annual report final 2013

2013

Cibola

McKinley

San Juan

www.nwnmcog.com

Leading the field

to empower communities &

move the region

Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments Annual Report

http://www.nwnmcog.com/

K e e p i n g t h e V i s i o n , M o v i n g t h e R e g i o n w w w . n w n m c o g . c o m

REGIONAL LEADERSHIP 4

MESSAGE FROM BOARD CHAIRMAN 8

WELCOME FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 9

REGIONAL CHAMPIONS 10

40 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

COG TIMELINE 12 COG LEADERSHIP 14

REGIONAL SOLUTIONS BROADBAND 16 ECONOMY 18 ENERGY 20 ENVIRONMENT 22 PANORAMIC 24 QUALITY OF LIFE 26 TRANSPORTATION 28 TOURISM 31 WATER 32

LOCAL INITIATIVES CDBG FUNDING 34 CWPP 36

NMCOG STAFF 37

Table of Contents


2012-2013 Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments Board of Directors Executive Committee:

Chairman of the Board

Billy Moore

Appointee at Large

McKinley County

Immediate Past Chairman

Dr. William A. Hall

Appointee-at-Large

City of Farmington

1st Vice-Chairman

Dr. Jim Henderson

County Commissioner

San Juan County

2nd Vice-Chairman

Joe Murrietta

Mayor

City of Grants

Treasurer

Louie Bonaguidi

Citizen Appointee

City of Gallup

Voting Representatives:

Jim Crowley

Mayor Pro Tem

City of Aztec

Scott Eckstein

Mayor

City of Bloomfield

Mike Enfield

City Councilor

City of Gallup

Allan Landavazo

City Councilor

City of Gallup

George Kozeliski

City Attorney

City of Gallup

Ruben Sandoval

City Councilor

City of Grants

Tom Ortega

Mayor

Village of Milan

Pat Simpson

County Commissioner

Cibola County

Lloyd Felipe

County Commissioner

Cibola County

Genevieve Jackson

County Commission Chair

McKinley County

Carol Bowman-Muskett

County Commissioner

McKinley County

Doug Decker

County Attorney

McKinley County

Kim Carpenter

County Executive Officer

San Juan County

Alternate Representatives

Joshua Ray

City Manager

City of Aztec

David Fuqua

City Manager

City of Bloomfield

Jackie McKinney

Mayor

City of Gallup

Bob Horacek

City Manager

City of Grants

Bill Standley

Former Mayer

City of Farmington

Ellen Baca

Village Trustee

Village of Milan

T. Walter Jaramillo

County Commissioner

Cibola County

Richard Kontz

County Manager McKinley County

Member Governments Cibola County

McKinley County

San Juan County

City of Gallup

City of Grants

Village of Milan

City of Farmington

City of Aztec

City of Bloomfield

Regional Leadership: FY 2013

Affiliate Member:

Northwest New Mexico Regional Solid Waste Authority

Northwest Regional Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO) Committee

Royce Gchachu (Pueblo of Zuni) Chairman

Pueblo of Zuni

Pueblo of Acoma

Pueblo of Laguna

The Navajo Nation

City of Grants

City of Gallup

Village of Milan

Cibola County

McKinley County

San Juan County

COG Headquarters

409 South 2nd Street

Gallup, New Mexico

Regional Leadership: FY 2013


“Main emphasis is improving road

conditions. Without good roads you

can’t open up employment

opportunities or improve the

quality of life in the County”

George Wolf

McKinley County Manager

1978 New Mexico Legislature

“It’s important that we work

together and it is important that

we make the region strong”

Patty Lundstrom

New Mexico Legislator

40th

Annual COG Gala

2012

“McKinley Area Council of

Governments… is one of the

strongest in the state. The guts

of any COG are the officials

selected to the board”

David King

NM State Planning Office

1973

“Regionalism is a

concept that will be as

good and as strong as the

members themselves”

Jeff Meyer

MACOG Director 1973

Moving

The

Region


Our Region, Your COG


I wish to thank the Board for the honor of serving as its

Chairman for the last three years. This experience has given

me a chance to connect with and understand the issues and

needs facing each of our members. Therefore, it is my pleasure

to present this FY 2013 Annual Report for the Northwest New

Mexico Council of Governments (“the COG”). The last three

years embody a very significant period for our organization and

I believe this report serves to provide the broader regional

community a small glimpse into the big picture of the COG’s

work.

All COG members and partners should be proud of the many

challenges we have met head-on and for which we have

successfully found solutions and new opportunities. Not only in

this past period but over the last four decades, we have faced

issues that needed our attention and COG has been the vehicle to

get us through them. Local communities in our region are more capable of meeting challenges

due to the work that has been and is currently being done by this agency and its members.

I want to express my deepest gratitude to our “Regional Champions”, who are being recognized

at this year’s Annual Luncheon. Special thanks to Joe Murrietta and Bill Standley, who both

served as the backbone of this organization and helped form it into what it is today, and, to

Bill Lee for his tremendous leadership in business and regional tourism. These gentlemen have

served with honor, dedication, and an ethic of service to our region and our communities.

The COG has always offered an outlet for those who want to work collectively to improve the

lives of our citizens. The COG staff continues to promote one of the West’s largest

infrastructure projects, the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project (NGWSP). The recent construction

start for this project offers a wonderful bookend to the celebration of the close of our 40th

year, as well as vital improvements to the US 491 corridor. This corridor is now ripe for

economic and community development and capacity which did not exist historically. I believe

the COG and its staff will continue to remain relevant and responsive to the region’s needs,

issues, and opportunities.

Enjoy the Annual Report, and I encourage all of you to give us any feedback you may have

and to join me in letting Jeff and the COG staff know that they are appreciated.

