November Minutes 2009

November 12, 2009

The regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Town of La Jara was called to order by Mayor Austin Valdez at 7:00 pm. The roll was called. Present: Earl Haslett, Paula Medina, Tiffanie Polkowske, Henry Schimpf, Larry Zaragoza and Mayor Austin Valdez. Absent: Patrick Montoya. Also present: Chief of Police Dan Martinez, Maintenance Supervisor Keith Martinez, Town Clerk Priscilla Schimpf, Building Inspector Joseph Trottner, Town Attorney Ray Valdez and Town Manager Bill Yohey. Guests: Kenny Garmaker & Daughters, Larry Sisneros & Son. Those present recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Guests: None.

Reports:
Town Manager: Bill reported that Danny Gallegos opened up a shop at 221 Spruce and wanted to store metal there. The Board stated that it was okay for him to store it but not to crush. Bill informed the Board that Cort Nickle sent a draft of the Planning Grant for the lagoons; a copy was passed out to each board member for their review. He also stated that there is a surplus of used equipment for sale but that it needs to be picked up by November 30th. Bill also mentioned that the Army Engineers could work on the construction of the lagoons. He had Dan explain the process. The Town would need to send a request to the General. Dan stated that the Army Engineers would then go to the state to see what needs to be done. Then they would draw up the plans. Tiffany asked Bill to explain the gas station situation – he stated that it has to do with the old stations that did not dispose of the gas/chemicals properly. It was okayed for the maintenance department to go ahead and pave the roads now that we have the money to do so – 1st Stop, 3rd, etc. Earl asked what was meant by Priscilla & Keith working on water bill list. Bill explained the situation of people not being charged a minimum fee when they turn their services off when leaving town for the winter etc. Bill informed the Board he would be gone November 19th through December 2nd. The report was accepted upon a motion by Earl and a second by Larry. Motion Carried.

Building Inspector: The Board reviewed his written report. It was asked if #141-Jim Quirco was caught up to date. Priscilla stated that he came into pay for an extension permit. Bill will check on the amount charged for #170-1st Stop. The report was accepted upon a motion by Earl and a second by Paula with the exception of Bill checking on #170. Motion Carried.

Court: The Board reviewed the Municipal Judge report. The report was accepted as presented upon a motion by Paula and a second by Tiffanie. Motion Carried.

Police: Everyone complimented Dan on his report – very easy to read. He explained portions of the report to the Board. Ray asked Dan to explain how the door checks and wand works. Dan stated they had a police department meeting on the 15th and he went over the policies with the officers and stated to them that there will be stricter regulations. He will do evaluations every quarter. He brought up the break time issue – they will work 2 hours before taking a 15 minute break in the morning, have lunch, work 2 hours before taking a 15 minute break in the afternoon. They also are not allowed to combine their breaks. He is going to start an award procedure to compliment/thank his employees for their good deeds. He will regulate and be strict on comp. time. Dan also explained to them that they will follow the chain of command and he asks the Board to direct the employees to the right chain of command if they happened to go to one of them. The Board discussed the issue of Lucas moving up in salary due to giving him more responsibility now with only 3 officers.
A motion was made by Henry and a second by Earl to move Lucas’s salary up by $1,000.00. A roll call vote was taken: Earl-yes, Paula-yes, Tiffanie-yes, Henry-yes, Larry-yes and Austin-yes. Motion Carried.
The Board agreed to give Jerry his 2 days of vacation from his previous anniversary date that Richard previously gave him but there will no longer be any of this. Dan would like to see a mental health day implemented in the policies, the Board agreed. The police report was accepted upon a motion by Earl and a second by Paula. Motion Carried.

Maintenance: Keith stated that the Waste Water Permit was a headache and barely got it out by the line. He is still waiting to hear from the State on the status. He reported that the maintenance department workload has been steady. He informed the Board that the snow plow blade is very big and is very hard to plow the snow on these small roads. He asked the Boards permission to get a foot chopped off of it and re-weld which will cost around $200.00. The Board discussed and decided to wait on doing that, it might mess up the whole blade. He brought to the Boards attention that he became a member of the Utility Notification Center for locates. Keith explained their comp. time. A lot of people have asked for gravel for alleys & potholes – Okayed to go ahead and do, need to get 200 tons. Larry asked how come the sign has not been put up by the Polkowske’s. Keith mentioned that Dan has to show them were to put it. Dan will get together with them to do that. Larry also asked about getting reflectors to put on each side of the ditch at the Richfield Road. Bill will check on that issue. The maintenance report was accepted upon a motion by Earl and a second by Larry. Motion Carried.

Trustees:
Larry – Had nothing to report.
Earl – Had nothing to report.
Henry – Mentioned that he has a bill at Ann’s Café for ice cream cones that were ordered when the kids went and cleaned the Fire House. He wants to know where to send the bill? It was said to send the bill to the Town. He also wanted the rest of the Boards opinion on having only 2 people in the front office instead of 3. Right now there is Priscilla, Karol and Irene. It was discussed and decided that 3 is okay so that there is enough coverage. Henry stated that he would like to see a report on comp. time in Bill’s report like everyone else’s. The rest of the Board agreed. Bill is working on it. Earl then stated he would also like to see a report on gas and mileage on the Town car along with his report.
Tiffanie – She just wanted to give a big Thank You to Larry Zaragoza for the apology letter sent to Jan.
Paula – Stated that she and Bill met with Rick Ivers and Brian Crowther from the Elementary School to address the Town’s role with the park. They were told that the Town just needs to water and mow the grass and be the pass-thru for the GOCO Grant. If we were to want to hold an event or other we need to clear up with the school first. Rick and Brian said they are more than happy to come to a Board meeting to discuss with the rest of the Board if it is needed.
Austin – Had nothing to report.

Attorney: Ray stated that now that the lawsuit is settled he will be able to devote more time to Town business. He also reminded the Board that the Christine Chick issue was dropped.

Clerk: Priscilla stated Jerry was on Life Insurance through American General. It is only payroll deductions on his own not an offer through the Town. The figures for sales tax if the rate was to be increased was on the clerks report – Ray stated that a tax increase would require being on an election ballot. Also on the clerks report was a suggestion to charge a late fee on the W/S bills if paid after the due date – the Board will think about it and decide at the December meeting what to do with that suggestion. Priscilla mentioned that there has been a lot of discussion about W/S rates going through the clerk’s list serve. Lots of other Towns charge a turn-off and turn-on fee when services are turned off for delinquency; we only charge a turn-on fee. The report was accepted as presented upon a motion by Tiffanie and a second by Larry. Motion Carried.

