Small Town News

County seeks EPCOG clarification

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Gonzales appointed as De Baca's rep; Carter continues to serve

The De Baca County Commission Tuesday discussed the County's membership in the Eastern Plains Council of Governments, a regional planning and development organization made up of municipal and county government members from seven counties in eastern New Mexico.

The County Commission in May appointed Commissioner George Gonzales to serve as the County's representative on the EPCOG Board, replacing former Commissioner Pow Carter.

But in the June 9 edition of the Clovis News-Journal reported that Carter was elected as the EPCOG executive board's vice chairman at the annual meeting of the organization. He remains listed as a member of the EPCOG Board on the organization's website, while Gonzales is not listed.

County Clerk Laurie Pettigrew, who is the county's substitute representative on the EPCOG Board, said she had called EPCOG's Clovis office and asked if the resolution naming Gonzales as its representative had been received. Pettigrew said "a gal at the office" said the resolution was received and that it clearly stated that Gonzales is the De Baca County EPCOG member.

Carter has served for several years as De Baca County's representative on the EPCOG board, including the past fiscal year, during which he was the De Baca representative at the request of interim director Richard Arguello of Clayton, a Union County Commissioner.

Carter finished the second of two four-year terms on the De Baca County Commission in December, 2008. He was replaced by Gonzales in January, 2009.

The De Baca Commissioners told the De Baca County News in May 2009 that Arguello had approached them at the 2009 annual summer meeting of the Association of Counties and asked that they retain Carter as the De Baca County representative to EPCOG to help him "work out some problems."

Since that time, the EPCOG board has seen former employee Lori Howard convicted of embezzling $145, 000 in tornado victim relief funds. The Board had also fired Executive Director Nick Brady in September, 2009.

Arguello replaced Brady as the EPCOG executive director on an interim basis and has remained in that post since.

Gonzales said Tuesday he "hasn't made a meeting yet" but that it is his understanding that Carter "still wants to finish up over there." Gonzales said he has attempted to contact Carter several times, but has been unable to catch him.

Commission chairman Joe Steele said he had spoken to both Arguello and Carter and told them that if they want Carter to continue to serve, they needed to appear before the De Baca County Commission and explain why.

Gonzales said he intends to contact Carter and "see where we stand."

Gonzales said when Arguello approached he and Commissioners Steele and Tommy Roybal in June, 2009 about retaining Carter as De Baca County's representative on the EPCOG board, there was "a problem with Nick Brady."

"(Arguello) asked us if there was any way to leave (Carter) on (the board) until they got rid of Nick Brady, " Gonzales said.

Brady was appointed EPCOG Executive Director at a salary of $70, 000 in June, 2008, following the retirement of long-time executive director Lee Tillman. Brady served as the EPCOG deputy director for seven years prior to his appointment. A long-time Clovis radio personality, Brady had also worked for former State Senator and Lt. Governor Walter Bradley; with the Curry County Chamber of Commerce and with the La Casa de Buena Salud health clinics.

After Brady was fired in the wake of the embezzlement following the Clovis tornado, EPCOG board member Isidro Garcia, a Clovis City Commissioner, told the Clovis News-Journal the position would be advertised and a new director hired.

Arguello has served as the interim director for the past six months and is paid about $35, 000 per year. He remains chairman of the executive board as well.

According to its website, EPCOG was established in 1972 to assist in planning for common needs, and coordinating for sound regional development.

The website says "Workforce Development, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, Transportation, Teen Parenting, Housing, Economic Development and Community Development have been established as primary EPCOG programs. These programs and services are provided under contract with state and federal agencies or private sector entities."

The EPCOG website lists 16 employees in various departments, although the Clovis News-Journal reported that EPCOG had approved an annual budget for 2010-11 of $1.9 million during a meeting at Leal's Restaurant June 9. That budget was more than $3.5 million under the previous year and included the layoffs of five employees. The cuts were based on the loss of administrative funds from a federal programs that EPCOG had administered regionally for several years; Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, which had provided $2.2 million to the EPCOG budget.

Attempts by the De Baca County News to contact Carter on Tuesday were unsuccessful.

In other business Tuesday, the County Commission:

Approved a grant application by the Communications Department for emergency equipment upgrades and training.

De Baca Communications Director Linda Boyd asked for approval to submit the grant application, which seeks $506, 422 for three phases of improvements over a period of three-to-four years.

Boyd said Phase 1 of the grant application seeks $280, 865 for installation of early-warning sirens in the village, the valley and at Sumner Lake. Boyd said the equipment would have the capability to be activated from the Communications Department computer consoles and would allow dispatchers to issue verbal warnings as well as to initiate siren-type alerts.

The grant application also seeks funds for training and for implementation of an emergency drill so that the equipment can be tested in a simulated situation in conjunction with the county's emergency operations plan.

Boyd said the application is due June 25.

Scheduled a public hearing on the county's Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan (ICIP) for Wednesday, June 30, at 1:30 p.m. in the Commissioners' Room at the Courthouse.

The ICIP plan prioritizes the county's capital improvement needs and public input is sought as to which projects should be pursued and in what order.

Approved, at the request of Pettigrew, the implementation of the county's new pay schedule at the start of the new fiscal year, July 1. In the past, the county has waited until final approval of the county budget by the state's Department of Finance and Administration before implementing employee pay increases. The practice has forced the County Clerk's office to retroactively pay employees the difference from the old pay scale to the new rate after final budget approval.

Pettigrew said the County's fiscal year 2010-11 budget has been tentatively approved by DFA and has received approval to begin paying the new salary levels with the start of the budget year.



Copyright 2010 De Baca County News, Fort Sumner, New Mexico. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2011 De Baca County News Fort Sumner, New Mexico. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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