City delays franchise approval
Deal reached for golf course operator

By Jim Maniaci
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — The Grants City Council on Tuesday night tabled a 15-year, 3.5 percent fee, franchise for Continental Divide Electric Cooperative.

Most of Tuesday night's meeting was spent behind closed doors, with the council's final action being a unanimous approval of a contract negotiated with Manny and Julie Martinez, of On Course Management, to continue to operate the 18-hole Coyote Del Malpais Grants Municipal Golf Course.

Copies of the draft of the contract were never available to the public and the 4-0 vote of approval included the term "amended contract."

While waiting an hour for the council to finish its first executive session, on an unspecified personnel matter, Manny Martinez said they asked for a 4-year agreement. On Course Management has had the city contract since 1997, Julie Martinez said.

Each councilor and Mayor Joe Murrietta, an avid golfer, praised the Martinez's for their operation and close work with the city.

In a separate 4-0 vote, the council tabled the city's franchise with CDEC. The mayor said only that some clarification was needed. He also said a special meeting will be needed to act no later than the next regular meeting, which is in late October.

The term "clarification" has been used repeatedly since February when the electric cooperative submitted its first proposal. The utility has continued paying the old 2 percent franchise fee since the previous agreement expired almost three years ago.

Comments in public meetings, especially between Councilor Robert Michael Ulibarri and Continental's various representatives, have been acrimonious, at best.

Later one of the councilors revealed that whole sections found in the old agreement had been removed and that CDEC wants an arbitration provision to settle disputes which can't be resolved otherwise. Arbitration is used as an alternative to expensive lawsuits which take years to settle.

During its open session, the council spent most of the time on non-action matters, three of which were not on the agenda.

The mayor issued proclamations for the 6th annual Comcast community improvement project, which will end Oct. 7 in the back of Los Alamitos Middle School, and for New World Food Day.

Police Chief Marty Vigil and Assistant Chief Rob Hall then presented an American Police Hall of Fame Outstanding Community Award to Corporal Salvador Corral for attempting to save the life of a boy on July 29 who was covered by sand when a cave he'd dug collapsed. The boy died several days later.

Sgt. John Castenada said the boy's fellow students at Mount Taylor Elementary School, which his sister also attends, will build a table with seats and a memorial plaque to the boy and officer.

During the call to the public to address the council, Gary Girard objected to an unidentified vendor selling drug paraphernalia during July's Fire 'n Ice Bike Rally. He said he had been assured that it won't happen again at the rally, but that the same man had been at a local swap meet more than once.

Chief Vigil said he would compile ordinances outlawing the possession of unused, new and clean paraphernalia and would present some options to the council at next month's meeting.

Jonnie Head of the San Jose Drain Committee, the panel of council-appointed city and county residents spearheading a solution to the constant flooding of the city, repeated her group's hope to be selected as the project the city will sponsor for an application of up to a half-million dollars for a federally funded, state-administered Community Development Block Grant.

The mayor repeated a special meeting to make that decision will have to take place long before the Oct. 24 or 31 council session. Two other projects are being considered.

By unanimous 4-0 votes, the council awarded the following contracts:

• $35,145 to Walter McBride Construction to erect about 790 feet of reinforced concrete block wall at Grants Memorial Park to replace the wall destroyed in the August 2005 flash flood. The city's share will be $8,786 with the Disaster Assistance Program paying the three-fourths balance, according to Projects Coordinator Patricia Martinez. McBride was the only bidder.
  
  
• $33,280 to Albuquerque Asphalt, the low of two bidders, to enlarge the paved parking area at the city-sponsored Cibola Senior Citizens Center.
  
  
• $19,037 to Cecil B. Wilson, the low of two bidders, to pave 576 sq.-yd., instead of 822 sq.-yd., at the Grants Head Start on Mountain Road. The city received $15,000 for the work and will have to pick up the $4,037 balance.
  
  
• $11,555 to The Playwell Group to install 10 square tables and 16 benches near City Hall, the New Mexico Mining Museum and Riverwalk Park from a MainStreet Program grant.

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