Billy

Billy W. Moore

Chairman of the Board, 2012-13

Message from the Board Chair


Dear Friends of the Region,

Another robust and rambunctious year under our belt… and I welcome you to our

Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2013.

Our COG team is proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish this year, as we

continue to build on the organization’s great legacy while forging ahead toward new

opportunities and challenges.

We saw the first round of Federal investments in the actual construction of the

Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, and the COG staff had the chance to go on-

site and see for themselves that it was actually happening! Beginning in 1992 and

for 17 more years, Patty Lundstrom chaired and I provided staff support to the interagency Steering Committee

for this project, a body of work that culminated in Congressional authorization and Presidential signoff in Spring

2009 on this $1 billion water supply initiative designed to bring “Real Water to Real People in Real Time.”

Under our $1 million Brownfield Assessment grant from EPA, we concluded our three-year management of the

work of four scientific firms in carrying out the environmental assessment of two dozen contaminated properties

in the region that were identified as potential sites for redevelopment.

With a McKinley County contract, we helped manage a DOE Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant

(EECBG) by subcontracting with Eaton Energy Solutions and conducting energy auditing of all County buildings.

The resulting report includes plans that will save the County big dollars in the coming years.

We worked with private and public sector leadership in San Juan County to help establish an expanded

economic development effort under Four Corners Economic Development, Inc., and helped develop the CEO

recruitment prospectus that culminated in the hiring of Ray Hagerman to help lead it forward. And in Cibola

County we held the “Getting HIP” seminar on developing the “Highly Investable Project.”

We energized our leadership role at the state level through active participation in the New Mexico Association

of Regional Councils (NewMARC) – including helping land an EDA grant to produce a statewide Comprehensive

Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), and our piloting of Panoramic© cloud-based technology to revolutionize

project tracking and collaboration in transportation, capital outlay and economic development. And we took

another leadership step at the national level with my recent election as 2nd Vice President of the National

Association of Development Organizations (NADO).

Well, you’ll learn more about these highlights – and more – as you dig into this Annual Report. My thanks to

the COG team – the staff, the Board of Directors, and all of our amazing partners and supporters – for doing

the good work that this report attempts to capture. And my special thanks to COG Planner Prestene Garnenez

for her authorship of this important document.

Jeff Jeffrey G. Kiely

Executive Director

Welcome from the Executive Director


Regional Champions 2013

Joe Murrietta—Cibola County

It was about time the COG recognized its steadiest, longest-serving

champion! Joe Murrietta has had a long and varied career, but it is his

dedication and public service to Cibola County and Northwest New

Mexico that truly distinguishes it. A lifelong resident of Cibola County

and a Vietnam Veteran, Joe first worked as an Editor at the Grants Daily

Beacon way back in 1966. He then spent 15 years working in one of

Cibola County’s “boom businesses,” the uranium mining industry. During

that time, Joe began seeking public office, first winning a seat on the

Grants-Cibola County School Board. It seemed Joe was the perfect fit

for public office and Cibola County leadership. He once served as Cibola County Treasurer, and more

recently and to the present day, he serves as Mayor of the City of Grants. Joe also worked for more

than 10 years as Cibola County Manager, for 3 years as Milan Village Manager and for several years as

Executive Director of the Northwest New Mexico Regional Solid Waste Authority. Along the way, the COG

found a steadfast and supportive leader, partner, and friend, as Joe has served for over two decades in

various Board capacities for the COG, and in recent years as a Board Vice President. We also know

where to find him any time or season: he’ll be out there on the golf course sticking it to his playing

partners! Thank you, Joe, for your consistent support as a vital member of the COG family.

Bill Lee—McKinley County

The COG Executive Committee didn’t have to look far to find this regional

champion. Bill Lee is a Gallup native, and it’s guaranteed he was raised on

some great green chili, as well as on ample helpings of love and

community in this truly unique frontier town. Bill currently serves as

President and CEO of the Gallup-McKinley County Chamber of Commerce,

and he has recently also served as President of the Tourism Association of

New Mexico. Springboarding from his college days as a member of

nationally recognized speech and debate teams, Bill has also been a well-

known radio broadcaster (with 30 years in the broadcasting business from

West Texas to Southern California to New Mexico), as well as a licensed commercial Hot Air Balloon pilot

(and a big promoter of one of New Mexico’s great events, the Red Rock Balloon Rally). There is no more

conscientious or effective voice and advocate for the Gallup area and the northwest New Mexico region

than Bill Lee, and his reputation is solid as a caring friend and colleague, a consummate and ethical

professional, and in indefatigable promoter of New Mexico and its many treasures. Bill has also been a

great partner with the COG for many years on a broad range of efforts in economic and tourism

development.

Dedicated to Empower & Move the Region


Regional Champions 2013

Bill Standley—San Juan County

After enjoying a full and rich life in California following distinguished

service in the Marines, Bill Standley and his wife Karen moved to

Farmington to retire. Bill wouldn’t settle for the quiet life of a retiree, but

soon found himself working as General Manager of Construction Supply

Co. until he was elected as Farmington’s Mayor in 1998, an office he

held for three terms until March 2010. While Mayor, Bill worked tirelessly

to improve economic conditions in the Four Corners region, and he

focused hard on improving relations with the government and people of

the Navajo Nation – an effort well rewarded by a profound friendship and

partnership with the late Dr. Taylor McKenzie, then Navajo Vice President,

which involved their common work in combating alcoholism in the regional community and the founding

of Totah Behavioral Health Authority, a project in which the COG was an important facilitator. Bill also

tapped the COG to assist with his work in championing civil rights causes and the advancement of quality

of life facilities in Farmington, and he was actively involved in many community organizations such as the

San Juan Wildlife Federation, the Chamber of Commerce, the Four Corners Better Business Bureau, and

the San Juan Economic Development Service, just to name a few. Not one to sit on the sidelines, Bill is

currently a Farmington Alternate Municipal Court Judge. Throughout his time as Mayor, he served as a

member of the COG Board of Directors, and has continued serving as an Alternate to the Board.

