January Minutes 2010

January 14, 2010

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, Patrick Montoya, Tiffanie Polkowske, Henry Schimpf, Larry Zaragoza and Mayor Austin Valdez. Absent: None. 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: Jill Lucero, Fred Gutierrez, Larry Sisneros and Jordan Sisneros. Those present recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Guests: Jill Lucero – 2nd Phase La Jara School Playground. She went through the Phase I accomplishments and passed out a summary sheet. She explained the money that came in to help accomplish Phase I. Phase II will be another working process. They are looking for more donations and in-kind, the summary sheet also shows what will be done and money needed for Phase II. This project was complimented by the Board. Once again Jill wanted to see what the Town could help with as far as a donation and being the applicant for the GOCO Grant. The Board said they would need to discuss the donation portion but are more than willing to be the GOCO Grant applicant. Ms. Lucero left at 7:17 pm.

Fred Gutierrez – Basketball. He was here to ask the Board for a donation for his basketball program. Dan suggested for them to ask the other towns for help too, there are kids that come from other towns to attend this program. Fred also asked if anyone on the Board would like to volunteer to speak at awards night. Mayor Austin Valdez will speak at awards night February 17, 2010 at 7:00 pm. A motion to donate the $400 budgeted for Fred’s La Jara Youth Basketball Program was made by Paula and seconded by Tiffanie. A roll call vote was taken: Earl-yes, Paula-yes, Patrick-yes, Tiffanie-yes, Henry-yes, Larry-yes and Austin-yes. Motion Carried. Mr. Gutierrez left at 7:25 pm.

Reports:

Town Manager: Bill informed the Board that the State is so far behind that the discharge permit will not be reviewed until 2011. He stated he went and seen the Alamosa Wastewater System. He also mentioned that Hensley is threatening the Town about the ditch again. Her last attempt to sue the Town didn’t go through because CIRSA stated the Town had no liability with it. Bill passed around a report of areas of concentration for 2010 that he drew up for the Board to review. He asked if they would like to set up a donation for the Haiti disaster. They all agreed to it and Priscilla will include a flyer about this with the W/S bills on January 29th. He updated the Board on the 2nd Phase of the Historical Society Fund and stated that asbestos was found in the Town Hall building. Setting a date to start on the Policy and Procedures was brought up, Patrick and Paula would like to be on the Policy and Procedures Committee. Patrick asked what had ever happened with setting up the Emergency Siren at the School; Bill and Austin went to talk to Brian and he was to get back to us but never did. Bill read a resolution for an Emergency Disaster Plan to be set. The resolution was set up by the county to combine the whole county to participate in this. Some of the Board Members will go to the next Emergency Disaster meeting held on January 22, 2010 before they decide to adopt this resolution. The report was accepted upon a motion by Tiffanie and a second by Patrick. Motion Carried.

Building Inspector: He reviewed his report with the Board. The Board questioned permit #170 at 320 Spruce 1st Stop, material use fee should be $1,500 not $150. Joe needs to redo, needs to collect $1,350 more. Inspection portion of the building inspection was discussed. The report was accepted upon a motion by Patrick and a second by Henry with the exception that Joe fix permit #170. Motion Carried.

Court: The Board reviewed the Municipal Judge report. It was once again brought up that the Judge is not playing as Judge for the Town but is playing as a defense attorney. They discussed the option of hiring a new judge. Ray and Austin will meet with Ray Miller and explain the situation. They will give him one more chance but this would be 3 strikes. The report was accepted as presented upon a motion by Paula and a second by Earl. Motion Carried.

