Police Department, Fire & Rescue, and Health Council
GRANTS, N.M. - The City Council Meeting taking place on May 27 addressed the decrease of burglaries and graffiti, the parks reopening, fire department purchases, Cibola County Health Council initiatives, clean-up projects and the general election in November.
Grants Police Department
“Our burglaries have dramatically decreased,” Police Chief Maxine Monte began. “And I want to say that’s because we had directed patrols. And it definitely shows on our calls for service. And I just want to give a shout out to our citizens. They’re a big help. They continuously call us when they see something suspicious.”
Due to this decrease, the police department has opened the parks to their regular hours: opens at 5:00am, closes at 11:00pm. Chief Monte said, “We want to thank [the] public for their patience in [the] time that we had to close the parks down.”
“Our graffiti [has decreased] as well,” Chief Monte continued. “That is because of directed patrols. We have identified three different individuals in regards to tagging. One has already been charged through the courts and two are pending charges and each one of [them] is being charged is with a different group.” She went on the say that the department has been working with the code enforcer to identify locations.
The department is close to finalizing the phase one of it’s redesign. There are several different phases, which was explained to be due to funding.
Chief Monte said, “For the school resource officer, we have finalized the contract and we are conducting interviews tomorrow and that’s in hopes of hiring someone and getting them trained before the start of next year.”
Additionally, the department was approved to purchase two 2026 dodge Durango pursuit AWS V8 police cars from Melloy Dodge. This purchase will amount to $96,455.92, and come out of the general fund.
Fire & Rescue
“Since 2024, the fire department’s focus has been straightforward: improved firefighter safety, enhance emergency medical care, and strengthen our response capability,” Fire Chief Mike Maes said. “At the same time, we made it a priority to aggressively pursue grant funding to reduce the burden on our taxpayers.”
In the last two and a half years, the department has made approximately $8.9 million “in total investments.” Of this amount, more than $6.8 million (76%), came from grants and outside sources, while the city directly contributed approximately $1.6 million “with additional support from dedicated fire and EMS funds.”
Chief Maes explained that “these investments were not random purchases. They were targeted improvements across four critical areas: RMS patient care, upgrading ambulances, cardiac monitors, and patient handling equipment to improve survival outcomes and reduce injury risk to staff.”
Also, buyer repression: replacing and upgrading front line apparatus and rescue tools to ensure effective response time. Firefighter safety: “investing in protective long-term health and injury risks.” Facilities and infrastructure: “Improving station 1 space and functionality to support readiness and retention, as well as getting ready to build our new station.”
Chief Maes continued, “These were not optional upgrades. They were necessary to maintain a safe and effective emergency response system. What this means for our community is simple: faster, more reliable emergency response, improved patient care and outcomes, [and] safer working conditions for our firefighters. These investments ensure that when someone calls 911 in this community, the department is ready to respond.”
Cibola County Health Council
Marci Chavez, the health council coordinator explained, “Part of our health council deliverables with the state department of health is to report annually to our governing body on the health council activities. So, I’m here tonight just to share a brief report about the health council activities for fiscal year 2026.”
She went on the day that they installed Narcan distribution boxes in four locations within the county. These locations include the Grants Public Library, county complex, Bluewater Volunteer Fire department, and the Village of Milan, all stocked by the Sheriff’s office. “They have free narcan or naloxone is the generic name which is available to anyone who’s having an opiod overdose,” Chavez said. “It’s free and it’s harmless if anyone uses it and they’re not having an overdose. And so it’s a really nice community benefit that we’re able to provide.”
The health council meets every other month, maintaining regular meetings throughout the year.
Chavez went on the explain that the health council meets every other month, having training and special speakers at their council meetings, as well as doing presentations at Grants High School and New Mexico State University.
“Another big piece is the behavioral health initiative from the state,” Chavez said. “So…there is a program called the Behavioral Health Reinvestment Act.” She explained that BHRIA is a state initiative that addresses behavioral health by dividing the state into regions on judicial districts. The region, which has the most tribes in the state, currently involved nine of the twelve Native American pueblos, nations, or tribes. The initiative aims to plan for regional behavioral health needs and secure state funding, with $2 million already distributed. This includes $500,000 each to Cibola General Hospital’s Behavioral Health Program, a crisis response unit in Santo Domingo, Pueblo, and other counties medicationassisted treatment programs in the detention center. More funding is anticipated, with the county serving as the fiscal agent.
Cleanup Projects
Shannon DeVine, the code enforcer, explained that the community cleanup in April was organized and had good participation, resulting in a significant amount of trash being picked up. The event had a great turnout, and due to overfilled dumpsters, an additional dumpster was needed. DeVine explained that there are plans for another cleanup in the fall, with small ones before then.
The community was thanked, and over 100 letters were sent for property maintenance, with more to follow. Compliance has been good, Devine Explained, and efforts are focused on cleaning up Santa Fe Avenue.
“I just want everyone to know, I’m treating everybody the same,” Shannon Devine said. “Every single property. And I know a lot kind of got put on the back burner… but I’m not just going down the street to look at one property if somebody complains; I’m looking at the whole street. I’m looking at the block over… the whole subdivision… I’m looking at everything. So if you get a letter… to clean your weeds, pick up trash, [etc], you’re not the only one [I’m telling]… I have not hit every single neighborhood yet, because there’s a lot.”
Additionally, the property maintenance code is being updated, with a draft currently in place. The existing code dates back to 2015, and the goal is to pass the updated version by the end of the summer. The update aims to clarify property responsibilities with more detailed language. GovWell software is being used, allowing for anonymous complaints.
Election for Charter Amendment Ballot Questions
“So, one of my primary duties… is to make sure that we make all of our legal notices in a timely manner and we opt into the elections that we’re supposed to have, in a timely manner,” City Clerk Fran Salas informed. “When I looked at my calendar, I noticed that certain timelines were in effect, you know, regarding what we had spoke about the charter amendments. So, it is that time and I just would like to inform the council that the cutoff date to initiate a special election is in June. Therefore, it is vital that the council determined whether you would like to submit proposed ballot questions to amend the Grants City Charter at the 2026 special election or place the questions on the 2026 general election ballot.”
The council chose the general election, costing $0 to $26,000, held on Novem-