with you.
Moving on.
I page cable a while ago and said she's got to run the kids to the doctor.
So I'm going to be filling in for her on this one.
Chairman Eats and Commissioners, we're required by the state auditor every year to certify
the fixed assets of the county that's owned by the county.
And what normally what we do is we wait until after the audit is finalized so then we've
actually got an accurate audit to list of all of the assets.
So if you look, if you look on the audit, it says NAS, NAS, NAS depreciation, but as you can see as a June 30th, 2024,
and I just use vehicles.
Example, we, the county owns 356 vehicles with a original cost of $22.4 million.
that includes the road equipment and some of the more expensive equipment that Cory has out there.
So construction and progress is not included in this.
We have several million dollars in construction and progress items right now.
So I stand for any comments or questions that you might have.
The only thing I was wondering about was the water rods.
There's two.
This is two and then that amount stuck out at me when I was looking through the reports I was like that's on a lot for you.
So I'll have to dig into the schedule a little bit more detail.
But I believe that's due to what we call our industrial park that ranch that goes from Alabama to 483.
There's two different parcels of property that were acquired there, so I think that's why it's divided into two.
in each one of those came with a certain allocation of several thousand acres of water rights
associated with those, but those are where those should be located.
So there's just two parcels of land that you can get.
Which amounts to the two parcels of land, some of the indeed is some of the
state land offices kind of intertwined there that we're working with state land office to
better optimize that right now, but it's close to 11,000 acres of land.
So that makes it substantial.
That makes more sense.
Okay.
So any other questions?
We're taking a motion on this.
Oh, I'm like a motion we approve.
I'm sorry I can do it.
We have a motion in a second.
Is there any public comment?
Additional commissioner comment?
I must proceed to vote.
Yes.
Commissioner.
Yes.
Thank you.
Before we jump into the next item for Director Gaiagos, we would still need to little housekeeping
on the motions for the pointies for the different various committees.
The motion commissioner seems major is to approve the ones that we approve, but we did
not postpone the motion for the other item, so we need to have a motion to postpone
the appointments of Adam's H through J and L through Q.
I make a motion that we postpone the Adam's H through J, okay?
So I know that there's a...
I make a motion that we postpone the Adam's, we didn't vote on previous ones.
So, my concern is that the planning and zoning, if Jeremy is stepping off and I'm off,
That's going to lead two vacancies on there.
Well, Jeremy has told me he will stay on until we actually appoint.
Okay.
And I do have a pointy if that will help.
Okay.
I mean, I don't know what you want to do if you want to.
Well, I don't want to.
We can wait because I know Jeremy said he will stay on until it's necessary.
That was his modeling concern was it?
So just that motion.
Just we just made make sense now.
we hear.
Correct.
I'll second it. Okay.
And then for this statement one, someone said, we approved. I have us in as a second, but I do not have a motion.
I made that motion.
Okay.
So we have a motion a second for the new motion. Is there a public comment that we confuse everybody again?
Okay, in the additional commissioner comment, thank you, Mr. President vote.
Yes.
Thank you.
Director, Greg, it was.
Good morning, Mr. Chair.
Vice Chair, and congratulations to our newly appointed
County Commissioners. It's Kenbro and Spirits. I look forward to working with you all. I'm very excited.
Going on over almost three months with the detention center. Mark Agos, presenting you. I have four
items on the agenda and this first item that I have, I'm really excited about this. It always excites
the warden or director to be able to advance in technology and assist our facility. So the first one,
I have as consideration of Lee County Resolution number 25 January 027R, proving a cooperative
educational services with APIC solutions incorporated for the purchase and installation
of a body scanner for the detention center and you see the picture here and the reason
why we're doing this, this is going to aid and reduce and minimize the contraband that
comes into the detention center.
This is well-needed, I believe every detention center should have this in support of the reduction of contraband coming into the detention center.
Second fold of what it does, it assists us to minimize and reduce the advanced searches that we have to do in the state of New Mexico.
Not everybody gets an advanced search when they come in, so there's only few that when they come in that we can do those types of searches and the other types of searches we can't do based on long.
