Chaotic Chambers

This story will contain some expletives, they are all used in quotes to give a deeper understanding of the emotion in the chamber.

GRANTS, N.M. – Local government watchers would not have been wrong to assume the Grants City Council was fractional even before the COVID-19 pandemic began. The divides within the city council were fresh and barely noticeable until economic crisis struck the city, taking the city to the edge of insolvency; The City of Grants came within weeks of failing to afford payroll. In the evening of October 18, the Grants City Council showed just how fractional and dysfunctional it really is.

The pandemic helped further divide the council, and a misunderstanding from city councilors about the true condition of city finances led to month’s long battle over the employment of former City Manager Laura Jaramillo. After significant debate that sometimes spiraled into the inappropriate and unprofessional, the city council voted to remove the manager.

City Manager Vanessa Chavez was hired by the Grants City Council to help shepherd the city back into financial security. Chavez’ steps towards straightening out the city were bold and drew temporary condemnation but were quickly followed by productive financial movements in the city which steered it away from insolvency, according to graphs provided by the city treasurer at this meeting.

After six months on the job and millions of dollars saved for the city by Manager Chavez, Mayor Pro tem Lucero once again had the manager’s contract placed on the agenda. In a 3-1 vote the city council fired Manager Chavez to a gallery’s worth of boos and insults. One city employee even called out “shitbags!” when the votes were finalized. Audience reaction proved the betrayal of public trust by the council.

Even when pressed by Grants-Cibola County Chamber of Commerce President Alene Joyner for an explanation as to why they were taking this vote, the city councilors remained silent. No explanation was given for her termination. According to the Grants City Charter, Chavez was an At-Will employee, and was not entitled to an explanation for termination. Mayor Hicks accused the three

Mayor Hicks accused the three councilors who voted to terminate Chavez’ contract of firing the manager just to get back at him personally; of being used by other political powers to assert influence over the city; and of firing the manager just to get a specific person hired at the Coyote Del Malpais golf course. None of these allegations were acknowledged by councilors.

Mayor Pro tem Rick Lucero, City Councilor Fred Padilla, and City Councilor Fred Rodarte voted in favor of removing Manager Chavez. City Councilor Erik Garcia was the lone dissenting voice.

After former Manager Chavez was relieved, Carolyn Newton – member of the City of Grants Animal Shelter Advisory Board – arrived to speak words in support of Chavez. She thanked the former manager for helping the Grants Animal Care Center find a plan to transfer out all the animals they were holding; all that is required is getting these animals neutered, a task Chavez was helping source funding for. Newton explained that without the assistance from Chavez, the plan will likely fall through, and the Animal Care Center will once again be in jeopardy. Newton asked the council if they would help find funding for this crisis which was created as an immediate unintended consequence of their actions, to which Pro tem Lucero asked how this is usually paid for. Newton responded that it is not usually paid for because this kind of opportunity comes incredibly rarely and may now be lost.

A crisis designed of

ignorance

On October 21, Mayor Pro tem Rick Lucero had an item placed on the agenda which would require the city to discuss the termination of Chavez’ contract. At this meeting, Lucero was accused of bullying the city clerk – who had just entered her role with the city – to put this item on the agenda; Lucero denied the allegation. During this meeting, the city’s new attorney, who was just hired and was making his first appearance at a city council meeting – the first time an attorney was present at a Grants City Council meeting in years – informed the council that they were not allowed to discuss the termination at that meeting; the council tabled the motion.

This item would be placed on the agenda again on November 18, where it would be successful despite significant community demand to the opposite.

Red flags began to go up in 2019 when the city treasurers were coming and going as if the office had a revolving door. Yet, the city manager’s office continued to keep city finances private, despite protests from the mayor.

At the time Mayor Hicks was trying to expose the financial crisis which the board was blind to, he was actively opposing the state’s COVID-19 restrictions. Community members, untrusting of his credibility, did not believe the mayor, according to community responses, poll questions and letters to the editor.