Approval of Minutes:
Regular Meeting October 8, 2009 – Motion by Paula, 2nd by Tiffanie with the exception of including in the minutes about Jerry Lujan being on 1 year probation. Motion Carried.
Special Meeting October 24, 2009 – Motion by Larry, 2nd by Earl. Motion Carried.

Follow-Up of Minutes: None.

Approval of Bills:The bills were approved for payment upon a motion by Tiffanie and a second by Paula. Motion Carried.

Other Business:
Discuss Policies/Procedures Committee – The target date to complete was set for March 2010. It was decided to include all Board members therefore will setup as a work session. Bill will set a date and call everyone to inform.
Committee Meetings – Discussed meetings for committees but was agreed that Policies and Procedures is priority.

Retreat/Retreat for Employees – Bill would like to see a retreat setup for the employees. He went through a few ground rules for meetings discussed at the Board Retreat. 1) One person speaking at a time, 2) Stick with topic don’t get personal, 3) Take breaks when needed, 4) Establish ground rules, 5) Respect the language – profanity – no name calling, 6) Utilize /Control speaking point – set cell phones on vibrate – no texting during meeting, 7) 5 minute time limit on agenda items, 8) If not an agenda item 5 minute max for the public to speak at the end of the meeting, 9) Follow chain of command – Town Manager needs to be the hub of communication. Goals – Department authority & Clarity of Policy & Procedure. Bill went on to discuss other items that were addressed at the Retreat.

Retirement Party-Richard & Incoming Chief-Dan – They set a date of December 5, 2009 from 2pm-4pm at the Senior Center. The new Chief will get sworn in at this time. Paula will talk to the Valley Courier to come to report on the event. Priscilla will make a flyer to post at the Post Office, Town Hall, Video Store, Ann’s Café and Pharmacy. She will also include a flyer in each of the W/S bills.

Larry Sisneros addressed the Board in regards to the minimum fee for W/S services – he couldn’t find in the ordinance – he was told to come into the office and Priscilla will show him where it is at.

There being no further business a motion to adjourn was made by Paula. Meeting adjourned at 9:30 pm.

Special Meeting Oct. 24, 2009

October 24, 2009

The Special Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Town of La Jara was called to order at 4:38 pm by Mayor Austin Valdez. The roll was called and those present were: Paula Medina, Tiffanie Polkowske, Henry Schimpf, Earl Haslett and Mayor Austin Valdez. Absent: Patrick Montoya and Larry Zaragoza. Also present were Town Clerk Priscilla Schimpf, Town Attorney Ray Valdez and Town Manager Bill Yohey. Guests: Pete Cordova, Zack Cordova, Steward Anderson and Larry Sisneros. A quorum was declared.

Larry Sisneros asked to approach the board. He stated that he was unaware of the special meeting until the day before the meeting was to be held. He had seen the notice at the Post Office. Austin stated that we are required to give a 24 hour notice to the public for special meetings. Posting the notice the day before the meeting is adequate time.

Discussion of the Sewer System: A motion to go into executive session to discuss pending litigation of the sewer system was made by Paula and a second by Henry. A roll call vote was taken: Paula-yes; Tiffanie-yes; Henry-yes; Earl-yes and Austin-yes. Motion Carried. The Board adjourned to the executive session at 4:40 pm.

At 5:25 pm the meeting was reconvened by Mayor Austin Valdez. No action was taken. A motion to authorize Pete Cordova, Zack Cordova and Steward Anderson to accept the offer of settlement as propounded was made by Earl and a second by Paula. A roll call vote was taken: Paula–yes; Tiffanie–yes; Henry–yes; Earl-yes and Austin–yes. Motion Carried.

There being no further business a motion to adjourn was made by Paula. Meeting adjourned at 5:35 pm.

October Minutes

October 8, 2009

The regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Town of La Jara was called to order by Mayor Austin Valdez at 7:00pm. The roll was called. Present: Trustees Paula Medina, Tiffanie Polkowske, Henry Schimpf, Larry Zaragoza, Patrick Montoya, Earl Haslett, and Mayor Austin Valdez. Also present were Town Manager Bill Yohey, Maintenance Supervisor Keith Martinez, Interim Chief of Police Dan Martinez, Town Clerk Priscilla Schimpf, Temporary Town Clerk Karol Wilson, Town Attorney Ray Valdez.

Guests:

Josie Cordova from Northerners Senior Citizens respectfully requested a $2000.00 donation from the town to support the services they provide to the area seniors. The number of services provided to the elderly in 2008 was 9,522. This year, through September they are at 8,202. The average is 911.33 services provided per month, and will have served a total of 10,940 elderly by the end of the year. Services provided on a monthly basis: health clinic, foot doctor, trips, birthdays, anniversary recognition, dances, exercise, puzzles and education on senior issues, information and referrals. Congregate and homebound noon meals are provided on a daily basis five days a week. Their greatest expense is the delivery of meals, vehicle insurance, liability and building contents. Their income is continually being cut. The Area Agency on Aging had their funds cut, so in turn they can’t fund Northerners. Donations have been cut. The is no longer paying them to take people to their casino. The county commissioners continue to support them and grants are being sought, but local matches are needed to obtain these grants. Josie thanked the Board and Town for their support in the past and hopes they will consider her request as the number of seniors continues to grow, and providing services is a struggle.

Reports:

Town Manager: We have the waste water renewal permit finally. Language on the agreement needed to be addressed and that is coming along. There has been some political activity in the valley the last couple of weeks, with interest in our water situation. Governor Ritter says there will be no taking of our water unless there is a symbiotic relationship. Patrick asked Bill when Cort is coming down again and what does he plan on doing about our lagoon problem…he hasn’t given us anything. Bill said he has been calling Cort, trying to put a fire under him. A motion to accept Bill’s report was made by Paula seconded by Henry.

Building Inspector: Earl asked Joe to go see Jim Quirco and find out what he is doing with the remodeling and collect extension fees. There are still boundary issues on Charles Lopez’s request for a fence permit, so no fence yet. A motion to accept Joe’s report was made by Patrick, seconded by Henry and passed.

Court: A motion to accept the judge’s report was made by Larry, seconded by Earl and passed.

Police: Lucas has 3 days remaining vacation, with his anniversary date of 7/11/09. Patrick made the motion to move Lucas off the probationary period and instate him as a full time officer, seconded by Paula. The mayor asked for roll-call vote: Paula-yes, Patrick-yes, Tiffanie-yes, Henry-yes, Earl-yes, Larry-yes, Austin-yes. Dan said he would type a letter informing Lucas he is off probation. Dan said he has already scheduled classes at school. He requested someone be on call for him while he is attending classes, at least for this semester, then next semester he will plan differently. Lucas is not available to cover days. The Board suggested to Dan to do what he can to cover. Dan stated that he pays for his covers out of his own pocket. Paula made the motion to accept the report with Patrick making a second. Motion carried.

