Officials approve manager contract

Quay County commissioners on Monday unanimously approved an employment contract for its next county manager, Daniel Zamora, who takes over for the retiring Richard Primrose next month.

The commission offered Zamora, the county’s emergency manager, the job after a three-hour executive session during its meeting March 8 to interview candidates. Zamora had been the emergency manager for three years.

“I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to working with you,” Zamora said just before the vote Monday.

All three commissioners stated their support for Zamora’s promotion.

“I think you’ll do great,” commission Chairman Franklin McCasland said.

When the vote to approve the contract was taken, Primrose jokingly said “aye” when commissioners gave their voice votes.

Primrose’s last day is April 16. He served as county manager for 14 years before announcing his forthcoming retirement in January. He announced he would stick around a few weeks to help train Zamora.

The three-year employment agreement, effective March 15, states Zamora would be paid $60,000 in the first year, $70,000 the second year and $80,000 the third year, plus fringe benefits available to all full-time county employees. At the end of the three-year pact, a new agreement will be negotiated before a July 1, 2024, deadline.

Primrose said in January he was paid about $92,000 a year.

In other business:

• Commissioners approved a memorandum of agreement to partially pay for a feasibility study on building a psychiatric hospital in Clovis.

The agreement includes the counties of Curry, Roosevelt and De Baca and the cities of Tucumcari, Clovis and Portales.

The agreement states “the Parties recognize the immediate need for an inpatient psychiatric hospital and mental health facility … in Eastern New Mexico.” It states the total cost of the study would be $60,000, with Quay County’s share being 4%, or $2,400. Tucumcari would pay 6%, or $3,600.

The City of Clovis would solicit the bids for the study and be its fiscal agent.

Primrose said such a facility would better serve mentally ill people taken into protective custody at the Quay County Detention Center.

“The detention center isn’t the place to be,” he said.

Commissioners also voiced their support for the hospital.

“I see a need for that,” Commissioner Jerri Rush said.

• Commissioners approved a 2020 audit report presented by the Carr, Riggs & Ingram of Albuquerque.

A.J. Bowers of the accounting firm gave a brief presentation of the report by videoconference, and he noted the audit was performed remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bowers said the county’s assets rose $5.5 million, to $26 million, because of the purchase of fire vehicles and spending on drainage and road improvements. The county’s liabilities total $8 million, with $2.8 million in debt. Revenue rose because of a slight increase in taxes and a state grant to build a new Route 66 bridge between San Jon and Endee.

The report found a significant deficiency in the capitalization of infrastructure assets in which the capital assets for construction in progress were understated by $217,801. Another finding was written policies and procedures used to ensure compliance with federal grant program requirements “do not specifically comment on or address the Uniform Guidance.”

Bowers said the county had five findings last year, and all were resolved.

• Commissioners approved a grant application for up to $100,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for Runway Bay at Ute Lake so its developers could purchase three vehicles.

Project manager Windsor Lacewell at a previous meeting requested the grant to buy fuel storage tanks and a tanker truck for the development planned on Ute Lake’s south side. Primrose, however, expressed reservations about the county’s liability for that purchase.

Lacewell said the alternate proposal would free up money so Runway Bay could buy the storage tanks and truck. The three vehicles would be leased from the county for five years and maintained and insured by the developers. After that, Runway Bay would acquire them. Primrose said county attorney Warren Frost liked that proposal better than the previous one.

Primrose said once the grant application is approved, the county would need to pass a resolution for the agreement.

• During her monthly report, Quay County Family Health Center administrator C. Renee Hayoz said 1,200 vaccinations for COVID-19 had been administered at the clinic since December.

She said a vaccination event would be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 9 at the Tucumcari Convention Center. She recommended prospective patients register for the vaccine through the state’s portal at cvvaccine.nmhealth.org, but her clinic at (575) 461-2200 could help those without internet access or who are confused by the website.

• Commissioners approved applications from the Jordan, Nara Visa, District 2 and District 3 fire departments to enroll employees in the state’s Public Employees Retirement Association’s pension plan. Commissioners also approved a $19,833.10 Volunteer Fire Assistance grant agreement to District 1 for new firefighter protective equipment.

• Commissioners approved a revised policy and procedure recommended by Quay County Detention Center administrator Christopher Birch regarding sexual abuse prevention. He said two jail employees would undergo training under the guidelines, and Primrose said the revisions were recommended by the New Mexico Association of Counties. Birch said about sexual abuse at the jail: “We’ve never had issues like that.”

• During a quarterly report by the Quay County Extension officials, Susann Mikkelson said it would launch a risk-management empowerment program that trains women how to continue their farm’s or ranch’s operation if their spouse dies or becomes disabled. She said the training enables women to “become more equal partners” in the business. She said a local steering committee is developing the program, with the plan to begin an 18-hour, six-week course early next year.

Mikkelson also said she also is giving suicide-prevention training to county employees.

• Connie Loveland, executive director of Tucumcari MainStreet, said during her 2020 service delivery report the Tucumcari Railroad Museum would not reopen until May 3. Elkhorn Entertainment is using the facility to tape the “Bands of Enchantment” music television show, and Loveland said she wanted to give the building “a deep clean” before reopening.

• Road superintendent Larry Moore said state highway officials enrolled his crew to help clear heavy snow from roads on the caprock after last week’s storm. He said the pulled out multiple vehicles that were stuck.

• Primrose said gross receipts tax revenue in March was “still doing good” and was trending over budget due to construction projects in the county.