Milan gives foundation trial run

By Jim Maniaci
Cibola County Bureau

MILAN — The Village Board of Trustees voted 3-0 Thursday night to spend $2,500 as a 6-month trial run with the Cibola Communities Economic Development Foundation.

Milan won't have a vote on the CCEDF board, but will send a representative to its meetings in the New Mexico Mining Museum, which also houses the Grants-Cibola County Chamber of Commerce. Star Gonzales is the manager of both groups.

Initially the foundation suggested an annual due of $15,000, but Mayor Tom Ortega rejected that as too steep.

Trustees Ellen Baca, Vivian Brumbelow and George Knotts approved a $2,500 a year increase to $12,500 annually as Milan's dues through June 30, 2009, to the Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments in Gallup. The COG covers Cibola, McKinley and San Juan counties.

In another 3-0 vote, the board reduced the monthly service fee to the Rio San Jose Flood Control District for processing the payroll of the district's single employee to $100 a month. Village Manager Marcella Sandoval told the board that when the district asked to reduce its fee, her research showed the fee was too high for the service provided. At the previous week's workshop, district board member Larry Carver advised $100 was fair. No one mentioned the current price.

The board voted 3-0 to provide the approximately 40 employees with a $200 Christmas bonus if they are full time and $100 if they are part-time, calling it a "one-time salary increase" to avoid legal problems.

Trustees unanimously adopted the Milan Volunteer Fire Department revised by-laws, pending the addition of a provision that the Fire Chief must approve them after the members do so by a margin of 51 percent or more, then forward his approval to the board for ratification, modification or rejection.

The board unanimously supported the mayor's appointment of Mary Jane Austin and Mrs. George Knotts as Milan's voting members for 2-year terms on the Grants city-sponsored Cibola Senior Citizens Center board. The two vacancies opened up after Germaine Aiken became the CSCC board president and the term of Jenny Garcia expired.

There was no opposition to extending a 4-inch diameter line for water service outside the municipal limits to Gae Zeller for the Los Altos Subdivision at $12 per foot for approximately 1,000 feet. The mayor said he understands a new mobile home or RV park will built there. The project does require the granting of an easement for the line.

Trustees approved the 12-holiday employees calendar and the manager also announced that Mariah Serna at Milan Elementary School won a pool party for submitting the best name of the three finalists' recommendations for the new meeting room at the indoor swimming pool. She suggested the Milan Family Fun Room.

Sandoval also thanked OMI, with whom Grants contracts for water, sewer and park maintenance, and the state highway department for assisting the village with an unspecified 4-day sewer problem which occurred during the most recent snow deluge.

Mayor Ortega announced that Esther Barnes of the Village Hall administrative staff had been selected the 2006 Employee of the Year and was honored at the Christmas Party on Dec. 15. He added that Jeff Marez, whom Chief Jerry Stephens hired from the Grants City Police Department, was named the village's Officer of the Year, with Kara Jaramillo being the Dispatcher of the Year and Officer Santiago Grijalva winning the Elks Lodge's Officer of the Year honor.

Each trustee also provided thank-yous and holiday wishes, with Santa Claus having conducted his annual tour of Milan in a fire truck Thursday. Chief Keith Austin said that in addition to visiting Village Hall and Milan Elementary School, Santa Claus went to Cibola General Hospital to present a gift to a local girl recuperating there.

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