So, searches are when they come in and which this will aid up and getting it made without
advanced search is anybody who has a current drug charge last three years or a weapons
charge or a probable cost. So, this will aid in not being able to go behind closed doors and
advanced search and I don't have a lot of potential tour claims coming with our attorney. So,
it's a safe thing to have inside the detention center. I as a warden have been in different
detention facilities. I've had them in two previous detention facilities. It deters in a
detects and it minimizes these coming in and it really reduces that that contraband.
The other thing is once we retrieve the contraband then we automatically will contact the
arresting agency and then we will formulate our investigation with charges in that area.
So I bring this forth to you on requesting this to be approved and I'll stand for any questions.
How much is this?
It's 184,826-44.
I'd love to work money.
Yeah.
It's incredible tool.
And I kind of surprise we didn't already have.
That's what I want to think of.
Yeah.
But I'd love to make a motion to prove this.
I'll second it.
We have a motion.
Second.
Certainly public comment.
Any additional commissioner comments?
What do we have currently that we are?
We don't have any.
Mr. Chair, excuse me, Commissioner Pierce, we do not have any of that.
We depend on pat searches and other advanced searches when individuals come in.
So when a person comes in and they're not on those charges, they can come in with a lot of a contraband.
And we're not going to be able to retrieve it.
With this in place, we're going to deter to detect and reduce that contraband company in the facility.
So this is just like what you want to do at the airport.
Absolutely, it's an x-ray scanner.
That would, would visitors, could you use that for visitors coming in?
No, no, no, more merely for the detainee population.
Okay.
Let's proceed to vote.
Sure.
Yes.
Thank you.
I have one for visitors too.
Second, on the agenda for the detention centers,
Consider of Lee County Resolution number 25, January 28,
our authorized agreement between Eddy County and Lee County
for the housing of adult and juvenile detainees
for renewing this, so we're just proceeding to make sure
that we have a contract in place in order to
house both adult and juvenile detainees in Lee County
detention centers.
Okay.
Is there a motion?
I'd like a motion to prove.
I'd like to.
We have a motion.
second. Is there any public comment?
Is there a certain point that we don't accept
going from out of town because we're at a certain capacity. I mean, do we keep so many
beds available for our county? Mr. Chair, Vice Chair, what are you exactly right? We reserve
our Lee County is a primary. So when we are not, when we don't have beds available, we have
ability to say we don't our vacancies not there so we cannot accept any out of
county but the primarily county.
Or are we making money out of this?
Should these prices?
Yes.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Chair.
County Commission, haven't?
Yes.
You can see on there.
Adult detainers are $150 per day and juvenile detainees are $300 per day
per day.
Okay.
It's not costly to see anything to do.
To help them.
But
kind of curious fact, juveniles cost twice as much as it does.
There's a little bit more advanced programming going on.
We have a school that were mandated that each juvenile detainee that comes in with
State of New Mexico, we are mandated that the first state that they walked in
that they enrolled into school.
Makes sense.
Okay.
I guess we're ready to do both.
Is there been a motion?
Thank you.
Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Thank you. And moving forward, consideration of
Lee County Resolution number 25, January 0-29, authorized and agreement between Roosevelt
County and Lee County for the housing adult, or juvenile detainees. This is the exact same
situation that we're in. We're just renewing this contract to move forward to build a house,
both the adult and juvenile.
Make it emotionally approved.
We have a motion in the second.
Sir, your public comment.
Commissioner Comin.
Mr. President Bo.
Yes.
Commissioner.
And I promise this will be the last one.
Consideration of Lee County Resolution number 25.
General or zero.
Three zero are authorized in agreement between Pueblo of Isletta and Lee County for the housing of adult or juvenile detainees.
Pueblo of Isletta, a new one for us?
Are we done this before?
Make motion.
We approve.
Second.
I have a motion.
Second.
I have a motion.
Second.
Thank you, Chair.
Commissioner Evans, there are only four juvenile detention centers
who stayed in New Mexico.
So we're one of those next to the Burd on the Leo,
and then we have San Juan and Donanna County.
So when you have these juveniles that picked up
throughout the state, and it may be closest to us,
or even an adult, then they're going to bring them
to our detention center.
Okay, good answer.
Good answer.
