GRANTS, N.M. – As residents shared concerns about aging roads and storm damage, local officials explained recent infrastructure improvements and explained the careful planning behind Cibola County’s ongoing roadwork.
County Manager Kate Fletcher opened the August 7 meeting by outlining ongoing road improvement efforts, joined by Road Superintendent Edward Salazar and Rural Addressing Coordinator Acacia Gardner. Together, they detailed the process behind identifying priority roads for upgrades using traffic counts, maintenance records, and public safety data.
“Years ago, our commission dedicated [certain federal] funding to roads,” Fletcher said. “We’ve since completed the first round of priorities and are now evaluating others— based on traffic data, maintenance burden, and connectivity.”
Among the roads recently completed through that initial funding phase were Zuni Canyon Road, Timberlake Road, and Fence Canyon Road.
Each of these routes received chip seal resurfacing and other upgrades after studies showed they were among the most frequently traveled and most expensive to maintain. Salazar noted that these improvements are already reducing the need for routine maintenance and have made travel safer and more reliable for residents, school buses, and emergency vehicles; all while saving the county money on maintenance costs.
“It’s a huge improvement,” Fletcher added. “These were roads we were grading and patching constantly—and now they’re holding up beautifully.”
Gardner explained that her role includes maintaining a road database for all county roads and ensuring accurate 911 addressing, floodplain mapping, and right-ofway verification. She was recently recognized with a statewide award for her expertise in rural mapping and addressing.
Salazar noted that traffic counts currently focus on roads like County Road 41 and County Road 34, both of which connect to hightraffic or emergency access areas. “If a road sees constant traffic from ambulances, school buses, or residents commuting to the hospital, we prioritize that,” he said.
But the technical presentations gave way to emotional community feedback.
One Grants resident who lives on Melvin Street, frustrated by years of neglect to the road, described ongoing flooding, inaccessible mailboxes, and having to hire private help to remove large boulders after the last storm.
“I’ve left 20 messages for the city manager. My 90-year-old father can’t walk to the mailbox with his walker. We’re doing the road work ourselves.”
City Manager Andrew Valencia responded directly, acknowledging two messages from the resident and confirming that city engineers had assessed the road and sewer system collapse in the area. “I’ve seen the street myself,” Valencia said. “Design is underway, but the process is complex. We can’t rebuild the road without fixing the infrastructure underneath— and that takes time and upfront money.”
Valencia explained that cities must often front millions of dollars to complete roadwork, only to be reimbursed later by the state. “It’s a nightmare,” he said. “We wish we could just get a check for $10 million and go to work. But that’s not how government works.”
Wider Frustrations and State Requirements
Gardner and Valencia also explained how older roads built decades ago are often too narrow to meet today’s engineering standards, which include requirements for curbs, gutters, and drainage buffers.
“Many subdivisions were developed before modern ordinances were in place,” Gardner said. “Some roads are only 20 feet wide—legally, we can’t even get equipment in to do the upgrades.”
Residents pushed for better state-level solutions, suggesting a legislative fix that would allow cities to rehabilitate roads under modern safety expectations, even if the physical width of the street can’t be expanded. “We’re not the only city with this problem,” one local resident said. “We need to go to Santa Fe and demand some leeway.”
Interagency Collaboration and a Road Crew Rodeo
Despite the concerns, there were signs of optimism and collaboration. The managers from Milan, Grants, and Cibola County discussed their ongoing partnerships—including a new tri-county 'rodeo' event planned for the fall.
Cibola County Road Supervisor Edward Salazar proposed the idea after seeing it in other counties: a friendly competition between city, village, and county road crews showcasing their skills with heavy equipment. The event will be sponsored by outside vendors and include a community barbecue.
“It’s about unity,” Fletcher said. “Our teams already work together behind the scenes—now we’re bringing that to the public.”
Cleaning Up Blight, One Property at a Time
The meeting also touched on code enforcement and nuisance properties. One resident raised concerns about burnedout homes and nearby drug activity.
Valencia said a task force is now in place to identify and clean up blighted properties. The process, however, can take months. “We have to notify the owner, send follow ups, get city council approval, and then place a lien. It can take six months to a year.”
Village of Milan Manager Candi Williams added that overgrown weeds and unmaintained parks also challenge the limited public works crews. “With inflation, we’ve lost funding for seasonal help,” she said. “Our full-time staff of eight is trying to do it all.”
Smith’s Property Sale and Utility Expansion
The meeting closed on a positive note with Fletcher announcing that the government of Cibola County is moving forward with selling the Smith’s grocery building and adjoining lots. “This is a big step,” she said. “We’ve been leasing that property for years—it’s time to let Smith’s take ownership and reinvest in the site.”
The sale seeks to drive economic growth, “Not only [are they] purchasing the Smith’s—the whole building—they’re also purchasing a lot for fuel on the road in the complex,” Fletcher said.
The City of Grants announced they moved its utility department to a larger, more modern facility on the corner of Roosevelt and First Street, offering better service space for residents and staff.
Editor’s Note: During a conversation with City of Grants Mayor Erik Garcia on August 21 at the Grants Community Pantry ribbon cutting, Mayor Garcia praised the county’s roadwork to chip and seal the community’s roads.