Eventually, as the crisis worsened, Garcia realized the dire situation the city was in after allegedly demanding to see the finances which were being shielded from him. The Grants City Council and former manager had been moving funds around in a situation called “co-mingling of funds” according to Mayor Hicks in the Nov. 18 meeting. Garcia implored the other city councilors to do the job they were elected to do and are mandated to do by the charter, at which point a meeting was held to relieve Manager Jaramillo of her duties.

Mayor Hicks then appointed Vanessa Chavez to the role, Chavez had no formal experience in government before, though she had been a candidate for state representative and though she won Cibola County, lost the overall election. Chavez stepped into a city which was hemorrhaging money and near insolvency due largely to a failure by the city council to watch city finances.

Chavez acted quickly, teaming up with Cibola County Manager Kate Fletcher in a novel effort to save the brand-new Wastewater Treatment Plant from going septic. In a joint effort, the two governments were able to save the facility. The Cibola Citizen viewed multiple text messages between city officials of all levels which proved Manager Chavez’ active efforts to fix the plant, and the city councils’ complacency in the face of crisis. Despite multiple video messages from Chavez to councilors showing the true extent of damage at the plant, the majority of councilors either never responded or were nonchalant about the severity of the situation.

After the wastewater plant crisis was resolved, an issue which arose on her first month as manager, Chavez terminated the city’s contract with Jacobs. The contract was officially terminated due to budget issues the city was having, Jacobs agreed to this with the stipulation that the city would not speak badly about them.

After only six months on the job, with half-a-years’ worth of major successes under her belt, Pro tem Lucero made a motion to remove Chavez from her duty. At this point, by Robert’s Rules of Order the chamber entered discussion, and several people spoke up in defense of Chavez.

At the public comment portion of the meeting, community member Sylvia Anzures Gonzales warned the council against firing Chavez, telling councilors that the city is making progress right now and firing the manager would be counterproductive.

Terry Fletcher, member of the New Mexico Mining Museum, thanked Manager Chavez for her assistance in resolving elevator issues the museum had been encountering for three years. He said that the previous manager and the city had promised to help the museum as it is Cibola County’s most visited tourist attraction. No one had helped them before Chavez came along, he informed the council, and asked them to reconsider terminating the manager.

Chief Executive Officer of Cibola General Hospital, Thomas Whelan, spoke next. He asserted that Manager Chavez had helped the hospital resolve some issues, and that the city was making productive progress with her. He implored the board to reconsider terminating the manager.

Business leader Carie Talley, owner of T-Bones Gym and member of the Chamber of Commerce, explained that working with Manager Chavez had been a positive experience, and that she was personally concerned about Chavez’ qualifications when she was hired. Talley said Chavez had proven herself in the short time she has been manager, and that all of her fears were unwarranted. She asked the council to reconsider terminating Chavez.

Pastor Thatcher approached the city council next, and he told them about the strength he saw in Manager Chavez. He spoke to her character, explaining that she is not only a problem solver, but a community champion. He said that Manager Chavez could be seen doing manual labor for the city, picking up trash and ceiling tiles. He added that Chavez even spent her personal time ensuring that senior citizens received their meals-on-wheels. Pastor Thatcher closed by addressing Manager Chavez, “Whatever happens tonight, I’m proud of you.”

Business leader Ronnie Pynes spoke next, explaining that he had been in contact with several members on the current city council and former city manager about city issues for years, and despite promises to look into the issues and potential resolutions, he never heard back. With one phone call to Manager Chavez he said work was started, and within months the issues were addressed and taken care of. “Vanessa comes and gets it done,” Pynes closed, asserting that the board should reconsider firing the manager.

Cibola County Commissioner Robert Windhorst spoke next, defending Manager Chavez and expressing his disappointment, telling the board that he was ashamed they would backtrack after so much progress in the city and the greater county.

Grants-Cibola County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Brenda Curtwright spoke next. She explained that for the first time in a long while the chamber finally had a positive working relationship with the city, and she cautioned the councilors from ruining the progress made in the last six months. She said, “I don’t want to wake up tomorrow and feel like we’ve moved backwards.” She implored the board to keep Manager Chavez.