We've done this over the years, and I just
Thank you, Mr.
Laura, how are you?
Good morning, Chair.
Commissioners.
I'm Edmund Alada, the facilities director.
And today, I have consideration a lead county resolution.
Number 25, January 031R.
Approvenate cooperatives.
educational service agreement with Tri-West Fence for replacing a fence at our
probation office in Hobbes. That's the newly acquired building on 21-30 West
Bender. Currently there's a chain link fence. We have a Frank Supply on one side and
then forget what the other businesses to the east but the probation office has
it to my attention. They'd like to solid the metal art panel fans for added security
facility. And we received this quote from Tri-West Fants for 142,627 dollars. And this
falls within the budget that they have for renovations for this facility.
And just so you
square or not square a linear fee.
I'll make a motion of proof.
I'll strike in.
I have a motion of seconds.
Are you public comment?
Commissioner coming?
Miss proceed to vote?
Yes.
Commissioner.
Thank you.
Good morning, Sarah.
Good morning, Mr. Chair.
My name is Sarah Chanasman, Executive Administrative Coordinator, and I would like to ask for your consideration of Lee County Resolution number 25, January 032R.
This is to authorize and state travel, January 20, to the 23rd of next week.
For interim County Manager, I need him to attend the 2025 and MC legislative conference in Santa Fe.
Dan, for any questions or your approval?
I'll make that motion to prove.
I'll have a motion in a second.
Is there any public comment?
Commissioner comment?
I think we'd previously approved our acts manager.
This is just housekeeping, right?
Yes, I'm getting.
All right, let's proceed to vote.
Yes.
Thank you.
So, I need to move on to discussion item.
Excuse me.
Mr. Kelly Ferguson.
I'm the procurement officer.
Just a quick background.
We did issue RFP for furniture and design related services back in October.
For whatever reasons we didn't give any responses.
So, we reached out to vendors with cooperative agreements.
We visit with AK cells and consulting that you have a CES agreement, procurement was that would
cover us.
But this is just discussing some current or future needs we might have.
And I want to introduce Cody Brock and Renee Madrono from AK cells.
Thank you.
Good morning.
Thank you for having us here.
I appreciate it.
I'm Cody Brock.
This is Renee Madrono from AK cells and consulting.
We're a little company out of Roswell, a bit of business about 20 years, just want to go
a little bit around on us, what we can offer some of the projects we've done around the
state and maybe something to consider when you have to make your choice.
So let us click this forward.
I'll see you in that position.
Just start.
We are truly honored to be here today, and have an opportunity to be chosen as your partner
and for providing furniture and solutions for your exciting renovations of the old courthouse in
Lee County.
This is one of the projects we've done in Carl's Bad.
We've done quite a few run the state.
A.K. sales has been trusted name in delivering top-notch services in premium furniture products for over two decades.
We partner with our clients specializing in furniture to create and design the most state of the art.
Official, unique and cost-effective layouts for business, offices, and many other spaces.
We service all the school districts and commercial buildings including state and county agencies throughout the state of the mix.
We
specialise in furniture design and layouts for a wide range of areas to the professional
administrative offices, many government offices, commercial buildings, and as you
study with you.
At AK sales, we are committed to design creating transforming office spaces that cater to
the specific needs of your employees.
Our spaces are inspiring, functional, comfortable, welcoming, and safe.
By integrating these qualities, we crafted environments that spark creativity from what
well being, maximum amount of productivity,
all while aligning with the unique culture and goals of each company.
One of the big projects we did was the,
I don't know if you're familiar with the admin building
and RTO, we did all the furniture in that building,
such huge, huge project we're pretty proud of.
We want to be your choice for the County Courthouse
renovation as well as becoming lap time partners.
We want to work with Lee County.
We do a lot more to just furniture,
and this is what we're here for today for.
We stand behind everything we do from start to finish.
We are a small-town family owned business, so we can assure you that by selecting us, you will be our top priority.
We are thrilled for the chance to be here today in person presenting AK cells and having the opportunity to educate you on exactly who we are.
As a company, but also here to tell you what we can do for you.
Customer satisfaction is our top priority in AK cells.
We are dedicated team of professionals.
