Council names Knighton as new fire chief

By Jim Maniaci
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — The most important news at Tuesday night's Grants City Council meeting wasn't even on the agenda.

Mayor Joe Murrietta announced the appointment by City Manager Bob Horacek of Elliott Knighton as the Fire-Rescue Department's newest chief. It's a roll Knighton has been filling since Feb. 3 when he was named Acting Fire Chief upon the pressured resignation of Andrew Valenzuela.

Three finalists, all with the department, were interviewed by Murrietta, Councilor Fred Rodarte and Horacek. Under the city's new charter, department heads are appointed by the manager and do not need council ratification. Murrietta said one of the finalists has been with the department about three years, with Knighton and the other finalist having been with the department about seven years.

The city council made canine and bike lovers happy, along with people who hope to be able to ride a bus in Milan and Grants.

Councilors unanimously approved the use of a small, grassy park next to the public works yard on Lobo Canyon Road for dogs and their owners. Rules will be posted, including cleaning up after one's animal(s) as they exercise. The city will have to install fences and gates facing Lobo Canyon, which also is State Hwy. 547.

By a 3-1 vote, councilors approved a 4-year commitment of city support for the Fire & Ice Bike Rally, which Main Street Program Board of Directors President Don Jaramillo had asked. Councilor Modey Hicks voted no on the grounds the commitment should end when the terms of a majority of the council end, in 2010. At last week's study session the term of commitment discussed was two or three years, with Jaramillo jokingly saying he'd love five years.

All five councilors voiced support for the July rally.

Murrietta, who only votes to break a tie, issued a stern warning to all city employees especially the Police Department to get behind and promote the rally.

The mayor endorsed comments by Councilor Robert Michael Ulibarri. Murrietta said, "This council action might not make everyone happy. But they must understand we're doing what we think is best," adding everyone should support the event, even though that has not been the case in the past, with a definite tone of city employees being forbidden to express any negative comments about the event.

Hicks commented, "The bike rally is a good thing. It brings lots of money to town. I echo what Councilor Ulibarri and the mayor said. Everyone needs to get on board," but still believed the limit should be three years, the end of the current council's term.

By the usual unanimous vote, councilors accepted a resolution committing the city to the second year of the Cibola Transit System, with the dollar amount shown in the resolution as "XXX,XXX." The second year will begin Oct. 1 since it is federal aid administered by the state Transportation Department.

Pete Kelly of the Regional Council of Governments in Gallup explained that some $87,000 in local funds will be added to $285,000 in federal dollars for a $372,000 operating budget which will include three van-like buses. How the $87,000 will be split among Milan Village CTA's fiscal agent Grants City and Cibola County will be spelled out in a separate joint powers agreement. Local entities combined must put up one-fifth of the money for the "5311" grant. It is named after its section of a federal transit act.

For this fiscal year, which will end Sept. 30, the almost $100,000 for the local match was endangered when Milan Mayor Tom Ortega laid down the law that the village, with less than 10 percent of the county's population, was never going to pay one-third of any joint powers agreement. Milan Board of Trustees member Ellen Baca was in the Grants audience.

Murrietta commented that he believes Milan will receive more than one-tenth of the benefit in the number of people who will use the buses.

Kelly said the city and county are putting $66,400 toward this year's costs and Milan is contributing $10,000. But that leaves a deficit of around $23,000. He added District 6 of the state Transportation Department has agreed to make up some of the difference and that his boss, Patty Lundstrom, a Gallup representative in the New Mexico House of Representatives, plans to ask for emergency money to make up the balance.

To contact reporter Jim Maniaci in Grants, telephone 285-6184 or (505) 870-7775 (cellular)