Alene Joyner was the last citizen to speak, breaking almost an hours’ worth of debate over the contract, explaining that in her personal experience the city has improved in the short time Chavez had been manager. Then she asked a simple question, “Why do you want to fire her?”

Pro tem Lucero responded, “We want to move in a new direction.” An explanation which was not acceptable to Joyner who pressed further, wanting to have a reason for this firing. She did not receive an answer.

The motion to remove Manager Chavez was made by Pro tem Lucero and was seconded by Councilor Fred Rodarte. When the vote tally was finalized, the Grants City Council Chambers divulged from a respectable place of government to a zoo.

Lives at stake

Near the end of the meeting, after Chavez was fired and left the chamber, City of Grants Animal Care Center Advisory Board Member Carolyn Newton, who had been stuck in traffic, arrived with what was going to be exciting and happy news.

Newton intended to tell the board that thanks to efforts by Manager Chavez, every single animal in the Grants Animal Care Center would be neutered and shipped to a larger shelter where they can be adopted out. However, because of the council’s action in removing Manager Chavez, the funding for this mission is now in jeopardy.

Unintentionally the city council, by their action, manufactured a crisis situation at the Animal Care Center.

Newton asked the councilors if they would help find funding now that they created this crisis, other than a question as to where they might find funding, the only councilor to offer any help was Erik Garcia, who said, “We’ll get this handled.”

If the funding does come, this would only be the second time that the Animal Care Center is without animals to care for.

Councilor Fred Padilla said that he adopted a dog from the shelter after Councilor Garcia asked if any of the other councilors had been the shelter recently, he was the only councilor to respond.

To read more about this life-or-death situation, see Animal care center A2

Chavez responds

Before the council voted to terminate Manager Chavez, she spoke in her own defense.

She thanked city employees for their work and dedication to the city, she praised Grants Police Department for their recent changes in improving policing under the direction of Interim Chief Jeff Marez, a statement which earned an applause. Then, she spoke in her own defense.

“What I don’t understand is how you can ask me to apply for this job, and I don’t even get an answer or explanation as to ‘why [are you firing me]?’” Manager Chavez said

Manager Chavez explained that she had a car impounded from the GPD garage that was not permitted to be in the garage, she took action which led to two people resigning from the department, “I did that because I’m a regular citizen. You’re regular citizens. I want our city to be more safe. I really wanted to believe that our law enforcement are people we can count on, people we can trust. Now that Jeff Marez is interim chief, I feel better.” This received an applause, from even Pro tem Lucero.

“Back in February, when you encouraged me to apply, I was hesitant. But I did it, I did the job. No one has ever told me ‘Hey, we need to improve on this’; ‘Let’s do a personal improvement plan’; ‘Lets’ go ahead and guide you in this direction.’ How do you think another manager – how are you going to find one? Who is going to want to come in when you just chopped my head off? Are you going to just see how the long the line gets? Just like Brenda [Curtwright, Executive Director of the Grans-Cibola County Chamber of Commerce] said, its going to push us back… Its not easy being put on the agenda twice. I don’t like losing sleep over whether or not I’m going to have a job. My mother just moved to Grants, I’m buying a house, I’m a real person. I’m not just this entity you can crumble up and treat like trash.” Manager Chavez began to grow emotional. “My father always said, ‘If someone cannot realize your worth, don’t ever beg.’ I am not begging to stay, but I am telling you that I did the best I can do, and no one here has ever approached me to say, ‘hey, we need to better in this area.’” At this point in Chavez’ speech, a community member asked her to affirm that none of the councilors who voted to remove her have had a conversation with her about the termination.

“No, I have not had one single conversation, and this is two months of being on the chopping block,” Manager Chavez then pulled out a copy of the Grants City Code of Ethics, which was passed by this same council last year as a repudiation of Mayor Hicks. This code includes language barring city officials from using their office for personal benefit, or advantage of their friends.

“I’m going to be volunteering for the city, I’m going to be doing what I’m doing now. I love the city, and I will keep doing what I do,” Manager Chavez said only a minute before she was fired.

