MILAN, NM – The Board of Trustees adopted a 40-year water plan for the Village of Milan, approved a Memorandum of Agreement with the Cibola County DWI program and the Village of Milan Police Department as well as a Joint Powers Agreement with Northwest Regional Solid Waste Authority, McKinley County, Cibola County, the City of Grants, the City of Gallup and the Village of Milan.
For the month of May, the Village of Milan received $295,821.33 in Gross Receipts Tax, they also saw an increase in ITG (Interstate Telecommunication Gross Receipts Tax) and CMP (Compensating Tax). For ITG the village normally receives around $10, for the month of May the village received 1,685.24. For CMP the village normally receives a few thousand with their highest before being $9,152.25 in the month of November, for the month of May the village received $24,289.14. The village received $2,947.63 in cannabis tax for the month of May. The village made 171 payables in 94 payments for a total of $965,431.82.
Due to seven customers incurring a debt and their utility accounts being inactive for over four years the village approved to write off the debts accrued by these accounts. The debt is $900.46 and will not be able to be collected by the previous customer or any future customers for that address. According to Village Manager and Finance Director Candi Williams, multiple avenues have been pursued by the Village staff and agencies to locate the debtors and numerous efforts have been made to collect the accounts by way of making telephone calls, mailing letters and making steps to ensure that utilities cannot be reestablished at the locations without payment. They have also determined that all feasible remedies have been made to no avail and that the best course of action would be to write off the debts and remove the uncollectable water utility accounts and unsecured accounts from accounts receivable.
The board approved budget adjustment 15 which included making adjustments for higher revenue than expected for compensating tax, GRT, ITG, refunds and reimbursements, and higher lodging revenue. The BAR included transfers due to end of year project reimbursements taking longer than expected with more invoices to pay. The BAR also included an adjustment due to the Fire Department Health Insurance with new additional coverages.
Wilson & Co. submitted a proposal to provide construction management and observation for the NM 122 Mill Road Intersection. The services will be provided in the amount of $110,459.91 including NMGRT. The board approved the proposal.
A change order was submitted by Wilson & Co. for Airport Road Reconstruction Phase two and three in the amount of $293,664.48. The change order will add solar lighting and account for any possible rock removal needed to install each light. The total contract price incorporating the change order is $341,144.48. The board approved the change order.
The Cibola County DWI program received grant funds from the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration, Local Government Division, and the New Mexico Traffic Safety to be used for enforcement of New Mexico DWI laws to reduce the incidences of alcohol involved crashes and underage drinking. With this grant funding the village may receive up to $3,333 for permissible activities and/or equipment. The MOA between the CCDWI and the Village of Milan will cover spending during Fiscal Year 25. The board approved the MOA.
A Joint Powers Agreement between Northwest Regional Solid Waste Authority, McKinley County, Cibola County, the City of Grants, the City of Gallup, and the Village of Milan was approved. The agreement includes that the parties included in the JPA are required to, “Fully comply with the Solid Waste Act and subsequent alteration of amendments thereto to provide for disposition of solid waste by establishing modern, and where possible, state of the art facilities, to do so where feasible through cooperation with, and use of the funds, services and equipment of private industry, to provide for the promotion, of industrial development in said Counties, to provide for the general protection of the health, welfare and safety of the public in an enhanced, cleaner and more wholesome environment.”
The board approved an amendment to the Regional Recreation Centers Quality of Life Program Agreement. The Village received a grant in the amount of $200,000 for park playground equipment. On March 6, 2024, the Governor of New Mexico Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law to change the period of time for expending the state fiscal recovery fund award appropriation from June 30, 2024 to align with the State Fiscal Recovery Fund. The amendment approved by the village will be corrected to include the new reversion date to June 30, 2026.
The Village of Milan adopted a 40-year water plan.
As stated in the water plan, “The main concern for the Village is correctly identifying the place and purpose of use of their water rights and achieving permitted compliance with OSE.” According to Wilson & Company, Inc. Engineers and Architects who prepared the water plan the village currently possesses 10 active water rights permits and the water permits date back to the 1920s. Since then, the village’s water usage demands have altered and evolved and as a result, the village has resorted to utilizing water from permitted sources and has neglected opportunities to beneficially use other sources of water. Currently the village has 1,032-acre ft. of water rights, which is roughly around 900,000 gal. per day if used evenly over a year, and with the projection using a liner growth of a population increase in the village over the next 40-years there is an anticipated increase of 320acre ft. of water. Accounting for the water that is being used currently, the population increase, the industrial park, and the seasonal fluctuations of populations of students from the county and grants and in the correctional facility, the estimated water demand over the next 40-years is 938acre ft. per year. To summarize the village has more water rights than demand over the next 40years.
Police Chief Carl Ustupski gave updates regarding the Milan Police Department. For the month of May MPD received 482 calls for service, 70 offense reports, 25 arrests were made, 123 traffic stops were conducted, they responded to two auto accidents, 12 alarms and 23 medical calls. The code enforcement spot has been filled with Blade Morris being the new Code Enforcer, he has received some training and according to Ustupski he has been very productive. MPD and MFD assisted with escorting Run for the Wall and MPD also participated in the Torch Run for the Special Olympics. Lt. Barbara Kohn is no longer with the department. They have interviewed two for the vacant position and one is looking to start in July. The new trucks for the department have been pushed back three more weeks.
Fire Chief Daniel Urioste gave updates regarding the Milan Volunteer Fire Department. For the month of May MVFD received 74 calls with five being fire calls, 44 EMS calls, one hazardous condition, 11 service calls, and 13 good intent calls. They are continuing in house training; all personnel are up to date on licensures. All the apparatus are in service and in good shape. They have applied for a grant through the NMSFO to recruit a fulltime firefighter from the volunteer side of the department currently they are waiting to see if they get an award. They also installed a new radio repeater at the police station to help improve handheld radio issues. So, far the repeater has improved communication tremendously. Currently the fire department is not allowing outdoor burning or are giving out any burn permits due to fire season. Urioste said, “I have a burn ban out right now and I’m asking [citizens] not to light fireworks. They can buy them, that’s at the state level I can’t stop the state from selling them. They can sell them all they want, I’m asking everybody from prohibit from lighting fireworks, our conditions are really bad.”
The meeting ended with some announcements, a Board of Trustees Special Meeting will be held on July 3 at 10:00 a.m. Planning and Zoning Regular Meeting will not be held on July 4 instead on July 11, and the Regular Board of Trustees Meeting will be held on July 18 at 5:30 p.m.