Police: Dan stated that Jerry should only have 11 days vacation instead of 13. He also made a correction on Lucas’s sick leave which is 23 instead of 44. It was asked what happened to Adam Chacon as being hired as the 4th Police Officer. Dan explained the situation to the Board and stated that he turned down the job due to salary issues. He mentioned the he did major clean-up to the police station, it is hopefully going to be a good start to the New Year. He met with Alejo and also spoke with the DA in regards to reports and such and they are very happy with what the La Jara Police Department is doing. Maryann Gallegos contacted him in regards to people selling cars on the side of the road. Dan checked into and it was stated that if it is a personal vehicle it is okay but if newly purchased to sell for profit they can not do. It was brought to Dan’s attention that Vargas’s mother is now trying to buy the Rawhide feed store again, Dan is keeping an eye on it. He asked if it would be possible to store one of the vehicles some where else. This would be just in case something would happen to the police station such as a fire at least one vehicle would be safe. He let the Board know his web page is almost up. He also mentioned that he was contacted and asked if our police department is involved with any phone taps. He did not respond he requested more information about it. The police report was accepted upon a motion by Earl and a second by Larry. Motion Carried.

Maintenance: Keith met with Gary Halbersleben from Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment. He took samples and checked our records, he gave recommendations. Keith stated that this was the most in depth inspection he has ever been through since he has been here. Once he gets the report he will pass on to the Board. He mentioned that people with wells will need to get them inspected annually and they will need to provide proof to him. Keith will need to go house to house to find out who has wells and to get the proof of inspection – will be very time consuming. The discussion of giving residents a credit in the winter months for leaving their water dripping was brought up. Keith and Paul have been insulating meters as they come across frozen ones. It was asked if Keith had gotten any quotes for a tamper and he gave them some of the quotes. A motion was made by Henry and 2nd by Earl to purchase the tamper for $1,200. Keith setup 2010 goals for the maintenance department and passed around to review with the Board. The maintenance report was accepted upon a motion by Henry and a second by Paula. Motion Carried.

Trustees:
Larry – Had nothing to report.
Earl – Had nothing to report.
Henry – Asked about the flag pole pulley, Keith and Dan will order a new pole.

Tiffanie – Asked how the election is publicized and wondered about the terms. It was stated that a notice to pick up nomination petitions was posted at two public places and published in the Conejos Citizen and the Valley Courier. A notice of Election is also posted at two public places and published in the Conejos Citizen and Valley Courier. It was stated that we were Debruced and there is no longer term limits. Tiffanie brought up putting an ad for Town Manager position so that something could be done by end of March 2010, Bill’s end of contract date. It will be put on the Agenda for next meeting in February to discuss.

Patrick – Asked Bill for his comp. time, vacation and sick leave report like everyone else has included in their reports. Bill passed around his report. He also asked what happened with offering police officers another retirement plan. Everyone explained to him what Cas, the Auditor said which was that Social Security is not a retirement plan and that PPF will land up paying more out to the Police then what other employees will get out of their retirement plans. She also stated that the Town has no money to provide another plan for police.

Paula – Had nothing to report.
Austin – Had nothing to report.

Attorney: Had nothing to report. He was excused at 8:30 pm.

Clerk: Priscilla reviewed her report with the Board. She passed around her goals for 2010 for the Board to review. She also passed around the rough draft of the Welcome Brochure to hand out to new residents for the Board to review. The report was accepted as presented upon a motion by Paula and a second by Tiffanie. Motion Carried.

Approval of Minutes:
Regular Meeting December 10, 2009 – Motion by Paula, 2nd by Henry. Motion Carried. Special Meeting December 22, 2009 – Motion by Henry, 2nd by Larry. Motion Carried.

Follow-Up of Minutes: None.

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

Other Business:
Employee/Board Retreat – Setup Date: Looking at the end of February, Bill will call February 1st to see open dates for everyone.

Keith asked for donation money for his La Jara All Stars Basketball program. Keith explained the program. A motion to donate the $400 budgeted for Keith’s La Jara All Stars Program was made by Patrick and seconded by Paula. Motion Carried.

Henry mentioned for Bill to clean-up his office. Henry also stated that he sat in with Priscilla for the SLV HMO renewal meeting and afterwards looked into what other towns were doing with their health insurances. He found out that most towns are paying a percentage and the employees are paying a percentage. Larry went through the percentages of other towns which range from 40/60 to 30/70. This was just a discussion for future budget decisions.