Our dedicated team of professionals is here to guide you through every step of the process from initial design concepts,
with this what we need to use our advanced specialist.
She'll design your
We take the time to understand your vision, ensuring everything aligns with your goals and exceeds all of your expectations.
We collaborate with industry leading vendors. We work with over 20 different financial companies, so we have a wide array.
We can find something to meet your budget, meet your needs and give you the exact design you're looking for.
We work in states that work at trusted binners and major measures in ensuring access to high quality products that meet the latest industry standards.
This partnership allows us to provide tailored solutions that align with each project specific requirements, including aesthetic preferences, functionality and budget considerations.
Our theme leverage is advanced design tools. This is what we're talking about in Asia as a CTE software.
CET software to create 2 and 3D layouts, the technology enables us to visualize furniture arrangements
in real time, and corporate multiple business products to cohesive designs, optimize
spaceships for maximum efficiency and comfort.
We are ACES company, we also have a tips contract, where positions provide our customers with
discounted processing and guaranteed quality, our deep understanding and cooperative purchasing
contract requirements ensures a seamless process from the initial consultation to final installation.
And I will point out we do our own installation.
We have four crews.
Well, we sell.
We install.
We service after the sale.
So it's not.
Here's your furniture.
See you later.
We're in there for the long haul.
Get the key to keep it.
We're in teeth.
Yeah.
Here it is.
Put it together yourself.
Yeah.
We cover it.
We're there after the sale.
I mean, this is an example of a lot of things we've done
library furniture.
So we do bowing cabinets, bookcases,
lockers and credences, mobile pedestals,
anything, you know,
for sure, ADA requirements, we can move any of that as well.
So is that living in stuff?
Is that y'all, no, just the furniture?
Just the furniture, any of the acoustic panels,
like you see hanging from the ceiling,
that kind of stuff we do, we don't do electrical or plumbing.
Floring.
Okay, but a lot of design.
Yes. Okay, a lot of design, yeah. Of course, office spaces, you know, executive desk, work
stations, standing desk, L-shaped corner desk, of course, cable management systems, built
in storage. And of course, all your global surfaces, your laments, wood, the gears, or metals.
We provide, like I said, with the over 20 different manufacturers, we can certainly come up
with exactly what you need in our looking course. Commission chambers, padded seating.
I was going to mention that that we were going to be your top priority.
I'm going to be dropping out of duty.
I'm going to figure that out.
Now that you've been sitting out there on the ground.
Yeah, that was a problem, don't you?
That's where you're here for.
You know we used high quality materials, classic an elegant opt-in use in executive settings with
a wood, metal for your durability, commonly found in your ear, minimum-less design, your
laments, affordable scratches, is distended available on various finishes and of course
which is a sleek and temporary look for in basket and conference tables.
Organomics, adjustable options to ensure your comfort mobility again,
wheels on chairs and mobile storage for flexibility, aesthetics,
larger range of colors, finishes and styles, and durability again,
scratch-resistant water resistant and long lasting materials.
What we sell is hot quality.
We pride ourselves on selling things that are going to last you a lifetime.
It's a project we did at local counties and hubs that they make so junior college runners
just completed for them.
They're really proud of it.
We're actually working on another project, we're now furnishing all their dorms, so we
need to work a lot in the area.
It's just how that's our commitment to delivering quality to excellence to Lee County.
We're proud to have the opportunity to contribute to our local community and to hear
the continued doing so.
With that in mind, we are enthusiastic about the upcoming renovation of the L.E. County Courthouse,
meeting with the Treasury, beginning with the Treasury's office,
County Assistant's office, and Carter's office.
Much needed.
I believe we're here and it's going to be an exciting project for sure.
We're confident, and I really appreciate your needs.
You start the finish.
It's so nice to be for this man.
We assure you that you will not be disappointed.
We take pride and made a small family on business.
The January cares about our clients, which is head of for a century.
Our team is 100% dedicated to providing state-to-art furniture and exceptional design and solutions for every department.
With years of experience and furniture design and insulation, we are ready to support Lee County and creating functional, beautiful spaces that meet your unique needs.
Thank you for considering our case sales for this project, and we look forward to the possibility of continuing our project, our partnership with Lee County.