Maintenance: The meters at the pump house need to be calibrated. The heads need to be rotated from 12:00 to 3:00. The town water will have to shut off on Friday morning. Keith is sorry for the short notice and inconvenience, but he will wait until 10:00 a.m. to shut off the water and hopefully he can have it back on by 11:00 a.m. He has purchased 20 locks for delinquent/shutoffs. He also stated there is no flow from the 1st lagoon into the 2nd one. The pipes are visable. He can’t make the lagoons flow. There was discussion regarding Keith’s comp. time accrual. Some thought the policy says that comp time has to be taken within 4 months, with either time off or monetary compensation. The Board wants that policy checked into about whether it can be accumulated or cashed out. Bill says that after speaking with a government employee regarding comp time issues, every quarter the employee can take the time, and the next ¼ they take the money.
Tiffanie asked about when the speed limit sign on First is going to be moved. Keith stated he is waiting for Dan to let him know where it can be properly and legally placed. A motion was made by Patrick and seconded by Paula to officially have that speed limit sign that is next to Polkowske’s property moved. The motion passed. Earl brought up the issue that at last board meeting, he stated he wanted to see all employee’s vacation, sick time and comp. time logs as part of each department’s report. He was reminded by other Board members that his request was done at the end of the meeting and it had not been put into a motion. The Board discussed that they would like to see everyone’s use of time. Keith asked what he should do about the remaining year if he accumulates more comp. time? They said he will get what is coming to him through the Third quarter. Paula made the motion, seconded by Earl to accept Keith’s report and it carried.

Trustees:
Paula - Nothing
Patrick asked about the retirement plan issue. He was told again that it is up to what is in the budget. He stated that the ball field is worse and asked if the town could get someone to plow it and get dirt from the county to fill it. He asked if Keith could use the town’s dump truck and haul the dirt from the county shops. Discussion followed regarding whether this is a school park or a town park. Tiffanie reminded them that there is a 25 year agreement with the town per GOCO. Ray suggested that we ask Curtis Chavez to come rototill or disc the ball field first. Then see if more fill dirt is needed. Patrick said Iggy has fill dirt, and wants Keith to haul the dirt in the town dump truck on a Saturday. Keith reminded them this would just add to his comp time. Patrick said he would drive the dump truck and the issue of insurance and liability came up. Patrick came up with a 3-fold plan: 1. Get the ground tilled. 2. Ask the county if they can haul the dirt from their pile to fill in the ball field. 3. If they can’t then ask Keith to do it on a Saturday. Keith said he will do it during working hours. Patrick also asked what other town resources will be committed to this park? Dan asked who is he supposed to approach now, in regards to Glory Days and using the ball field as in the past?

Tiffanie stated again that she isn’t happy with the apology letter from the town, and is disappointed that it was sent out before it had been approved. She asked if a new letter has been sent out yet. Larry said he would draft a new letter of apology since the letter was his idea in the first place. Suggestion of the August minutes- Karol didn’t remember that she was supposed to email the approved minutes to Tiffanie, so those minutes were written over with the September minutes. Tiffanie said she will make a footnote that the minutes on the blog are summarized.

Henry-nothing

Earl -nothing

Larry wanted to mention that wood chips are a good, cheaper option for ground cover for the new park.

Ray stated that the Proclamation for the dedication of Joe S. Chavez Drive has been sent to the County Clerk for recording and that the town clerk had sent letters informing all residents that they need to contact their banks, insurance companies, lenders, creditors and the county clerk and motor vehicle department to inform them of the street name change. Ray asked if a more concise water usage bill for a particular former water/sewer customer couldn’t be made available to him before he proceeds with litigation. The clerk will look into finding a way to print a more concise bill. Patrick asked if this is worth going after. Ray said small claims court would be a better venue. Tiffanie made a motion for a resolution to charge new water/sewer customers a 2 month deposit when they come to establish an account. Residential customers would pay a $60.00 deposit and commercial accounts would be charged $100.00. This money will have to be put in a separate account in order to refund it back. Paula seconded this motion and it carried. Ray will write the new resolution.

Austin wants to do something for Richard for his retirement. Suggestions were made and a spending limit was set. Patrick moved, seconded by Larry that $500.00 be allowed, with the details left up to Dan. Paula suggested a reception be held either at the Senior center or the Police Department. The date will be set later.

Clerks report: Paula motioned to accept, seconded by Henry. Approval of Minutes:

Regular Meeting September 10, 2009 – Paula asked what happened with the pickup from the attempted robbery of Jack’s Market. Dan said the pickup had been released to the owner from Santa Fe, where it had been stolen. Austin said the pickup should have never been released. Dan stated he didn’t know anything about it being released until the Chief told him. A motion to approve the minutes was made by Tiffanie and seconded by Henry. Motion carried.

Follow-Up of Minutes: Has Cass answered where to put the money collected for the maintenance department cutting the weeds at #3 Willow? Priscilla said the money was just posted in the wrong GL account.

Approval of Bills: Patrick asked about the bill from George Gallegos. He thought Dale Cornum was paying for the rock. Keith informed him that the town had said they would pay for it one time. Dale did go to the bus garage and thank Austin and the Board and the maintenance department for the rock and the work. There was discussion to cancel our contract with ComPhone and ValCom. We don’t need their services. There was a question regarding a payment to Galls for flashers and grill lights. Why were these ordered and paid for when these items had been donated by the state patrol? Karol stated that Richard had called and asked for a purchase order for Galls for flashers and grill lights, and she didn’t know any different. So when the bill came in, she paid it. Larry made a motion, seconded by Henry to approve the bills. Motion carried.

Ray asked if we are replacing officers, now that Richard retires. Discussions followed regarding advertising for an officer and whether we should have an outside screening committee to review the applicants or have the board conduct the interviews. We have had members of other cities’ police and sheriff departments sit in on the review committee. The Board was reminded that it costs us money to pay these outside law enforcement committee members to sit in. Ray said the idea of hiring from within is appealing and Tiffanie said she would rather go with someone she already knows. It helps to know how they treat the town’s people and how well they do their reports. Ray said a committee can make a recommendation, but the Board has the ultimate say. Even if we hire from within, we still need another officer. Earl wants to see Dan compensated since he has stepped into the chief’s shoes. A motion was made by Patrick, and seconded by Tiffanie that we make Dan the interim Chief and advertise for a 4th officer. The motion passed by a roll call vote. Dan stated that things are slowing down now, and a 4th officer wouldn’t be needed until Spring. It was discussed that it will take that long to advertise and hire someone. More discussion followed about whether to advertise for a Chief of Police or hire from within and use part-timers when needed. Dan stated that they can’t always get part-timers. Tiffanie suggested that we advertise for a 4th officer and hire from within for Chief. Hiring from within, Dan would come on as a new hire and would be on probation for 1 year. A motion was made by Larry and seconded by Tiffanie to instate Dan(with a probationary period) as the new Chief, effective November 1, 2009. This will be done at the next Town Board Meeting. Motion carried by roll call vote. Paula made the motion to promote Jerry Lujan to Sargent, also effective Nov. 1, 2009 (interim until then). Henry seconded the motion and it passed by roll call vote. Discussion of moving Lucas to LJ3 was tabled to the next meeting.