Patrick asked for the Fire Department donation money. A motion was made by Tiffanie to cut the Fire Department donation check in the amount of $4,000 per budget less invoices due to the Town and seconded by Larry. Patrick and Austin abstained from the vote. Motion Carried.

Dan asked about Payroll Direct Deposit. It was discussed.

The wiring of the 2nd pump house was discussed. Earl made a motion to wire 2nd pump house and seconded by Larry. Motion Carried.

There being no further business a motion to adjourn was made by Tiffanie. Meeting adjourned at 10:30 pm.

Special Meeting in December

December 22, 2009

The Special Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Town of La Jara was called to order at 7:01 pm by Mayor Austin Valdez. The roll was called and those present were: Paula Medina, Tiffanie Polkowske, Henry Schimpf, Larry Zaragoza and Mayor Austin Valdez. Absent: Earl Haslett and Patrick Montoya. Also present were Town Clerk Priscilla Schimpf and Town Manager Bill Yohey. Guests: Larry Sisneros. A quorum was declared.

Hire of 4th Police Officer:The interview committee interviewed one applicant – Adam Chacon. The other applicant withdrew himself. The State Patrol Officers George Dingfelder and Blake Crowther were on the interview committee and they recommended hiring Adam. He is looking into a long term position and retiring out of a department. He lives in Capulin and he does get involved with his kid’s sports activities. He answered the interview questions very well. He seems to be very dependable and responsible. He wants to give a two week notice to his present employer. It was stated that he would need to get a background check, a physical and a psychological test done upon hire. Starting salary was discussed; it was set to start at $26,432 per our 2010 Budget. It was said to check what his pay at the Conejos County Sheriff’s Department currently is and discuss it further at the next regular board meeting. The interview committee recommends hiring Adam Chacon. A motion was made by Paula and 2nd by Larry to hire Adam Chacon for the 4th Police Officer position pending background, physical and psychological tests with 1 year probation upon hire. A roll call vote was taken: Paula-yes, Tiffanie-yes, Henry-yes, Larry-yes and Austin-yes. Motion Carried. Bill will notify Dan of the outcome so that Dan can contact Adam.

There being no further business a motion to adjourn was made by Tiffanie. Meeting adjourned at 7:17 pm.

December Minutes

December 10, 2009

The regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Town of La Jara was called to order by Mayor Pro Tem Henry Schimpf at 7:03 pm. The roll was called. Present: Earl Haslett, Paula Medina, Tiffanie Polkowske, and Mayor Pro Tem Henry Schimpf. Absent: Patrick Montoya, Larry Zaragoza and Mayor Austin Valdez. 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: Cort Nickel, Larry Sisneros & Son. Those present recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

Guests:

Cort Nickel – Lagoon Upgrade. He explained that the lagoons have needed to be upgraded for a long while now. Every year the State sends letters to the Town stating that the lagoons need to be improved to meet the State Compliance. Cort informed the Board that Bill got a grant to hire an engineer to do a Treatment Facility Study. He stated that the main problem of the lagoons is infiltration. The lagoons leak way too much. With his study he has found three options for the Town to choose from. He explained those options: 1) Repair and rebuild the existing lagoons which we are required to have three cells to where we only have two, 2) Build a mechanical sewage plant and 3) Build a mechanical plant from an existing lagoon. The third option is the least expensive which Cort recommends for the Town. It was asked if the Town goes with option three how much maintenance would be needed – it was said that it would take two to three hours daily. The public works employees would need to get a Class C Certification to operate option three. The Board likes option three but will wait to decide until there are more Board Members to vote on.Bill stated that Leroy Cruz from USDA came by to see him and stated that if we have to ramp up on our grant money; they can help us. He gave Bill contact numbers of people to talk to in regards to this.

Reports:

Town Manager: Bill informed the Board that he got a hold of Bret Shawcroft in regards to the Richfield Canal. Also mentioned that comp. time is more complicated than thought it would be. Ray will see what other Towns are doing with comp. time. Bill updated the Board on the Historical Grant status. He mentioned that he has no personal time left, no vacation time left, 15 days of sick leave left and he is still working on compiling his comp. time. The report was accepted upon a motion by Tiffanie and a second by Paula. Motion Carried.