Sam Ojinaga—Special “Friend of the Region” Award

If ever there was a time for the COG Board to establish this special award,

this is the year. For nearly two decades, Sam Ojinaga served as the “Go-

To Guy” in Santa Fé for the COGs and local governments throughout the

state. Sam has 23 years of experience in New Mexico state government,

the last 18 of which were with the Local Government Division of the

Department of Finance & Administration, until his recent transfer to PERA.

After years as senior staff in the Community Development Bureau, Sam

served as Deputy Director for the past 7 years, and several times was designated as interim Director.

The Northwest COG, and all of our fellow COGs, came to trust and appreciate Sam for his

professionalism, integrity, problem-solving attitude, fairness and incredibly hard work under the highest

stress. In fact, that stress eventually landed Sam in the hospital, and truly all of us felt that a member

of our family had gone down. He was responsible for many programs working directly with County and

Municipal governments including E911, DWI, Capital Outlay and the CDBG Programs. Recently he accepted

a position with the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) serving as the Bureau Chief of

Employer Contributions Accounting, once again working with his beloved County and Local Governments,

Water and Sanitation Districts and other local entities who participate in the PERA retirement program.

Dedicated to Empower & Move the Region


P

re-

CO

G

40 years of the Council of Governments

• 1965: Public Works & Economic Development Act (PWEDA) is passed establishing the

Economic Development Administration and providing for regional planning districts. • January 1, 1969: Governor issues Executive Order authorizing role of Regional Planning

Organizations • 1970: Governor King designates Regional Planning and Development Districts

as official clearinghouses under Federal A-95 requirements.

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19

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• July 1, 1972: Articles of Agreement document is signed by founding members, establishing the McKinley Area Council of Governments (MACOG)

• 1972: Jeff Meyer is selected to be the first Executive Director of MACOG • January 10, 1973: Governor Bruce King issues Executive Order authorizing the

establishment of 7 state planning districts. • 1973: McKinley County develops 20-year Comprehensive Master Plan

• 1975: PWEDA Amendments establish the Four Corners Regional Planning Commission

• 1976: Elizabeth DiGregorio replaces Jeff Meyer as Executive Director of MACOG • 1978: New Mexico Legislature passes the Planning District Act NMSA 4-58-1 and

Regional Planning Act NMSA 3-56-1 as further instruments supporting the work of regional councils of governments.

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• 1979: David Carter becomes Executive Director of MACOG • 1979: Senator Pete Domenici pushes to get feasibility study complete for the

“Gallup-Navajo Water Pipeline.” • 1980: Interstate 40 (“I-40”) opens in October 1980. • June 19, 1981: Cibola County becomes New Mexico’s 33rd County.

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La

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• 1983: Keith Landolt is named MACOG Director • 1984: Navajo Tribal Chairman Peterson Zah gives support for the Navajo-Gallup

Water Supply Project in December 1984.

• 1985: Patricia “Patty” Lundstrom becomes the new Executive Director of the COG.

• 1985: MACOG begins providing services to the City of Grants in February 1985 and is also a member of the Mid-Region Council of Governments for a short period of time.

• June 24, 1987: MACOG changes its name to the Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments.

• July 1987: Cibola and San Juan Counties officially join Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments.

• July 1987: The Village of Milan joins NWNMCOG.

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http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=New+Mexico+Legislature&FORM=HDRSC2


Council of Governments Timeline

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• 1990: NWNMCOG receives a 2-year Robert Wood Johnson Foundation “Fighting Back Initiative” planning grant in February 1990. Jeff Kiely is hired by the COG to coordinate this regional project.

• 1991: The US Department of Commerce designates Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments as an Economic Development District March 1991

• 1991: NWNMCOG facilitates the creation of the San Juan Forum. • 1992: NWNMCOG chairs the inter-agency Steering Committee on the Navajo-

Gallup Water Supply Project from 1992-2009, culminating in March 2009 in Congressional authorization and commitment of about $1 Billion in funding.

• 1992: Northwest Regional Planning Organization (the “RPO”) forms in November 1992. • 1993: NWNMCOG is awarded a 5-year, $3 Million implementation grant by The Robert

Wood Johnson Foundation for the “Fighting Back Initiative”; this is subsequently transferred to the new 501(c)(3) nonprofit Northwest New Mexico Fighting Back, Inc.

• 1993: NWNMCOG receives its first of 4 grants from The Ford Foundation, starting with the “McKinley County Public Partnership” and including formation and operation of the regional Community Development Corporation (CDC) in December 1995.

• 1994: NWNMCOG competes for USDA designation under the Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community (EZ/EC) program; achieves 3rd-tier “Champion Community” status after Federal regulations exclude most of the region.

• 1996: Future Foundations Family Center is created in Cibola County. • 1996: NWNMCOG partners with the City of Farmington to garner $1 Million in

support of the “Enterprise Center” small business incubator and to establish the Northwest New Mexico Enterprise Loan Fund (ELF) to improve access to capital for small businesses throughout the tri-county region.

• 1997: NWNMCOG provides Board leadership and town hall facilitation support for the Colorado Plateau Forum, 1997-2003.

• 2004: The State of New Mexico lifts its moratorium to designate the “Native Heritage Trail” as a Scenic Byway, later taking on the title “Trail of the Ancients” to align with byways in Colorado, Utah and Arizona, and to gain Federal designation.

• March 2009: U.S. President Obama signs the Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2009, including authorization to fund and construct the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.

• October 2009: NWNMCOG receives a 3-year, $1 Million ARRA stimulus grant to implement the Northwest New Mexico Brownfields Assessment Coalition Program.

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• March 2010: Patty Lundstrom retires from the COG, and Jeff Kiely takes the helm as Executive Director of Northwest New Mexico COG.