Other Business: Priscilla presented the budget proposal. She stated that Cass says there is a $134,000.00 deficit and she would like to see the proposal cut in half. Austin went through each line item and proposed cuts, but couldn’t come close to cutting it in half. Priscilla reminded the Board that the Budget hearings have to be in November. She also reminded them that the employees got a 3% raise last year. Retirement matches will go up for Dan and Jerry with their new promotions. Tiffanie stated that if we cut the town manager position, we would cut $60,000.00. Paula told her that times are changing and we need someone to be responsible for the town and the grants and the lagoon problems. Karol asked who else is going to get the work done if there is no town manager. Someone asked how the town got so far behind. Austin said it isn’t a matter of the town getting behind, it is a matter of not enough revenue being created. The best thing for the town would be to force the La Jara Trading Post into the town limits. That would increase our sales tax revenue. Ray will look into the cost of bringing LJTP into town. Patrick suggested everyone start talking up a vote to increase the sales tax by ½ to 1%. Priscilla was asked if it isn’t too much trouble, could she figure how much our revenues collected now would increase if we went up ½ %. She said she would look into it.

The Board Retreat has been set for Wednesday, October 21 from 5-9. Paula will let the Board members know the location. The facilitator will be Tim Dellett.

Roll off dates will be the same as last year, the last weekend of October and the first weekend of November. Those dates will be put on the water bills.

The sewer issue for Henry and Gilbert Lopez, the policy/procedure revisions and the committee meetings discussions were tabled to the next meeting. There being no further business, a motion was made by Patrick to adjourn at 10:35p.m.

September Minutes

September 10, 2009

The regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Town of La Jara was called to order by Mayor Austin Valdez at 7:02pm. The roll was called. Present: Trustees Paula Medina, Tiffanie Polkowske, Henry Schimpf, Larry Zaragoza, Patrick Montoya, Earl Haslett, and Mayor Austin Valdez. Also present: Town Manager Bill Yohey, Maintenance Supervisor Keith Martinez, Chief of Police Richard Pena, Temporary Town Clerk Karol Wilson, Town Attorney Ray Valdez, Sgt. Dan Martinez, Officer Jerry Lujan, and Guests: Cort Nickel, Darlene Buhr, Cassandra Martinez. Those present recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Guests: Cort Nickel of Clear Water Solutions came down to look at the outstanding issue with our sewer system, and how to get us in compliance. The lagoons are 42 years old and it isn’t clear if clay was used to line the bottom, or if it was water-tight. There are numerous artesian wells in the area, and when they are up, the levels in the lagoons rise and want to empty out to seek its’ own level, or flows out too quickly and doesn’t meet the 30 day requirement for treatment. These lagoons were not designed for the modern aerators. The banks could be made higher. Poly liners could be looked into, but lining the lagoons will be very expensive. We could build new lagoons, and line them, but the town doesn’t own any property at this time. Cort is continuing to work on the situation and will be expedient with an answer.

Darlene Buhr asked the Board if they would approve her liquor license transfer so she can reopen South Valley Liquor, which will be named T & D Liquors, at 422 Spruce. She has taken it back from Lance Clark. There was no inventory inside the building. She is cleaning up the outside now, and next week will start on the inside. Ray stated that we don’t need to go through a public hearing, because the store location and license was already approved. It will just be under a new name. He pointed out some areas of concern with the actual application, and suggested the Board make a motion to accept the application and let her open when she is ready. Paula moved that the Board approve the transfer from Lance Clark, pending approval from the state. Larry seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.

Cassandra Martinez presented our 2008 Audit report. All Board members were given a copy of this report to follow as she read through from back to front. Bottom line: we cannot continue to operate in a deficit. The dates for this year’s budget sessions were set for the evenings of Sept. 15, and 16 at 7:00 p.m. in the Board room. Cassandra also discussed the retirement plans. FPPA is tax deferred and is a better plan all the way around. The other plan is not. FPPA is not a qualified plan, as is PERA. It is taxable upon collection at retirement. Social Security is not a “plan”. All employees are subject to Social Security unless there is a government plan like PERA or FPPA. The other employees only had SS and the retirement age is 65, where with FPPA, the retirement age is 55. We can look into a simple, tax free plan. But the town cannot afford to match 3% since we are operating at a deficit. She said we have to start working on a balanced budget. The town is not required to offer any other plan. Officer Lujan stated he feels it still isn’t fair that they weren’t offered another plan besides FPPA. Cassandra said she will crunch numbers and see if we can look at a simple plan.

Reports:
Town Manager: Bill talked about 2 items that were not in his report. He has been working with Deb Downs from DOLA on the particulars for the grants from DOLA and USDA for the lagoons project. We need to get this completed now. He will discuss this more on Tuesday or Wednesday evening. He said the town needs to look into real estate available in the area of the present lagoons. The town also needs to buy more water. We would be in the 2nd Sub-district. Austin suggested the old lagoons could be used for storm drainage. Dan said he can put us in touch with the National Guard Engineers for construction of new lagoons and all the town would pay for is the materials. There was discussion of finishing the old drainage system before we proceed with street repair. Richard and Bill discussed the fact that there are several elderly residents who may have water leaks in or under their homes that may be collecting bacteria that would contaminate clean water. If anyone knows of anyone needing help or complaining of leaks, etc, please let Bill or Richard know. A motion to accept Bill’s report was made by Henry, seconded by Paula.

Building Inspector: Joe is out of town. Paula moved that his report be accepted, seconded by Tiffanie.

Court: No report since court will be Monday September 14.

