Curry selects new chair, vice chair

CLOVIS — With a little bit of disagreement, and some degree of concession, Curry County Commissioners transitioned into 2021 year with a new chairman and one new commissioner aboard.

The commission’s Tuesday meeting, which stretched just over 90 minutes, featured a dispute at the beginning and near the conclusion.

With former chair Ben McDaniel no longer on the commission — he termed out, and James Ridling was elected to replace him — the first act by Vice Chair Seth Martin was to field candidates for the new chairman.

Martin suggested Commissioner Chet Spear as chair, noting Spear’s time and dedication to the county and his willingness to listen to all viewpoints.

Commissioner Bobby Sandoval offered a nomination of Robert Thornton as chair.

A vote to elect Spear failed 3-2, with Sandoval, Thornton and Ridling voting no. With those three voting yes, Thornton was elected chair on a 3-2 vote.

Thornton’s first action as chair was to ask for a vice chair. Spear nominated Martin, while Sandoval nominated Ridling. Martin was accepted on a 4-1 vote, with Martin casting the dissenting vote. Martin, contacted by The News after the meeting, had no qualms about serving as vice chair but didn’t believe it was good form to vote for himself.

Near the conclusion of the meeting, the commission discussed dividing up board and committee assignments. It largely kept prior appointments and gave Ridling many of McDaniel’s old positions.

However, there was a disagreement as to who should be the representative on the Plains Regional Medical Center board. Spear proposed himself, having served as alternate last year and also having made his intention known to other commissioners.

Sandoval said he had wanted to be on the hospital board since he was appointed to the commission two years ago, but didn’t press when McDaniel wanted to stay. “It isn’t a bid,” Sandoval said, “but my intentions have been well known since I got on the commission.”

A few minutes into Sandoval's argument, Spear said he would concede the position in order to avoid dissension and suggested County Manager Lance Pyle be the alternate.

Martin told Sandoval when he was first appointed to the commission, he wanted to be on the road commission, but that he respected the seniority Spear had and let him take the spot.

The vote to accept commission assignments, with Sandoval on the hospital board, passed 3-1; Spear abstained and Martin voted no.

In other business during the Tuesday meeting:

• The commission agreed to split costs of $30,000 with the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority to hire attorney Peter Nichols for the purpose of setting up a land trust and to leverage Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative funding, and to have a study session on the matter down the road.

Pyle suggested tabling the agreements and holding a work session with commissioners and water authority members. He felt unity was the best way to move forward, and a study session would help in those regards.

“I think there's a lot of confusion among the board,” Pyle said, “about what is a land trust, why is it needed, what is the process, what does each entity expect to receive.”

Spear said he felt it was duplicative to have a study session with board members when public town hall meetings are already planned, but didn’t think there was any reason to delay the simple cost-sharing agreement.

Sandoval said a land trust was a good idea, but he wanted to get the city of Clovis and as many other entities as possible involved.

REPI dollars would be used to incentivize landowners surrounding Cannon Air Force Base to end irrigation farming and reduce water demands on the paleochannel, thus protecting a groundwater supply for the pipeline system the authority is constructing.

• During commission reports, Ridling said he was glad to be on the commission and looked forward to the next four years. Martin told Ridling he looked forward to having him on the commission, and hoped and expected his various experience would provide a benefit to the county.

• The commission approved a resolution on compliance with the New Mexico Open Meetings Act.

The annual item is normally covered in consent agendas, but County Attorney Steve Doerr led a brief discussion on the policy and suggested changes with the prevalence of virtual meetings.

Doerr reminded commissioners that during meetings with members participating telephonically, existing policy gives deference to commissioners attending in person on both discussions and voting order.

Martin asked if the commission was to infer that it was out of order because it was meeting via Zoom. Doerr said he was simply reminding commissioners of policy, and that he hasn't seen an issue with Zoom meetings since commissioners are clearly identified throughout the processes.

The policy approved included an amendment that codified a virtual meeting process that the county had been doing out of necessity. In the event of a meeting held virtually due to the pandemic, the meeting would be viewable to the public on the county's website and Facebook page and public comments were accepted through emails to the county manager by 10 a.m. of the day preceding the meeting.

• Commissioners declined to issue each commissioner a Curry County email address, simply noting they need to keep copies of any emails they do pertaining to county business.

Thornton said he didn’t care either way, but didn’t want to change letterheads and wasn’t sure he wanted a third email address. Spear said he had a hard enough time keeping up with one email account, while Martin said he didn’t like the idea of IT being in his emails.

• Thornton stated his preference to find a way to have in-person meetings again instead of the virtual format.

“There's too many problems with it freezing up,” Thornton said. “I don't think it's the best way to handle business.”

Spear said county administration was looking into using the North Annex of the Clovis-Carver Public Library so it could adhere to social distancing requirements.

• Detention Center Administrator Mark Gallegos said the center has had eight employees receive the first round of COVID-19 vaccinations thanks to a leftover supply from the sheriff’s office. He added the detention center has so far conducted more than 2,820 COVID-19 tests since the pandemic began in March — 500 staff, the remainder on detainees.

All detainees are tested during booking, with men isolated in the annex and women in individual pods until they are cleared for general population.

• Pyle encouraged residents register for the COVID-19 vaccine at vaccinenm.org or calling 855-600-3454, followed by 0 and 4.

• The next meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Jan. 19.