• 2010: NWNMCOG leverages a US Department of Energy grant to establish a regional Energy Efficiency & Conservation program.

• June 2011: New Mexico House Memorial 18 designates Gallup as the “Adventure Capital of New Mexico.”

• June 2012: National Geographic celebrates at Aztec Ruins its designation of the Four Corners as one of its 17 “World Class Destination” regions in the world and launches its 4 Corners Geotourism MapGuide and interactive website.

• August 2012: The Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments Celebrates its 40th Anniversary

• April 2013: NWNMCOG launches and leads the “Panoramic” software project to support statewide coordination of data and planning work in transportation, capital outlay and economic development.


Year COG Director Board Chair

1972

Jeff Meyer, a 1967 graduate from the University of

Wisconsin

Edward Junker

1973 J.A. (Red) Abeyta

1974

1975 J.A Abeyta; Dan Gutierrez gets

elected in July 1975

1976 Jeff Meyers continues as Director and in the

Summer of 1976 Elizabeth DiGregorio becomes

MACOG Director

Dan Gutierrez

1977 Elizabeth DiGregorio

1978

1979 Elizabeth DiGregorio leaves MACOG in early 1979 &

is replaced by Acting Director David “Dave” Carter;

a graduate from ASU with a degree in Economics.

1980 David Carter officially named COG Director in

October 1980 1981

1982

1983 David Carter leaves in February 1983 and replaced

by Keith Landolt in March 1983

George Hight, Gallup City

Councilor (5/1983)

1984 Keith Landolt Gloria Howes, McKinley County

1985 Keith Landolt (9/85) leaves the COG and Patty

Lundstrom becomes Director

Tom “Speedy” Trujillo City of

Gallup

1986

Patty Lundstrom

Gloria Howes, McKinley County

1987 Tom “Speedy” Trujillo, City of

Gallup 1988

1989 Tom Trujillo, City of Gallup; in

April 1989 Ronald Morsbach,

McKinley County

1990 Ron Morsbach, McKinley

County

1991 Dr. William Hall, City of

Farmington 1992

1993 Dr. William Hall, City of

Farmington, in 11/93 Charlie

Chavez, City of Gallup

1994 Charlie Chavez, City of Gallup

1995

1996 Warren H. Mathers, Village of

Milan 1997

1998

1999 Ron Morsbach, Ramah WSD

2000

40 years of COG Leadership


Year COG Director Board Chair

2001

Patty Lundstrom

Ron Morsbach, Ramah WSD 2002

2003

Dr. William Hall, City of

Farmington

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010 Patty Lundstrom retires May 2010; Jeff Kiely

becomes Executive Director

2011

Jeff Kiely Billy Moore, McKinley County 2012

2013

The Common Denominator:

“What’s good for me, is good for you and what’s good for you is good for me... that is always what I have seen as Executive Director in 25 years…,”

Patty Lundstrom


At a Legislative Forum held in Grants in December

2012, the Cibola County Economic Development

Foundation (CCEDF) requested assistance in

Broadband planning and development. The

message was clear: Broadband is a critical piece

needed for economic development and recruitment

opportunities in Cibola County and throughout the

region. Following the forum, the Economic

Development Organizations (EDOs) of the tri-county

area met with the COG and jointly developed a

strategy for financing this planning effort.

The COG partnered with CCEDF, Four Corners

Economic Development, Inc., and Greater Gallup

Economic Development Corporation to develop the

“I-40 Connect” Broadband Plan, later evolving into

the NW New Mexico Broadband &

Telecommunications Plan.

The COG then conducted extensive research into

Broadband planning nationwide, including working

with North Central New Mexico Economic

Development District, leader of a regional

Broadband deployment strategy in Northern New

Mexico through REDINET. The COG developed additional partnerships with REDINET, CenturyLink,

New Mexico Economic Development Department, New Mexico Public Regulatory Commission, New

Mexico Department of Information Technology, Navajo Nation Telecommunications Regulatory

Commission, and Sacred Wind Communications.

During the 2013 Legislative Session, the COG

facilitated a second meeting with NMDOIT presenting

on a Statewide Broadband Plan and regional pilot

planning projects. The group discussed including San

Juan County and making this a truly regional endeavor. The Statewide Plan and the regional

pilots must have broad-based support from four sectors: economic development; health;

education; and tribal.

Regional Solutions: Broadband


Based on NMDOIT’s guidance, the COG worked on developing a grass-tops stakeholder list that

could be recruited and involved in the regional planning in each of the four targeted sectors;

the COG continues to look for partners in these areas relative to Broadband planning.

The COG was also recruited to represent the region on the New Mexico First/DOIT Leadership

Team for developing the Statewide Plan. The COG will be working with regional EDO’s and their

Boards to catalyze regional and local involvement, including the first phase of conducting a

public survey. The survey is a general survey with three add-ons for each sector (education,

health, and business). The COG will be collaborating with its regional partners to distribute and

collect feedback from strategic participants.

In efforts for financing

strategies for the regional

Broadband Plan, the COG

and its partners worked

with Representative Patty

Lundstrom and Senator

George Munoz to advocate

for $50,000 for Broadband

planning focused on Cibola

County and the Navajo

Nation; however, this was

line-item vetoed by the

Governor. The CCEDF has

been working with the COG

on utilizing NMFA Planning

grant funds. Initial

conversations with NMFA staff have determined that broadband planning is not eligible; however,

the COG is working to deepen and re-frame the engagement with NMFA. Lastly, NM DOIT had

$150,000 in technical and broadband planning consulting services available to fund pilot

broadband initiatives in two regions in the State. The COG subsequently applied for this

designation, but was not selected for the pilot due to higher levels of need demonstrated by

applicants in the Northeast and Southwest regions of the State.