I look forward to working with you.
We're not sure if we're sure hope it's so.
We're available for any meetings or any presentations you might have.
We can always put about samples ahead of time.
You know, you want to go ahead and let people look at over see what they're going to get by at the time.
Okay.
Jesus, an AK sales means partnering with the team to understand that you need challenges and opportunities
of creating educational professional environments, our blended experience, technology and customer first approach.
It makes us the go-to provider for furniture solutions in New Mexico.
Our process is simple and effective, consultation, and the stuff needs making sure your
expectations are met, design, creating layouts, designs, and selective products, delivery
and installation.
Again, we are here to the whole project, not just to sell.
I'm going to assist this for beginning the end and it exceeds the post-consolation warranties.
So we need issues you have in contact with K-Cales, not the manufacturer, you're one stop shop, so just continue to support for the last time of your furniture materials and like,
and that's all we have for you.
Okay, it's awesome. I hope we get the opportunity to work with you in the form.
Appreciate the opportunity to be here today.
Thank you.
I hope having you at this time.
We may later, if it works out.
And so what why we invited them,
I Kelly has been looking for somebody on this
is both immediate concerns, light cushions.
So I'm short-term to intermediate concerns
like we have on the first floor,
you know, the assessor's office clerk's office,
a treacher's office that have probably been in need for a little bit
and then also long-term and on-call things.
The thing that's a little bit unique about AK cells,
why we kind of wanted to introduce you to them first,
is their design is built into the design
the cost of they come up with is built into the sales cost, and so they're kind of
front-loaded on some of these things so we're going to come to y'all, you know, as we
have needs to be addressed with something that they've been working on for a few months
if they have time, you know, and design effort into that's built into the cost so it's a
little bit different than like we did on my previous where we hired the design, you know,
we're getting, we've already paid for that, and then we buy the materials, so there services are built into the cost of the furniture.
And so we're going to have already engaged them and worked with them for a while prior to coming to y'all to approve it.
And so, just needs y'all to kind of know who that we may be working with and what they bring to the table.
You know, the 20 brands and choices.
with something that appealed to us, and then with other furniture and stalls that we've had at the airport and other places.
We bought high in furniture, but it was installed by companies out of Texas, and we had challenges with the integration between the two and point in fingers where AK cells could be responsible for both.
So, great.
I know that first floor is going to be excited about getting all new stuff.
Yes, well deserved for them. I think that's exciting because those three offices down there
clerk and treasurer and assessor. I think that's I think that's well deserved. Well, much needed guess.
Okay. So are we getting partners to before the remodel or do you need to do the offices?
I just need that.
So we're kind of putting trying to get all the tools put in place so we have a different
options. So there's still decisions to be made whether, you know, what we're going to do with
this facility, whether we're going to build a new facility. What's the timeframe? Is that
looked like three years? Let's look like five years? Do you all have a media ADA needs or
other needs that need to be addressed? Truly right now to keep your office functional if
it's three years away. You know, and anyway, we don't know what the answer is, but we want
all the tools in place, whether it be, you know, furniture cells, architects, anyway,
all those things to put together so that we are able to react and make the decision whenever
it's, whenever it comes to be, but no. And I mean they're going to come up and I mean they
may have ideas that not buying the highest in furniture right now or buying a better in furniture
that we know that will be able to be implemented in a future design. I said don't know, but at least
We have the consultants and tools in place.
I'd like to say we're not charging any day for our consultation, our meetings, the design process.
It's not a feed at you in the color.
Yeah.
We'll see you tomorrow.
One, two, three options.
Thank you.
Thank
you.
and no, I hold not.
I hold not.
Tip low, Assistant County Manager of Administrative Services.
I'm actually filling in for Aaron today.
She had an appointment.
She had to go to.
So moving forward, this is the County Financial Report.
As of December 31, 2024, there actually were six months through the fiscal year.
So the new commissioners will know our fiscal year is June July 1st, the June 30th.
So we don't run on a traditional calendar year. The state runs on the same fiscal years we do.
Moving on, this first report is basically looking at it by the different types of functions that we have.
First, when is the operation?