Police: There was an attempted robbery at Jack’s Market. The PD has the pickup used. It is from Santa Fe. The robbers didn’t get away with the money. As Officer Sowards was prepared to enter the backdoor, someone inside shut the door, but the money was left there. The Chief has contacted the owner of the pickup. She stated that the pickup was in a repair shop, but she doesn’t know the last name of the mechanic. It must have been taken from the repair shop and used here for the attempted crime. The prints will be sent to Colorado Springs or Denver for id.
Richard’s retirement is coming up and since he has 30 days of vacation time coming he will retire on September 30, 2009. He has contacted FPPA regarding his retirement, but they haven’t sent him any paperwork as of this date. He doesn’t know what he will be receiving and suggested that if the Board approved, he could stay on as a civilian chief. The Board would just have to change his job description. The town wouldn’t have to pay into FPPA, and he would draw social security benefits. Patrick asked if Richard wants the Board to keep him or does he want to retire? Richard has mixed emotions. The Board will think about it. Earl said he wants a letter stating Richard’s decision. Austin said the sooner the better.
Richard reported that the new transmission is working well in the Tahoe. Ray stated that he asked Vicente Gallegos about the Chief telling him to clean the drain in front of his property. Maintenance has to clean that drain, and Danny uses his bobcat to push snow over that drain, where not just snow gets pushed there, but debris also. This clogs up that drain. Dan has also talked with Vicente. Vicente argued that it is only snow, but that town trash just blows and collects there. He was told to come to the town board meeting, but he didn’t show. We will clean that drain one more time, but Danny needs to push the snow somewhere else, like maybe to where the town picks up the plowed snow. Patrick made the motion to accept the report with Paula making a second.

Maintenance: Keith reported that he and Paul spent hours cutting the weeds down at 3 Willow Drive. He included photos with his report. He asked if the police dept. couldn’t try to get the residents to comply sooner, so that the weeds don’t get so tall before cutting. They were lucky to be able to get the tractor into the backyard this time, but that might not always be the case. Karol reported that Assured Title called and asked that an invoice be faxed to them reflecting the charges for time spent cutting down the weeds at 3 Willow Dr. Bill suggested that money received for cutting weeds go to the maintenance department budget. He said we can check with Cass to find out where exactly to put this money. Keith reported that he did not buy the plastic border for Aspen Circle Park because it is too pricey. He asked the Board if he could just put border on the two sides. Someone suggested RR ties, but Keith stated that Jay from CIRSA is very picky and may not approve idea. We need gravel road base and Austin suggested we put it in the budget for next year. Mnt. Dept needs 3 tons.
Keith asked about the cement mixer. This also was a suggested item for next year’s budget. Paul and Keith have been busy with the drain work at Dale Cornum’s. They hauled in 6 loads of potato rock and 3 loads of gravel. Dale seems to happy with the work. Larry made the motion and Tiffanie seconded to accept this report. Earl then asked for an accounting of the maintenance department’s comp time. The board wants all employees to turn in their comp and vacation time for each meeting. But it was not voted on.

Trustees:
Larry – Nothing
Earl- Nothing
Henry- Nothing

Patrick asked about the retirement plan issue, since he was late in arriving to the meeting and missed Cass’s presentation. He was told that Cass will discuss this at the Tuesday budget meeting. He stated he wants a plan for Richard’s retirement. Bill told him that will be brought up in “other business”.

Tiffanie asked about Kendra Baroz needing a sales tax license. She also wanted to know if any one has posted or alerted the homeowners on Joe S. Chavez Dr. to change their address. Ray stated that when he receives the original resolution he will have it recorded with the county clerk, and the town clerk will mail letters informing the residents of whom they need to contact regarding the new street name change. Dan brought up that there are still residents who are not complying with posting street numbers on their homes.
Tiffanie also asked when we were going to replace the broken eagle on the flagpole in the board room, and the pulley for the flagpole outside town hall.
She brought up that at the last meeting there was discussion about moving the speed limit sign on First St., but no motion had been made to do so, so she made the motion and it was seconded by Patrick, to move the speed limit sign from 1st and Walnut to 1st and Broadway. The motion passed. Jan is checking into the prices of trees, but hasn’t had much time to spend on it since they’ve been out of town.
Tiffanie also stated that she isn’t happy with the apology letter from the town. Jan felt disrespected by the letter.
The school had a bid until September 12, 2009 to purchase the fence. Tiffanie asked if the town would float them $6323.50, and the town would get the money back in 21 days. She was informed that the town does not, nor can it make loans. She asked if the easement could be moved back another 10 feet before they set the fence. The board members said they would all go look at that before the next meeting.

Ray made a suggestion for the curfew ordinance to read ½ hour before sunset to ½ hour before sunrise. It was argued that it starts getting dark at 4:30 in the winter and there are students who are out at ball practice, or school events until as late as 9:00 p.m. Discussion followed to not change the time or the age limit but to amend the fines imposed. The amendment should read that “Upon first conviction of violating the curfew, the judge will impose a $25.00 fine, with it doubling for the next 2 offenses."
As far as the Rios building is concerned, there is no ordinance that covers the outward appearance of a vacant building. Danny has done all that can be done. It doesn’t pose a danger to the public, so he is within the State Statutes. Austin suggested sending a letter informing Danny that the town wants to cover the broken bricks with boards and paint them. Bill will write a letter with our intentions and that the board members are volunteering to do the work. Paula will contact the High School Art Department for painters.

Clerks report: Tiffanie motioned to accept, seconded by Paula.Approval of Minutes:
Regular Meeting August 13, 2009 – Motion by Henry, 2nd by Earl.

A motion to accept the minutes of the Special Board meeting was made by Patrick, and seconded by Paula.

Follow-Up of Minutes: None.

Approval of Bills: A motion to pay the bills was made by Larry and seconded by Tiffanie.

Other Business:
Board Retreat: Communication will be the topic. Bill stressed that the Board needs to sit down and really talk. Bill feels he didn’t deserve the abusive language from Leroy and this is one item which he wants to discuss with the Board. He also urged all employees and Board members to come talk to him if they hear of any issues that concern the town. A date for the retreat was not set, but Bill reminded everyone that no town business may be discussed. A facilitator will need to be present. Paula suggested that staff also be at this retreat. She will look into a place for the retreat. Bill reminded everyone of the CML meeting and dinner on Sept. 30 at the Movie Manor in Monte Vista. RSVP’s are due by Sept. 15, and the dinner is $10.00 per each person. Karol will take the RSVP’s and call to make the reservations. Austin told everyone that if they don’t show up, they pay for dinner, but if they call Karol, the town will pay for dinner. Larry asked if it would be appropriate to view the New Trustee tape at the retreat? The answer was absolutely. Someone suggested doing a phone survey for attendance of the retreat. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 10:50p.m.