For the New Mexico Broadband portal, go to:

http://www.doit.state.nm.us/broadband/index.shtml

http://www.doit.state.nm.us/broadband/index.shtml


Program Statistics:

18 interested in

December 2012

Orientation

Session

13 started the

program in

January 2013

7 graduated in

September 2013

Classes were

held every

Thursday for 6

hours

Rural Microenterprise Incubator Project

Last year, the Council of Governments received a $29,000 subgrant from New Mexico

Community Capital under a W.K. Kellogg Foundation/Tides Foundation grant to support “women

in enterprise” in New Mexico by establishing a rural “micro-enterprise incubator.” The COG’s

partner and subcontractor in the field is Tohatchi Area of Opportunity & Service, Inc. (TAOS).

The COG and TAOS further partnered with the University of New Mexico via UNM-Gallup’s

Business Technology Department and Rural Entrepreneurial Institute (REI), to develop and deliver

an all-encompassing curriculum covering marketing, customer

service, business management practices, finance, development of a

sound business plan, ethics, and internet and web-based marketing.

Courses also incorporate guest presentations from a variety of

organizations throughout New Mexico and the Navajo Nation

The program was designed to work with micro-entrepreneurs from

rural Navajo communities along US 491 by utilizing the new Navajo

Tourism Welcome Center at Sheep Springs, New Mexico as a rural

micro-enterprise incubator. The grant is primarily intended to help

reduce poverty (34%) and unemployment rates (averaging 20%),

and assist female single-parent households by providing technical

support and training in growing small family businesses. However,

other rural micro-entrepreneurs are also welcome to participate, and

the first milestone for participating businesses is to achieve a 75%

increase in sales in the course of a year.

Recruitment of participants into the project proved more challenging

than expected, and additional outreach methods have been used

(including radio PSAs) to engage the interest and enrollment of

area micro-entrepreneurs.

The first round of micro-enterprise classes began in December 2012

and ended in the Summer of 2013, resulting in seven graduates of the program. Classes were

held on Thursdays, alternating between the UNM-Gallup campus and TAOS class facilities in

Tohatchi.

Regional Solutions and Highlights: ECONOMY


Building on this Micro-enterprise Incubator grant project, the COG and UNM-Gallup applied for

and was awarded a USDA-Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) for $40,000. The grant will

help compensate UNM-Gallup staff for their instruction and management of the training.

Additional expansion of the program includes an agricultural component—a Farmer’s Market

Project. The COG, TAOS, and UNM-Gallup, with further support from New Mexico Community

Capital and USDA are working to develop local and regional farmers’ markets in efforts to

increase “farm-to-table,” organic produce opportunities for local farmers and ranchers. It is

hoped, that local farmers markets can lead to larger organic produce opportunities and

eventually supplementing or supplying entire local grocers and area school systems and other

institutions.


Regional Energy Efficiency Program

In 2012, the COG executed a

contract with Eaton Energy

Solutions, Inc., a full service

and turnkey energy services

company or aka, an “ESCO”.

The COG created a

comprehensive energy services

and solutions contract which

would allow our members to

piggyback for any and all

energy management and

efficiency needs. There are 5

key services:

1. audits;

2. commissioning

3. retro-commissioning, and

4. retrofits.

The fifth is a specific one that

will support upfront hard costs

for capitalizing energy

efficiency projects. This

financing mechanism is

performance contracting. The

Performance Contracting

Model allows the ESCO to

identify and evaluate energy-

saving opportunities and then

recommend a package of

improvements to be paid for

through savings. The ESCO

guarantees that savings will meet or exceed annual payments to cover all project costs—usually

over a contract term of 7 to 10 years. If savings don't materialize, the ESCO pays the

difference, not you.

Regional Solutions and Highlights: ENERGY


Through the last year, COG staff worked tirelessly in translating McKinley County’s facility energy

audit recommendations into an investment grade package. On August 29th, the McKinley County

Commission approved a $2M package of proposed energy efficiency projects that will be

financed by local bonding. The guaranteed savings will pay back this initial investment and is

estimated to reduce the County’s $680,000 utility bills and $120,000 in outside maintenance

annually by $238,000 (including $174,000 in utility costs and $64,000 in maintenance and

capital costs). The graph shows this distribution over the life of the performance contract.

The COG has also been working on a grant application with the City of Gallup to NM Energy,

Minerals, and Natural Resources Department for funding to start energy audits at all City

facilities. Initial meetings in Cibola County about pursuing this same strategy for all members

and even the School District and NMSU-Grants are underway. Eaton Energy Solutions has also

been an important technical consultant of solar installation and production projects, and brings

a diverse knowledge base that can be brought to bear for our members. Finally, the COG has

been researching and improving its

own working knowledge on natural

gas demand side strategies,

including fleet conversions and

filling stations. The COG sees this

regional program as a mechanism

that can reduce operating and

capital improvement budgets during

a time of intense government

budget pressures.


Brownfields: Building Sustainable Communities & Revitalizing Our Region

In 2009, the COG applied

for and was awarded a

3-year, $1 million

Brownfields Assessment

grant under the American

Recovery & Reinvestment

Act (ARRA). Since 2009,

the COG has successfully

administered this

Brownfields program by

working with COG member

governments and tribes in

the region. The program

has flourished over the

last three years as a

result of intensive COG

outreach efforts.

The COG successfully

completed the ARRA

Brownfields Assessment

program in the first quarter of FY 13, working hard to finalize environmental assessments on

brownfields sites throughout the region and to close out the three-year grant. In 2013, the

COG revitalized its coalition of support and re-applied for additional assessment funding to

complete some projects in the region; unfortunately this was not funded. The COG is excited at

its chances of being awarded again, and needs input on potential sites or redevelopment efforts.