Building Inspector: He reviewed his report with the Board. It was asked if the amount charged for #170-1st Stop was corrected. Joseph Trottner stated that the total should have been $1,000 instead of $100. The report was accepted upon a motion by Earl and a second by Paula. Motion Carried.

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

Police: Dan reviewed the vehicle status on his report. He explained the abduction case; he put an outlook for the vehicle. Dan will get together with Austin to meet with his bus drivers to inform them of the speeding. He informed the Board that the fighting incidents on his report were two, mistakenly didn’t enter in a number. Dan wants to put a key pad lock on the front door to the Police Department for the part-timers instead of giving them keys. It will cost around $200. There are lots of keys out there and don’t know who they are with. He mentioned he is working on putting up a website for the Police Department. The police report was accepted upon a motion by Tiffanie and a second by Paula. Motion Carried.

Maintenance: Keith informed the Board that there was a plugged sewer line behind 618 Poplar. He and Paul ran the roto-rooter machine and unplugged it but it is only going to be a temporary fix. Keith strongly recommends that the Town replace this sewer line so that the Town does not run into any liabilities with this issue. It was mentioned that the Richfield Canal will need to be involved because of the easement. Keith also mentioned that Rodney Gibson brought 200 tons of road base and they have been laying gravel in the allies etc. He met with Todd Stockebrand form Asphalt Constructors to get a bid for paving the streets. The total cost of the bid is $122,350. He passed around the bid for the Board to review. Earl stated to get them back out here to give a more detailed bid to include the trench cuts. The Board decided to have Keith schedule with them to come down to do the paving in the spring. The maintenance report was accepted upon a motion by Earl and a second by Tiffanie. Motion Carried.

Trustees:
Earl – Had nothing to report.

Tiffanie – Ruby contacted her in regards to the dog incidents. She wants to have the Board be more specific if they are going to bring up a topic, include the day and time. It was stated that it was not brought up by a staff or Board Member at a meeting.

Paula – Had nothing to report.
Henry – Had nothing to report.

Attorney: Had nothing to report.

Clerk: Priscilla explained the process of the yearly loan from General Fund to Conservation Trust and repayment from Conservation Trust to General Fund. Henry stated to expect a huge increase for the SLV HMO Health Insurance. The report was accepted as presented upon a motion by Paula and a second by Tiffanie. Motion Carried.

Approval of Minutes:

Budget Hearing November 12, 2009 – Motion by Paula, 2nd by Tiffanie with the exception of revising the second sentence in Paula’s section to “She asked if there could be more support from the Board of Trustees for Bill to administer the employees.” Motion Carried.

Regular Meeting November 12, 2009 – Motion by Tiffanie, 2nd by Paula. Motion Carried.

Follow-Up of Minutes: None.

Approval of Bills: The bills were approved for payment upon a motion by Earl and a second by Paula. Motion Carried. Henry mentioned to the rest of the Board that he had previously talked to Austin in regards to the cost of the meat and vegetable trays for the retirement & incoming party. Austin had told him that he would pay for half. The Board discussed and a motion was made for the Town to reimburse Ann’s Café for the total cost by Paula and seconded by Earl. Motion Carried.

Other Business:

Approval of Resolutions:
Resolution 2009-6 (Amendment of 2009 Budget) – Motion by Paula, 2nd by Earl. Roll call vote was taken: Earl-yes, Paula-yes, Tiffanie-yes and Henry-yes. Motion Carried. Resolution 2009-7 (Adoption for 2010 Budget) – Motion by Tiffanie, 2nd by Paula. Roll call vote was taken: Earl-yes, Paula-yes, Tiffanie-yes and Henry-yes. Motion Carried. Resolution 2009-8 (Mill Levy for 2010 Budget) – Motion by Earl, 2nd by Tiffanie. Roll call vote was taken: Earl-yes, Paula-yes, Tiffanie-yes and Henry-yes. Motion Carried. Resolution 2009-9 (Appropriation of Monies) – Motion by Paula, 2nd by Tiffanie. Roll call vote was taken: Earl-yes, Paula-yes, Tiffanie-yes and Henry-yes. Motion Carried.