That's just our regular operations, you know, providing all of the different services to the county, such as the environmental airports, the treasure, assessor, those kind.
So our revenues right now year to date is 184 million, 394,000 are expenses, actual or 51 million, 947,000.
So as you can see, we're ahead on operations,
132 million dollars a year today.
Indigent, we are required and you will come to not enjoy this.
But we're required to send it bill 268 every quarter.
We have to remit.
I believe it's this year.
It's almost like $2.5 to $7 million a quarter to the state.
in what they for indigent care, we have a one-eighth GRT rate that's designated for
that and that's where that $9.3 million.
Ask you, if the changes that normally is making with their residents or with their resident
program and all that will that change us, will that move us to a teaching hospital, working
with Texas tonight, because isn't that why we have to pay that?
When they passed that law, that it exempted, like Bernal Leo County and maybe Santa
of all County, or one of those, but it would take a change in the state law for it to happen.
Right, John?
I thought, I mean, and correct me if I'm wrong, John, wasn't Donyanna and Bernal Leo County
exempt because they had teaching hospitals?
Mr. Chair, Commissioner Kimbro, my understanding is that Bernal Leo County was exempt
because they had a teaching hospital.
Don't you any county, I'm not sure about all of them.
They do have an osteopathic hospital there,
our teaching facility there in lost traces,
but I don't remember if it's been exempted,
but I do know that Bernadotte County was exempted
because of the presence of you and him.
That's what I was looking for.
Well, not again to that, that's what it was was that
they were exempt because they had teaching hospitals,
and normally it's going to be in conjunction
with Texas Tech, with doing a resident program here with the doctors, and I just wondered if
that wouldn't change in our status is making it our county having a teaching hospital
within it that may be might save us on that.
I can't answer your question right now. I'd have to look into that issue, but I don't
No, that we would call if I, without, without action by the state legislature.
Yeah, I just wondered if that wouldn't, you know, save our county a lot, you know,
if we didn't have to, because of that, because, because, when I dug it like I said,
when I dug into it, it was, they were exempt because they had a teaching hospital there,
and if we became part of the Texas Tech program where we were involved in a teaching hospital
within our county. I wondered if that wouldn't change that. Change our status. I don't know.
That would be something worth looking into or not. It would save us a lot of money if it did.
I'll look into it and I'll give an answer. Okay. Okay.
Okay. So as
you can see, we've-
Tagging in 9.3 million and we've paid out approximately 7.9 million this year so far, there's two components to what we have to
the state is it's based upon the prior year GRT revenue under that
end of it, GRT rate. And there's a Medicaid payment, which is
quarterly, which we have to limit 50% of the prior year GRT. And then
there is a and in the Senate Bill 66 side of it is actually 66% of the
year. So we we actually have to remit this year. We have to remit 116% of the prior year
GRT as payment to this date. So the county does have to pay a contribute a certain amount to it.
The problem is the way they calculate the period of time. The GRT revenue they calculate,
Medicaid is different than what they calculate for, it's a different timeframe.
Our GRT for, especially the new commissioners, it comes in the business month, like the
business month is October. That's when the transactions occur. We get the money in December.
They report it the next month and then we get it. All in gas, it's a three month lag between
the activity and when we get the money.
So, and it's due to the reporting requirements.
Capital, as you can see, we always, always, expend moral capital that we get in revenues
because most of our revenue is in the form of capital grants, a lot of them are for the airport.
We do have some for like this building and some other things.
Trust an agency. If you look at that, the trust an agency has to do with Lee County.
We're the fiscal agent for Lee County Solid Waste Authority for LCCA, Lee County Communications Authority.
And so those are the revenues associated with them and the expenses.
They do not flow through our audit. They're totally separate entities, as far as boards, but we're responsible.
their employees are our employees. It's a little odd thing, but with you and say there,
our solid waste authority for your information is very well funded. We have very good
serve for long-term capital improvements.
And last time, we're still the only solid waste authority in the State of Mexico that's fully
funded for post-culture expenses.
So it's very well-run, there's a board taught, it's taught to deal with chair.
Todd Randall with the City Engineer, Assistant City Manager in Hobbes is the chair of that
and it's very well run, it's very well run or Lorenzo handles it for the county.