The zoo that conducts government

“This will set us back a year, easy,” Mayor Hicks can be heard saying on the Facebook livestream of the meeting. A comment which was muffled as personal insults began to fly.

The city council meeting entered the territory of unprofessional and inappropriate.

Terminating the city manager’s contract was only the third item on the agenda, after the Pledge of Allegiance and adoption of the agenda and minutes from a previous meeting. The council, with anger festering in the councilors, proceeded with the agenda.

The council reappointed Dick Griffith to the Airport Board, he was approved on a 3-1 vote, with the only dissenting vote being Councilor Garcia.

Discussion about an ATV-event was tabled by the council until next month, this event would take the place of the Fire and Ice Bike Rally.

Marijuana Ordinance

The board then amended the Land Use Code for the City of Grants. Shannon Devine of the Grants Code Enforcement office explained that this amendment was to regulate the sale of marijuana in the city. Devine pulled out a map, explaining the different zoning in the city, when Councilor Erik Garcia turned to Pro tem Lucero and said, “Do you councilors know what that is? Rick, what does the blue area mean? Don’t read the legend. Do you know what the purple area is, Councilor Rodarte? No, you don’t know because you don’t know.”

“We’re not here to be questioned by you,” Councilor Rodarte answered,

“Oh, but we are, because you want to run for mayor and you don’t even know what that says,” Councilor Garcia said.

Devine tried to regain control of her presentation, which earned an apology from Councilor Garcia before Pro tem Lucero said, “You just need to shut up, Erik,” which received a “You shut up” reply from Garcia. A loud, audible sigh is heard from someone in the audience.

Devine then broke down each of the coloring of the zoning map and explained slowly what the map means and the importance of zoning. She explained that the new zoning will help set the restrictions for different types of marijuana industry, affecting research facilities to producers, retailers, and consumers. Property owners will have the opportunity to protest if a business near them wants to sell marijuana, marijuana cannot be sold or produced within 300 feet of a school or daycare. Santa Fe Avenue will be a noncannabis zone, but the city can’t stop marijuana couriers – like deliverers. The motion passed unanimously.

Bruce Prichard, Member of the City of Grants Planning and Zoning Board rose with muffled audio and said, “I suggest, its obvious, just listening to you, you haven’t read the ordinance – the law that was passed. You should at least read the first 77 pages, that would explain a lot of your questions.”

City budget

City Treasurer Gloria Pargas explained that the city is in a better situation than it was in, giving the council a series of graphs which received a remark from Councilor Garcia who said, “You councilman don’t understand that, but we’re doing better.”

“Hold on to your remarks,” Pro tem Lucero replied.

“I’m just trying to educate you councilors,” Garcia explained.

Treasurer Pargas then explained what each of the colored lines on the graphs mean, she said that the city’s gross receipts tax is suffering and that events need to start going on again. “Keep in mind that we need to get events in town and get people to stay in our motels.”

Councilor Garcia then asked Pro tem Lucero to explain how lodger’s tax works, to which Lucero replied, “Shut up, Erik” Councilor Garcia replied with,

“I’m just asking, your voters want to know.”

So far, the city has paid over $600,000 in debt, with over $780,000 left to pay. By the end of the year the city should have no more outstanding debt. There was serious overtime and extra expenses in the pipe department of the city, to which Councilor Garcia praised former Manager Chavez for taking the necessary steps to prevent the continued over expense of this department.

The treasurer’s office is working with state auditors who will be on site until the work is done. Typically, when an ongoing audit is completed, the mayor and councilors are called to a meeting to discuss the audit. This year that will be done appropriately, because the mayor was denied access to this meeting last year, he explained, and Pro tem Lucero signed off on the report.

Although she’s only been with the city for a short time, Treasurer Pargas said “it’s going to be a matter of internal controls that the auditors will really be looking at.” The board approved the budget adjustments unanimously.

Open meetings resolution

The city needed to adopt a resolution about the City of Grants Open Meetings Act, if the city failed to meet this resolution, it would lose out on grant funding.