August Minutes

August 13, 2009

The regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Town of La Jara was called to order by Mayor Austin Valdez at 7:03pm. The roll was called. Present: Trustees Paula Medina, Tiffanie Polkowske, Henry Schimpf, Larry Zaragoza, Patrick Montoya, Earl Haslett, and Mayor Austin Valdez. Also present: Maintenance Supervisor Keith Martinez, Chief of Police Richard Pena, Temporary Town Clerk Karol Wilson, Building Inspector Joseph Trottner, Town Attorney Ray Valdez and Town Manager Bill Yohey, Sgt. Dan Martinez, and Paul Naranjo of the Maintenance Dept. Guests: Jan and Leroy Polkowske, Ruby Nissley, Brian Crowther and Rick Ivers. Those present recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Guests: Jan Polkowske came in to ask who had given orders to cut their trees completely down and leave unsightly stumps in the yard. The maintenance men cut a special 20 year old Silver Ash, and the want the town to do something about it. They had been in the process of getting the branches trimmed, but Mrs. Polkowske had left town before she finished and maintenance had been told to go cut the trees down in order for the speed limit sign to be visible from 150 feet away. Before the trees were cut, the sign was not even visible from the railroad tracks. Mayor Valdez asked why the speed limit couldn’t be moved. He also apologized on behalf of the board. Everyone agreed there was a real lack of communication. Keith apologized for cutting the Ash tree to the board, but the town doesn’t have the means to trim tree branches that are up high. Tiffanie asked what size/how big a tree could we get to replace this tree. Jan said she would get back to the town board with that information. In the meantime they want the stumps removed. Patrick apologized for the miscommunication.

Ruby Nissley had a complaint about vulgar messages on the playground equipment. She had young people visiting and they saw it. She came and reported it on July 20, and it is still there for all to see. She wants it removed now! Why aren’t we more organized? Bill informed her that it will be taken care of tomorrow if he has to do it himself.

Leroy Polkowske expressed his unhappiness with the tree trimming situation. Again he stated that he wants the stumps removed. He addressed issues he has with the town manager and the town attorney that are of a personal nature.

Brian Crowther and Rick Ivers thanked the community for all the support for the new playground complex. They will be putting in a walking path, and part of that path would extend onto a 10x100 foot section of town property. The path won’t be put in until next summer, but they will be putting in a fence this fall. The PTA had raised money for the fencing project, with plenty of volunteer help. Ray suggested we give them a 30 year variance to run concurrently with the Intergovernmental Agency contract. They will get Reynolds to draw up a description. A motion was made by Earl to grant this variance, with a second by Patrick. Passed unanimously by roll call of all board members.
Robert Middlemist was not able to plow the grounds and Brian would like to flood it in two weeks with hopes of working the ground so they can plant grass seed. Austin offered the hoses and fire trucks to flood the area. They will flood it on Monday and Tuesday.

Reports:

Town Manager: Bill will be going to Salida on Tuesday, 8/18/09 for the law suit settlement conference. Since Ray will be gone, Larry will go with Bill. Bill stated that the best thing he and Paula got from the trip to Vail was “communication”. Lots and lots of communication. The retreat idea is a good thing in order to discuss issues that aren’t being taken care of. Bill will meet with any one any time. He wants more communication, and he wants everyone to be on the same page. We could have avoided the Polkowske issue. We need to use the cameras more. #1 on Bill’s report…What is being done about the other buildings in town? Henry says he offered Gilbert some curtains for the front to make it look nicer. Patrick asked Ray what could be done legally about Rios’ building. Ray stated he contacted Danny years ago, with no response. What are we going to ask him to do? Discussion followed about nailing up boards on the outside. Austin says boards on the outside looks better that what it looks like now. Painting a mural was suggested. The kind of wood was discussed. Larry suggested the board do it, but Ray says we need Danny’s consent. There was discussion about informing Danny that we are going to fix the building front and send him the bill. Patrick suggested a face to face meeting through a letter from Ray, telling Danny of our proposal. The set a special meeting for September 3, 7:00 p.m.
#2. Glory Days went well. There was a discussion about a new location next year. The carnival people want to come back next year with their full carnival. It was well attended. Austin asked about the land behind the Catholic Church. Dan says he plans on contacting the Bishop about using that property for next year. He will also talk with K Miller about going across his property. Tiffanie suggested the board be involved in Glory Days parade by maybe entering a float. Dan suggested offering a contest like “The Best Lawn”, and have winners on that float, or something along those lines. The 5K run was great, but they could use better markers. The report was accepted upon a motion by Tiffanie and a second by Paula. Motion carried. Building Inspector: He reviewed his written report with the Board. The report was accepted upon a motion by Paula and a second by Larry. Motion carried.

Court: The Board reviewed the Municipal Judge report. The report was accepted as presented upon a motion by Patrick and a second by Earl. Motion carried.

Police: Richard stated that he needs a transmission for patrol car #733. He presented an estimate for a remanufactured and a new one. A new one with a warranty is $2708.90, while the remanufactured one would cost $2913.90. A motion was made by Earl and seconded by Patrick that we put a new transmission in # 733, with Baroz Auto doing the installation. Discussion of dispatch service followed, with Ray stating we need the service, and Dan stating it is an officer safety issue when reception in the area is limited. Homeland Security needs to be contacted regarding funding for our own tower. We have the equipment, but no service. Richard stated that he has been working on contacting residents about their weeds. He sent out a letter to Gallegos’ about the old Standard station, but has not received a response. Ray stated that we don’t want to get into this with the old station because it is a liability issue. Richard has not been able to contact the owner of 3 Willow Drive, nor anyone from the bank. Some of the neighbors have cut some of the weeds. Tiffanie suggested we follow through with Richard’s idea of having the maintenance department cut those weeds and putting alien on the property. A work order will be put in place for maintenance department. Richard was asked if he is the only one making “weed control” contacts. Richard stated that Dan helps also. Patrick asked Richard if there is a time frame to get weeds cut after being contacted. Richard said they have 10 days. The police report was accepted upon a motion by Larry and a second by Paula. Motion carried.
Maintenance: Keith defended his actions regarding the Polkowske trees. He also addressed Ruby Nissley’s complaint. He went to the park that afternoon and did not see any vulgar remarks on the tables, but did not know to look at the slides. He will take care of the clean up on Friday, (8/14/09). A complaint form to be kept at the clerk’s counter was requested, and we will call the resident when a complaint/issue has been taken care of. The playground equipment has been installed at Aspen Circle Park, and Keith asked if he can purchase plastic border and pea gravel to finish. Patrick told him to do what it takes to comply with the grant and with what money is available.
Kelly Kitchen has put his own sewer taps in without contacting us or paying for meters. Earl suggested the county commissioner in charge of the nursing home project be contacted so as not to step on toes, and find out if they are in compliance. Kitchen should be required to remove the taps when construction is done. We can bill an average and back bill him. Water was seen being used from the hydrant without a meter attached. Bill did not give permission for the sewer taps and will go to the county commissioners with this issue.
There was discussion on #9 of the report. Bill had RMS jet out the sewer line behind Ann’s Café. Priscilla’s apartment and Gilbert Lopez’s. There is only one line there to the city line and these residents have been paying for sewer for many years. RMS put in a tap for Gilbert. Now the question is “who pays for the tap”? Karol will call RMS on Friday morning for a breakdown of services.
Tiffanie came back to the Polkowske tree incident and Keith stated he had made contact with them. The trees had not been trimmed in a timely manner and he was ordered to cut the trees down in order to see the speed limit sign. Bill will send a letter of apology from the town board.
Keith requested a portable cement mixer so they can continue to patch potholes. The maintenance report was accepted upon a motion by Earl, with a second by Patrick. Motion carried.