Discuss Danny Gallegos Storing of Iron – Dan had talked to Danny and he stated that he was informed that it was okay to store iron as long as it was removed within 24 hours. Bill and Ray checked with the zoning book and it states it is on commercial highway which states that he can not store any metal/iron there. Ray did mention that although it is solely up the Board to make that decision. It was decided to table it until the next board meeting.

Employee/Board Retreat – Bill wants to setup another retreat that includes the employees along with the Board.
Applications for Police Officer Position – There are two applicants and the applications were passed around for the Board to review. Dan would like to see someone hired by the first of the year. Dan will contact George Dingfilder and Blake Crowther to invite them to interview the two applicants. Others who will be on the interview committee will be Henry, Paula, Earl, Dan & Bill. Dan will contact everyone when he has a date and time setup.

Richfield Canal – Bill will check on putting rails out there. He will also check on extending the culvert. Keith mentioned if it’s the town’s street we should be able to place rails without checking with the ditch riders. Ray stated that we can.

Personnel Policy Work Session – The date has been postponed to the first of the year. Bill passed out two examples of policies from other towns for the Board to review.

There being no further business a motion to adjourn was made by Tiffanie. Meeting adjourned at 10:03 pm.

Minutes from the Budget Hearing

November 12, 2009

The Board of Trustees of the Town of La Jara convened at 6:05 pm on November 12, 2009 for the purpose of conducting the public hearing on the proposed 2010 budget for the Town. Present were: Earl Haslett, Paula Medina, Tiffanie Polkowske, Henry Schimpf, Larry Zaragoza and Mayor Austin Valdez. Absent: Patrick Montoya. Also present were: Chief of Police Dan Martinez, Town Clerk Priscilla Schimpf, Town Attorney Ray Valdez and Town Manager Bill Yohey. Residents of the Town present were: James DeGolyer, Kenny Garmaker & Wife and David Valdez.

Larry Zaragoza – He wanted to know if after trimming the budget as much as they can, can they increase funding for the Senior Center to $1,500.00. It was discussed and decided to increase to that amount. It was also decided that there would be no pay raises or bonuses for employees for the 2010 Budget Year.

Paula Medina – She asked Ray’s advice to Town Manager administering the staff. She asked if there could be more support from the Board of Trustees for Bill to administer the employees. Ray stated that the staff needs to understand that the Town Manager is their supervisor. Ray went on to further state that with all the issues with the lagoons the town needs someone to handle this especially with new Board of Trustees and Mayor coming on board in April.

Austin Valdez – He states that no one person on the Board has the time to do what Bill does. We need someone if not full-time at least part-time.

Tiffanie Polkowske – She mentioned that she felt it should go down to part-time. She has talked to several people and none of them see a need for a Town Manager. They have not seen any improvement in the town since Bill has been here.

Earl Haslett – He said that Bill did not do all the work with the lawsuit (Sewer Project). He took pictures and brought up the situation to the rest of the Board. Larry Zaragoza & Austin Valdez – They agree that the Town does need a Town Manager. Larry stated that we can not blame the Town Manager position for our financial downfall. We had a 3 year grant which paid 75%, 50% and then 25% so this is the first year we would be paying the full amount for this position. Bill Yohey – He mentioned that he took a $5,000.00 pay cut last year. At final discussion it was agreed that the Town Manager position would continue to be budgeted for 2010 Proposed Budget. They stated that if the Board all worked together, attends meetings and other required situations then certain things could get accomplished. It was mentioned that Budget HearingNovember 12, 2009 they can’t put all the blame on one person, the Board should be a team. Earl brought up not needing a fourth officer. Everyone stated that there is a need for many reasons.

A motion to adjourn the Budget Hearing was made by Paula.Budget Hearing adjourned at 7:00 pm.

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.