The city has grappled with OMA before, with the councilors changing the act last year to give themselves power over the mayor. The original text gave power of pre-setting the agenda to the mayor, with the changes the council made any councilor could make a demand for an item to be on the agenda – a redundant move as they set the agenda when they approve it in open meeting. This caused significant infighting which led to the city attorney asserting that the councilors do have the authority to do this.

The board approved the motion that allowed them to maintain power over the agenda 3-1, with Councilor Garcia as the lone dissenting voice.

Roofing

The Cibola Citizen had been pressing the city for years about renovations to roofing at the library and senior citizen center. The city has finally begun work on these roofs, and voted 3-1 to repair the library roof, Councilor Garcia was the lone dissenting voice.

The board then approved the repairs of the senior citizen roof 3-1 with Councilor Garcia being the lone dissenting voice.

Adjournment

As the councilors prepared to end this meeting, Fred Rodarte said, “I just want to thank everybody who came up tonight and voiced their opinions. I do want you to know that I was elected to make decisions to this city, I make the decisions that I think are best that I can come up with, I do want the public to know that at all times, when I’m sitting up in this seat, that I treat every person up here with respect, audience I respect people. I do not treat people wrong, and I will never do that.” As he was speaking, a noise much like a sci-fi laser gun could be heard, it only lasted the duration of this speech, Rodarte was on his cell phone through much of the meeting.

Pro tem Rick Lucero and Councilor Fred Padilla did not want to make a comment.

“You’ll get respect when you show it for the community, shame on all you guys. I’m looking at you too Mr. Padilla,” Councilor Garcia said, “Did you call me when I asked you to call me about this issue?”

Lucero jumped in, saying that he called Councilor Garcia back, “you called me, but you wanted to fight me. I’ll kick your ass buddy,” Councilor Garcia can be heard saying over Lucero, whose comments were inaudible. “What are we doing in our own small little town guys?” Councilor Garcia posed to audience reaction of “tearing it.” Councilor Garcia continued, “Tearing it apart, guys.”

Mayor Hicks spoke next, first alleging that a letter to the editor writer is not a real person. He then thanked everyone involved in making Veteran’s Day a success. The mayor then spoke about redistricting, see the Story on A5. The mayor then discussed the school board, saying that third graders shouldn’t learn about social justice and that the school district is teaching critical race theory, “its time to recall and get rid of the president of that board and the people of the board who say the governors of Laguna and Acoma get to dictate what happens in Grants.” The mayor then said, “As far as Laguna-Acoma goes, I am with Richard Jones all the way. If they want to do that out there, and they want to dictate masks and crap that the science says otherwise, then give them those three schools out there. Give them Seboyeta, give them Laguna, give them Cubero, and we’ll have our own school district out here. Oh, ‘the money, the money’ yeah well, they’re not following the science guys. Its out there, okay? And its just so stupid. So, what we need to do is push that school board, call them and tell them to put it on the agenda. So, we can see which of them are in to abusing our children.” The mayor continued that the school board doesn’t follow the constitution, he then began to rant about vaccines, saying that the exemptions are unfair across the board. “Why don’t they follow the science, guys?”

“The last thing I want to do is apologize to the people of District Two for appointing Mr. Lucero to his job. He has done no oversight” Mayor Hicks said as the audience erupted into applause, “Gloria came to us, and we filled out paperwork so we could all get a password so we could go online and view out finances whenever we want. Three of us are doing our oversight, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Garcia, and myself. Mr. Lucero couldn’t be bothered to sign a paper, neither could Mr. Rodarte so they could do their oversight. They have done no oversight. And you need to remember this come the next election.”

The next city manager

Though her efforts have been largely successful, Manager Chavez was not afforded the time to continue her work, leaving the city with unresolved issues and throwing a wrench into the newly established order which had been working.

With crises at the city, and a manager who was just fired without an excuse after the community praised her efforts in getting the city back on track, the council sent a message that productivity will be punished.

Despite her recent firing, Mayor Hicks announced he would propose Chavez to be manager again. This would be acceptable as the Grants City Charter puts appointment power in the hands of the mayor, and approval power in the hands of the council.

“I’m going to bring Vanessa back,” Mayor Hicks said to an applause from the in-person audience.