So as you can see, if you get down there total revenues, it's 210 million expenses, almost
104 million, so year to date we're ahead by 106 million dollars.
This is just another way, this is looking at it by fun type, general fun, we're ahead by
and 46 million, the road, the road is always going to be in the negative because that's
capital outlay going to road development, the tension center, we have to, we're mandated
to operate that and it does not in the end, it will not make money.
Capital projects, that's all the different things that we do, and then all of our other
special revenues and enterprise funds that six point is a lot of that six point four has
to do with our LATCF and ARPA money which we received that money two or three years ago
and we're just getting it expanded out this year. So as you can see it goes back to the
$16 million.
All in gas production, we'll see we're $83 million. Through the first six
months of the year, it dropped down in December. We're going to see it come back in January
to around 13 million somewhere in that area. It's a function of production and price. We can
Based on it, we can kind of look out a couple of months.
We're probably going to see it down in the somewhere between 12 and 14 million for about
the next two months.
And then, based on what oil prices have done here lately, it's probably going to go back
up a little bit since we've seen a big jump in oil prices in January.
We won't see that money until April.
So, that's what we're anticipating, as you can see, we're at 174% of the budget.
When we get into the next meeting in February, we'll talk about revenue, we'll go in
more into depth about how we budget revenue, how we do our planning for revenues so that
you'll get a better understanding of what we, how the county has been operating over
last few years. A property tax we've collected 75% with people who are paying their taxes up front this year.
Typically, it's what about 50-50 long things in? And this year we've already collected 76%.
So we also get what's called a oil and gas equipment tax which comes in in December. We've already collected
of it so you can't say because we have the almost 200 million in revenue now we're going to
end up with four because it's probably going to be somewhere in the end around 3, 23, 30,
somewhere in line with what it was last year I think might be a little bit more.
The gross receipts tax as you can see it's back up. We had a study done several years ago
by the University of Mexico,
Bureau of Business and Economic Research, and there's a 92% correlation
between the red count in Lee County and GRT. The red count is the main driver of GRT
in the county, and when we get into the revenue discussion, I'll show you a few more things,
you'll get a little better understanding of. Now we're hearing, I've heard that actually now we're
going to be able to drill more wells with a little bit fewer rigs so we don't know it yet,
what that's going to, how that's going to impact our GR. I think our GRT will be the same,
but the way we calculate our estimate may be you have to change.
You may have to just get your formula. Right, we may have to just formula. We don't. So we'll
he are back in this year to update the update the formula as far as and then of course
the expenditure is here today as you can see personnel, this is budget year to date.
We typically run about 90% on payroll budget personnel, so when you look at that like
there that we're kind of in line with historical operations were a little bit below this year
right now, but I expect that to catch up in the spring and of course, and then capital
we always budget a lot of capital and then we get done as much as we possibly can during the
course of the year. So I stand for any questions or comments you might have.
question.
Thank you. And then moving on, this is the review of the 2024
Council payable and purchased card register. So as you can see in the month of December,
this is not include payroll or anything to do with payroll, but we've spent $13,000
in December.
And I'll stand for any questions or comments.
Thank you, Chair. Thank you, sir.
I move that the commission go to close session to discuss limited personal matters involving
personnel in the Justice and Human Services Division to discuss pending litigation and state
of New Mexico versus Lee County and others, S-1-SC-39742. And to discuss that position,
in the real property and central in Northern Lee County as authorized by NMSA, 1978.
Section 10-15-1-H-2-7-8.
I'll second that motion.
We have a motion this second.
Sir, you'd probably comment.
Comanche to comment.
That's vote?
Yes.
Comanche to comment.
Yes. Thank you all for attending. Today, if we don't see it, we're going to go into executive settings.
Let the record reflect that the matters discussed in closed meeting were limited only to those specified in the motion for closure.
Our next item is David Stiff.
Does this in human services division and this agreement would expires September 19 to the top?
Good.
I make a motion we approve this agreement.
A seconder.
Okay.
We have a motion in a second.
Is there any other comment?
Commissioner comment?
Miss proceed to vote?
Yes.
Okay, so any other business, you're in none and we're adjourned.