Trustees:

Larry – Had nothing to report.

Earl- Is grass going to be planted out front of town hall now? Keith stated he is checking on grass seed now.

Henry- asked Karol to let him know about the RMS bill.

Tiffanie – asked about drilling holes for flag poles. Business owners will need to be contacted first before we drill any holes. The board agreed they would be glad to drill the holes if someone gets a cement hammer drill.
She also addressed bicycle lanes, or changing the car parking direction, so that children are safe riding their bicycles in the street. Richard will look into the hiway department regulations on bicycle lanes.

Patrick-Why are we not offering an extra supplemental retirement plan to the police department employees. There was discussion that no one has been offered a plan over the last 15 years. Patrick thinks the town ought to offer a plan and pay employees retroactively. Ray suggested we ask the employees if they would be willing to go prospectively, not retroactively. Austin stated that a workshop would be needed to get all employees involved. Tiffanie moved that this issue be tabled until we can meet with Cassandra.
Patrick stated that the high school has a new wrestling room and Victor wants the town to relocate the manhole so that it will pass state inspection. State inspector has indicated that it can be patched and smoothed out to pass inspection, so we will go and patch around the current manhole and smooth it out, but not relocate it.

Austin –Opened the sealed bids for the 1999 Crown Victoria patrol car. Earl moved, 2nd by Patrick that the bid be awarded to Jacob Ortiz for $1000.00 Richard will call and let him know.

Dan-invited all to the new National Guard Armory open house, Saturday, September 12, from 3-5 p.m. in Alamosa, located next to the detox center.

Attorney-Ray has drawn up a resolution for GOCO-IGA/25 year agreement.

Other resolution: The town board has officially changed west Main to Joe S. Chavez Drive. Motion by Tiffanie, 2nd by Paula, to accept report. Carried. Approval of Minutes:

Regular Meeting June 11, 2009 – Motion by Paula, 2nd by Tiffanie. Motion Carried.

Follow-Up of Minutes: None.

Approval of Bills:Paula moved to accept bills minus $770.00 to RMS until we get a breakdown of work performed. Patrick seconded. Motion Carried.

Other Business: There was discussion for a curfew ordinance for the town parks. The current curfew is at dark. Ray will draw up an ordinance that states ½ hour after sunset. The police department agreed. Patrick made the motion, seconded by Paula. Motion carried.

There being no further business a motion to adjourn was made by Tiffanie. Meeting adjourned at 11.35 pm.

La Jara Market

The La Jara Farmers Market, serving all of Conejos County, is set to open for its second season Friday, July 31, and will run through September 4. The Market, started by the La Jara Downtown Revitalization Committee, promises to be better than last season. By buying locally made arts, crafts, and produce, we support our local economy and lifestyle. The market features local farmers, gardeners, artists, crafts people and entertainment by local talents(Lori Kester (July 31), Los Cancioneros del Valle (August 7), Donald Garcia (August 14), Antonito High School Band ( August 21), Eric Shively ( August 28), and Sage Larsen(September 4).

Open each Friday from 3pm -7pm, the Market is located at the Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church in La Jara.

For more information, or to become a vendor, call Lisa, 274-0104. Buy Fresh! Buy Local!

We have added a link on the right side of this blog which will connect you to the La Jara Market update. It currently has info about last year's events. We will try to keep you posted on the events.

June 11, 2009

The regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Town of La Jara was called to order by Mayor Austin Valdez at 7:10 pm. The roll was called. Present: Paula Medina, Patrick Montoya arrived at 7:20 pm, Tiffanie Polkowske, Henry Schimpf and Mayor Austin Valdez. Absent: Earl Haslett, and Larry Zaragoza. Also present: Maintenance Supervisor Keith Martinez, Chief of Police Richard Pena, Town Clerk Priscilla Schimpf, Building Inspector Joseph Trottner, Town Attorney Ray Valdez and Town Manager Bill Yohey. Guests: Larry Winget - Conejos County Citizen, Aaron Polkowske and Larry Sisneros. Those present recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Guests: Aaron Polkowske – He approached the Board regarding the bill sent to him for Christine Chick who resided at his rental located at 110 2nd Street. They did have a signed rental agreement with Christine stating she is fully responsible for all utilities. Ray explained that he met with Keith, Paul, Priscilla and Bill yesterday June 10th and discussed this issue and decided that Janice mistakenly did not enter this account into the Caselle Billing Program. Ray also explained that there was an ordinance 2006-1 that stated that all residences that have water and sewer availability should pay the minimum usage at all times, which is not being done at this present time. Ray suggested implementing this immediately. Another ordinance 1989-1 states that whenever any rate, fees, tolls and charges or any combination remain unpaid by such owner’s tenant who occupied or who occupies said premises neglects, fails, or refuses to pay the owner is ultimately responsible for charges that have been properly and lawfully assessed. In this case since it was a negligence of the town Ray recommends that we don’t charge the Polkowske’s liable and go after Christine Chick for payment. A motion to send a demand letter to Christine Chick for W/S charges and not hold the Polkowske’s liable was made by Paula and seconded by Patrick. A roll call vote was taken: Paula-yes, Patrick-yes, Tiffanie-abstain, Henry-yes and Austin-yes. Motion Carried. Mr. Polkowske left at 7:30 pm.