The COG continued its collaboration with the EPA and New Mexico Environment Department, as

we worked to help transform “brown to green” with cost-effective and sustainable re-

development in our communities.

The COG helped to kickstart tribal participation in the Brownfields program in the region

including Acoma, Laguna, and Zuni Pueblos. Regional partner, Zuni Pueblo was recognized for

its efforts and a model as a tribal community with a legacy of past contamination. Zuni

Pueblo’s Brownfield efforts inspire new EPA redevelopment guide. This new resource, Equitable

Redevelopment of Petroleum Brownfields for Zuni Pueblo and Other Tribal Communities, is a

step-by-step guide that will be of assistance in navigating the unique circumstances that face

tribal communities in brownfields redevelopment. You can access the guide here:

http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/specialprojects.htm.

Regional Solutions: ENVIRONMENT

http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/specialprojects.htm


Tapping the Power of “Cloud” Technology

To Transform the Planning & Development Process

Year after year, COG staff have heard the complaints from our partners (and from ourselves!):

“We made our case, but they didn’t buy it.” “We gave them a complete packet, but they didn’t

read it.” “I don’t think they understood the project.” “By the time the committee got to us, it

all sounded the same. They couldn’t tell our proposal from anybody else’s.” “They kept asking

us where the project was, and we explained it, but they still didn’t get it.” “They asked

questions I wasn’t ready for. I didn’t have the maps with me.”

Now, we have a way forward. It’s called “Panoramic.” The Northwest COG is serving as the

lead agency on behalf of the COGs in the State – the New Mexico Association of Regional

Councils (NewMARC) – on a pilot project to design and build a special Panoramic website to

capture, map, manage and present projects in transportation, economic development, capital

outlay, and other development areas.

Panoramic© is a cutting-edge, web-based (or “cloud”-based) software tool that provides a user-

friendly, flexible, visual and interactive platform for managing complex systems of projects and

initiatives in a streamlined and collaborative way. Panoramic is a software product and service

of Paladin Data Systems of Poulsbo, Washington.

Regional Solutions: TECHNOLOGY


The COG discovered this new planning tool during Executive Director Jeff Kiely’s participation in

the April 2012 RPO America Rural Transportation Conference held by the National Association of

Development Organizations (NADO) in Burlington, Vermont. Paladin Data representative Jeff

Pavey provided a presentation and hosted an exhibit booth at the conference. Mr. Kiely was

impressed by the presentation, which showcased applications of Panoramic in Washington State,

managing information and communication among 10,000 salmon recovery projects and hundreds

of transportation projects for the state’s 14 RTPOs (regional transportation planning

organizations) and the Washington Department of Transportation.

Within a few months, the rest of the COGs in the state took interest in Panoramic, along with

several State agencies, and our Northwest New Mexico COG invited Paladin Data to start looking

at building a website in New Mexico on behalf of NewMARC. North Central New Mexico

Economic Development District assisted by securing pilot project funding from the New Mexico

DOT and New Mexico Aging & Long-Term Services Department. Northwest COG was set up as

fiscal agent, and Paladin was

contracted to start the

website building process.

As of Spring 2013 and the

end of the fiscal year,

NewMARC’s Panoramic website

was well into the design of

web app sites for the

Northwest and North Central

districts for transportation and

aging projects. Panoramic is

also being considered as a tool for organizing the Statewide Comprehensive Economic

Development Strategy (CEDS) under grant funding from the US Economic Development

Administration, with economic development soon to follow. Northwest COG, our NewMARC

colleagues and Paladin Data were scheduled to present on Panoramic at the NADO Annual

Training Conference in San Francisco in late August 2013 and at the New Mexico Infrastructure

Finance Conference in Isleta in mid-October 2013.

We are well on our way to our goal of including all 7 COGs in New Mexico in the Panoramic

initiative, which we hope will help transform the planning and development process in our

regions and statewide.


Adventure Gallup & Beyond

Thirteen years ago, this COG

initiative originated from our role

as a regional district for the US

Economic Development

Administration and under our

regional Comprehensive Economic

Strategy Plan (CEDS). The

concept was to create an

economic driver through adventure

tourism. By planning, developing,

and marketing outdoor venues and

trails in and around Gallup, we could use our existing assets to create business opportunities

and generate revenues. Today, Adventure Gallup & Beyond is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization

representing key entities and stakeholders that drive its success.

Success breeds success. Gallup is becoming a destination for outdoor enthusiasts of all types.

In 2012, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and National Park Service Director Jonathan B.

Jarvis recognized High Desert Trail System, a 26 mile single track, stacked loop system built

entirely on private land, as a National Recreation Trail. In October, the City of Gallup told its

story at the World Summit of the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) in Santa Fé,

which began the

movement towards

becoming the first

IMBA Ride Center

designated in New

Mexico.

Regional Solutions: Quality of Life


2013 has been filled with more recognition:

USA Cycling held the National 24-Hours mountain bike race, on the McGaffey Trail

System, with over 500 racers from around the nation. The COG has been an important

partner in the Zuni Mountains Trail Partnership, which is working with US Forest Service

on designation over 150+ miles of singletrack trails throughout Cibola and McKinley

counties.

September 20-22nd, Levi Leipheimer, US Cycling Legend, is coming to Gallup. He

will be assisting in several events to raise funding for the IMBA Ride Center designation

and to help Gallup officials host the grand opening of Gallup’s newest adventure asset

the Gallup Brickyard Bike Park, a multi-use trails system.

The COG is working on a comprehensive economic impact report that tracks and

quantifies direct and indirect economic impact of these assets, venues, and events. We

expect this to be published and available by year’s end.


NWRTPO: Northwest Regional Transportation Planning Organization

In the past year, in anticipation of changes in the Federal highway bill, the COG’s

transportation function took on a minor name change to insert the word “Transportation” –

thus the NWRTPO: “Northwest New Mexico Regional Transportation Planning Organization.”