Reports:
Town Manager: Bill informed the Board that we did get approved for the DOLA Planning Grant for the Lagoons. We also received the contract agreement from Cort Nickel for the lagoons which Austin is looking over. Once Austin signs the contract Bill will call the state to let them know everything is a go. He also stated that we received the Planning Grant from the Historical Society to finish up the Town Hall restoration and Ray is looking it over. The roof is done and a very well job was done. He reviewed with the Board information obtained from the water meetings. He suggests sub-contracting with the sub-district which will include Alamosa and La Jara and Ray corrected him by saying that we should form our own sub-district. Paula asked about Bill’s first item on his report and bill explained it to the Board. It was in regards to a lady calling and asking for the names of the board members who was rude to Irene. We haven’t heard anything else from this woman. The report was accepted upon a motion by Henry and a second by Paula. Motion Carried.

Building Inspector: He reviewed his written report with the Board. The report was accepted upon a motion by Tiffanie and a second by Henry. Motion Carried.

Court: The Board reviewed the Municipal Judge report. Ray stated that he did confront the Judge on the concerns from last month’s meeting. Everything is going well. The report was accepted as presented upon a motion by Patrick and a second by Paula. Motion Carried.

Police: Richard stated that they have been finding a lot of business doors unlocked. Just wants to advice all business owners to double check their doors at closing time. Also informed the Board that Dan is gone on Leave of Absence with the National Guard. Traffic has been really slow. Richard heard that the LJPD has gotten a reputation from Avon and Vail stating that you do not speed through La Jara because they will catch you. Ray suggested for Richard to confront kids riding their bikes on the sidewalks. The police report was accepted upon a motion by Patrick and a second by Henry. Motion Carried.

Maintenance: Keith stated that he spoke with Austin in regards to the applicants for Mosquito Sprayer Driver and they thought Roque Villagomez was the best qualified applicant. Austin told Keith to go ahead and let him learn the route and such but don’t promise him anything until the board is spoken to. Henry asked if the ordinance that states no close relatives to be employed would affect hiring Roque. Ray read the clause of the ordinance that pertains to relatives and it does not comply. A motion to hire Roque was made by Patrick and seconded by Henry. A roll call vote was taken: Paula-yes, Patrick-yes, Tiffanie-yes, Henry-yes and Austin-abstain. Motion Carried. Tiffanie asked if the spraying was being done twice a day or once a day. Keith stated that spraying twice a day every day is not recommended. You can do twice a day every other day but it is only being done once a day everyday.
Paula asked about their reimbursement for their retirement match that they paid two months in advance. Keith said that they met with Cassandra and got it resolved. Priscilla cut them a check for it.
Henry asked how it went with the manhole behind Ann’s Café. Keith stated that it was jetted but they could only get so far, they recommended replacing the piping but it is on state highway. It was asked how the concrete at the Video Store was going; it was suggested to buy a mixer. Keith will look at prices. Austin mentioned that the Maintenance Department needs a computer, the one they have is very outdated. A price on a dell was passed around – priced at $249.00 and has what they will need on it. A motion to purchase the computer was made by Patrick and seconded by Paula. Motion Carried.
Austin got a complaint from Dale Cornum – when it rains or snows it floods and goes right into his shop, he asked if the town could put drainage and dirt to prevent this. Keith will go and look at it and get a better idea of what he is planning on doing and bring it up at the next board meeting. A discussion will be held then. The maintenance report was accepted upon a motion by Tiffanie and a second by Patrick. Motion Carried.

Trustees:
Henry – Asked whose dirt is that across from the Police Department. It was stated that it is 1st Stops. It was thought to be contaminated.
Tiffanie – She mentioned that they got both the surfacing and playground approved for the La Jara Park N’ Play. The GOCO grant is a yes. On June 22nd they will be leveling the ground. They will be fencing the grounds in September or October. Tiffanie wants to setup a committee to see what can be done with the park on the north end of town. Austin thought it would be nice for Jill to work on a grant or something to get something going over there. Tiffanie will work on forming a committee.
Patrick – Complimented Keith and Paul on the good job they have done with the potholes. He also brought up that he would like to see a sheet with Bill’s report on comp. time, sick and vacation.
Paula – She has gotten a lot of positive attitude towards the street name change to Joe S. Chavez Drive. They would like to have a dedication to the street name. Ray stated it would need to be recorded with the county. A letter will be sent to Joanne Ruybal with dates and she can circulate. She also wanted to remind the board that this is a board of seven (7) not one (1) and she had Ray explain the legality of this issue. It was said that it was voted on at a previous meeting that we would let the head departments spend up to $1,000 at their discretion on their budgets without confronting the board. Priscilla will double check the minutes to see if it was discussed and what actual motion was made.
Austin – Had nothing to report.

Attorney: Ray has been in various meetings with the other lawyers. He reviewed the appeal cases with the Board. He prepped Lucas for the Shannon Hoyt case and Lucas did get her convicted, he did very well. Ray feels that he would be able to do a lot better next time. The Billy Gonzales case was represented by Keith Vance and they put up a heck of a fight. Ray prepped Richard extensively for this case and also got a conviction on this one. The trail on the Billy Gonzales case lasted three hours. Beth gave a lot of credibility to Richard due to his years of experience on the police force and investigation. Ray mentioned that the bill he submitted to the Town included the prepping for these two cases which was in the amount to $700 for these two cases.

Clerk: Priscilla asked if she could place an ad in the Valley Courier for the temporary clerk position. It was stated to go ahead and place in the newspaper. It was mentioned that Bill talked to Amanda Crowther from the bank about the position and she might be interested. Amanda also spoke with Lori Smith which also might be interested.
Patrick asked Ray if Anna Mondragon can send her son to renew her liquor license and Ray said she could. The report was accepted as presented upon a motion by Tiffanie and a second by Paula. Motion Carried.

Approval of Minutes:

Regular Meeting May 21, 2009 – Motion by Paula, 2nd by Henry. Motion Carried.

Follow-Up of Minutes: None.

Approval of Bills:The bills were approved for payment upon a motion by Tiffanie and a second by Patrick. Motion Carried.

Tiffanie asked what porta potties we pay for. It was said at both parks – Town Hall Park and the park on Walnut. She had thought that it would be nice for the Town to pay for the one at the baseball field that Annette Chavez presently pays for out of courtesy.

Other Business:
Richard stated that there were no bids on the police car.
Keith stated that they are only doing the sidewalk on the side of the Video Store and not at the Pharmacy. It was brought up that the pine tree that was donated needs water – it is getting watered now. It wasn’t able to get watered because the roofing people had their tractor in the way.
Kendra Baroz and Erica Martinez brought in their applications for a Special Reviews Use. The committee consists of Austin Valdez, Patrick Montoya, Henry Schimpf, Lorraine Montoya and Jim Hoogendoorn. Priscilla will send a letter to each member and to the applicants informing them of the meeting being held on Tuesday, June 23, 2009 at 6:00 pm.

There being no further business a motion to adjourn was made by Paula. Meeting adjourned at 9:30 pm.