The new moniker was adopted under a new set of Bylaws, which were approved by the local

and tribal membership of the RTPO. Under this banner, the RTPO continued its leadership

work at the local, regional, state and national levels – pushing for administrative and policy

reforms to protect and expand funding investments in rural and small town New Mexico.

Our labors have begun to show fruit, even as federal and state budgets have retrenched.

On the Leading Edge. Inspired by a Spring 2012 presentation at the RPO America Rural

Transportation Conference organized in Burlington, Vermont by the National Association of

Development Organizations (NADO), the Northwest New Mexico COG has taken the lead in

adopting and piloting a revolutionary technology called Panoramic© -- a web-based project

mapping and collaboration site that will help manage and present information on a wide range

of projects and initiatives. Spurred on by seed funding from the New Mexico Department of

Transportation and strong partnership with North Central New Mexico Economic Development

District, the COG has contracted with Paladin Data Systems of Poulsbo, Washington to build

this website – beginning with the RTPO’s project data and to be followed by sites devoted to

economic development, capital outlay and other planning and development disciplines.

Performance Kudos. This summer, the New Mexico DOT Planning Division conducted an on-

site program audit of the RTPO, which we “passed with flying colors” – with some of our work

being identified by the Department as “best practices” for dissemination to other RTPOs

statewide. The COG administers annual DOT contracts at $65,000 per year to manage the

RTPO process for our part of the state.

RTPO members include member cities and counties, as well as Native American tribal nations

within the region, excluding the metropolitan planning area encompassed by Farmington, Aztec

and Bloomfield in San Juan County, which is served by an MPO (Metropolitan Planning

Organization) managed by the City of Farmington.

The Northwest RTPO Committee is chaired by Royce Gchachu of the Pueblo of Zuni.

Regional Solutions: TRANSPORTATION


Program Efficiency. The COG worked internally and with the DOT to streamline

documentation and reporting protocols, including standardization of the Annual Work Plan to

align with other RTPOs throughout the State – thus creating new efficiencies in the allocation

of staff time and opening up new opportunities for strategic planning and support of key

initiatives.

RTPO Leadership & Governance. Under the new RTPO Bylaws, the governing group is

considered a joint Policy and Technical Committee, with members appointed by the respective

RTPO entities. The group’s primary oversight is for the annual preparation of the “Regional

Transportation Improvement Plan Recommendations” (RTIPR), as well as review and

recommendation of special projects, such as in public transit. Policy issues are referred back

to the local entities for review before votes are taken within the RTPO Committee process.

Statewide Coordination. Speaking of leading edge, performance, efficiency and governance,

the Northwest RTPO worked closely within the framework of the statewide COG association,

the New Mexico Association of Regional Councils (NewMARC), to advocate with New Mexico

DOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for a “single contract” for the RTPOs

statewide, to be administered by NewMARC with North Central New Mexico EDD as the

administrative agent. This plan would increase efficiency and accountability for both the

Department and the Regions, as well as increase the flow of resources to the RTPOs. The

proposal was initially rejected by the New Mexico office of the FHWA, but consultation

continues on this promising initiative.


Additionally, COG staff provided active leadership in the statewide “RPO Roundtable”

quarterly meetings, including roundtables in Clovis (August), Silver City (November), Santa Fe

(March), and Laguna (June), and participated in several meetings of the State Transportation

Commission.

Roundtable work included co-development and review with DOT staff of a new Policies &

Procedures Manual to better define working relationships and roles between DOT and the

MPOs and RTPOs.

The COG also joined forces with the statewide RTPOs in hosting an exhibit booth at the New

Mexico Infrastructure Finance Conference in Taos in October, as well as at the New Mexico

State Legislature in conjunction with “Transportation Day at the Legislature” in early March.

The COG/NWRTPO began consultations and processes for engaging several statewide

programs and planning updates, including:

Long Range Transportation Plan;

Freight Plan (to be included as an element of the LRTP);

Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), as identified in MAP-21, for which

new regulations, procedures will be required;

Functional Classification plan update, per FHWA guidelines;

Rail Plan

Safe Routes to School program – tapping unspent SRTS funds.

Local Consultation. A primary federal mandate for the RTPOs across the country is to

facilitate engagement and input by local government officials into federal and state policies,

priorities and funding plans. In service to this objective, NWRTPO Planner Bob Kuipers

conducted orientation sessions with the Eastern Navajo Roads Committee (July), Acoma, Zuni,

Laguna and Ramah Navajo in a joint meeting with the BIA Indian Reservation Roads (IRR)

program (March), and San Juan County (May).


Four Corners Geotourism Stewardship Council

Building on the region’s great collaboration with the National Geographic, the COG continued

to support efforts in promoting the Four Corners Geotourism MapGuide.

The MapGuide highlights the enchanted landscaped and enduring people of our region by

showcasing our numerous natural, cultural, historic, event, and adventure attractions in and

around the Four Corners area to audience around the world. The Four Corners area is only

one of 17 Geotourism locations designated by National Geographic worldwide. The

Stewardship Council continues to support this four-state (New Mexico, Arizona, Utah,

Colorado) collaborative which also includes the tribes, particularly, the Navajo Nation. Bob

Kuipers represents our COG on this Stewardship Council.

The website was launched last year and continues to grow as more in our Region take

advantage of this opportunity. A Geotourism Fair was held this past June in Aztec; the Fair

showcased our region’s many unique and awe-inspiring scenic, historical, and cultural

destinations with plenty of information on the latest in Four Corners activities and events.

Regional Solutions: TOURISM


“Real Water for Real People in Real Time”

As Federally-funded construction began on the Navajo-Gallup Water

Supply Project – the largest infrastructure investment in recent New

Mexico history -- the City of Gallup, McKinley County, and the small

water systems in the Gallup regional water commons intensified their

work to ready their systems for the connection to the regional water

project. The Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, championed by the

New Mexico Congressional Delegation for over 20 years, aims to

provide a long-term water supply to over 40 rural Chapters of the

Navajo Nation and to Gallup and its neighbors. The project is

expected to be complete by 2040, by which time it will have the

capacity to provide sustainable water supply to more than 250,000

residents of the region.

Regional Solutions: WATER

New Mexico Senators Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman (both now retired), and current Senator Tom Udall have been strong advocates for the NGWSP.

McKinley County Appraisal Level Investigation of Small Water Systems that may

benefit from connecting to the NGWSP.


Meanwhile, the COG

continues to guide

water regionalization

efforts for small

systems. Through a

grant from the

Bureau of

Reclamation, several

small water systems

in McKinley County

have been evaluated

for water delivery

alternatives. This

Appraisal level

investigation will

identify the preferred

alternatives for

ensuring long-term

water supply needs

for these small rural

water systems of

McKinley County.

On the part of the

small water systems,

they too have been

getting ready to

regionalize. In fact,

many small systems

have been working to

upgrade and make ready their systems for eventual connection to the Navajo-Gallup Water

Supply Project; as indicated this year by Gamerco Water & Sanitation District, which was

awarded a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant to complete the upgrade of their

water system with new service lines, valves, and installation of fire hydrant assemblies.

Simultaneously, a handful of small rural water systems in San Juan County are working to

regionalize also. Small systems located between the City of Aztec and LaPlata, New Mexico,

are working to regionalize into one larger system as well as several systems just outside

the City of Bloomfield. Securing our water commons is definitely a major component of the

COG’s work.


Community Development Block Grant Funding

McKinley County

Once again,

Northwest New

Mexico prevails as

two member

governments

successfully apply

and were awarded

$500,000

Community

Development Block

Grant (CDBG)

Construction grant

funding. In

McKinley County,

the County

successfully worked

with local small

water system, Gamerco Water & Sanitation District for the third phase of a four-phase project

that began more than 10 years ago. This Phase III will improve the water system by replacing

over 3,450 linear feet of waterline, install new check & gate valves throughout the system, and

install 13 new fire hydrant assemblies for the system that serves more than 500 water

connections. The Gamerco Water and Sanitation District Board worked hard to make

themselves ready of the grant and project, even working during the holidays in December to

complete a community income survey. They also successfully worked to educate the local

Community Development Committee Representative Elmer Chavez on their project and later

presented to the Community Development Committee along with new Commissioner Tony

Tanner in mid-May. All the work and effort eventually paid off with the announcement of

award for the project. Upon completion of the project, Gamerco Water and Sanitation District

will be ready to regionalize.

Local Initiatives/Regional Impact

Schematic of Gamerco Water System Improvements


Cibola County

For 30 years, a small entry way and a front desk were just mere steps from the front door,

which lead to narrow hallways, and a “pharmacy” with dimensions that would challenge even a

broom closet; but, Cibola County residents will no longer contend with such substandard

conditions with their public health office. In 2012, Cibola County purchased a nearly vacant

strip mall for expansion of the County administrative offices and designated a 7,000+ square

foot space for the new public health office. The following year, the County applied for and

was awarded a $500,000 CDBG Construction grant for the new public health office. On

average 62% of the current health office clientele are uninsured or underinsured and tend to

go without regular medical services and few, if any, have preventative care visits. The clinic

serves Cibola County’s patients from as far away as Fence Lake, on the western edge of the

County, to those in the “metro-area” of Grants-Milan and all points between & beyond. The

underserved and uninsured depend on the public health offices services with chronic diseases

but also for:

Basic diagnostic laboratory

Pharmacy

On-site childhood

immunizations

Family Planning Services

STD exams

Harm Reduction

Women, Infants and Children

(WIC) services

Emergency preparedness

The residents of Cibola County will

greatly benefit from a clinic that will

double in size compared to the existing facilities. A larger conference and training facilities for

family oriented programs; needed employment of various healthcare professionals; and an

expanded health care program are also expected, as a result of the new healthcare facility.


McKinley County Community Wildfire Protection Plan

In early 2013, the McKinley County and the Council of Governments began working with

consultants, Forest Guild out of Santa Fe, to update the McKinley County Community Wildfire

Protection Plan. The existing plan was developed in 2008 more than 5 years ago. With the

guidance of Forest Guild, McKinley County Fire Department and Emergency Management,

reached out to area Forestry and Fire Management Departments including the National Parks

Service, State Forestry Department, Pueblo of Zuni, Navajo Nation Forestry, Bureau of Indian

Affairs, the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, and many within the local communities, through a

series of public meetings in Gallup, Ramah, and Navajo, NM.

Recommendations for the reduction of fuels risks, fire response capacity, and community

education and capacity were identified as priority. Implementation may lead to additional

collaboration among McKinley County Volunteer Fire Departments, other State or Tribal

Forestry and Emergency Response Programs, and perhaps, the Northwest New Mexico Regional

Solid Waste, as homeowners work to reduce fuels risks around their homes and dispose of

green waste. The Solid Waste Authority may begin receiving green waste for composting

purposes.


Your Council of Governments Staff

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

Jeffrey G. Kiely, Executive Director

Evan Williams, Deputy Director

ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM

Bebe Sarmiento, Executive Secretary

Teresa Mecale, Finance Manager

Martina Whitmore, Finance Assistant

PLANNING TEAM

Robert Kuipers, Regional Planner

Prestene Garnenez, Regional Planner

Marco Pablo, Associate Planner

www.nwnmcog.com

Follow us on Twitter @NWNMCOG

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http://www.nwnmcog.com/

annual report final 2013

Documents

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large city of farmington

cibola mckinley san

new mexico regional

street gallup

board chairman

regional champions

new mexico legislature