Episode is one in string of costly infrastructure woes for Gallup

A significant water and sewer line break disrupted business at two hotels and a fast food restaurant and forced the city to shut off water April 3 at 20 residences, officials said.

Dennis Romero, city water and sanitation director, said a leak was called into Metro Dispatch at around 8:30 am. The break occurred at the intersection of Ford Drive and Aztec Avenue and impacted the smooth flow of business at the Best Western Plus, Taco Bell and the El Rancho Hotel.

The three businesses are located less than a mile from each other. The homes in question are located off Ford Drive. The break is connected to a 10-inch cast iron pipe that was installed in 1948, Romero advised. As of Wednesday of this week, work crews were still making repairs to the line on near 24-hour shifts.

“The caller stated that water was seeping up from the asphalt,” Romero said of how the city was informed of the matter. “We responded and quickly got to work on what needed to be done.”

In explaining the cause of the problem, Romero said a 4-to-5 foot section of the line was corroded and simply split. He said the section of the pipe in question was located underneath a 4-foot concrete storm drain.

“We had to remove the concrete structure, place a new 5-foot section of line in and pressurize the line,” Romero said. “One side of the line started leaking through, so we had to re-work the repair.”

Romero stated that city work crews are completing repairs and not an outside firm. “No outside assistance was required,” Romero said. However, Romero added that after locating the leak, it was necessary to call in the Albuquerque-based Adame Construction to remove a portion of the concrete storm drain, as it was determined that it would not be safe to work on the line with the structure in place. Adame is in the process of fixing another repair that occurred at Fifth Street and Hill Avenue several weeks ago. That water line break destroyed at least one Chihuahita home.

Rory Palmore, the manager at Best Western, said the 69-room hotel experienced a water outage for almost 24 hours. He said when such a water break situation happens, it’s a “far-reaching” effect with respect to nearby businesses.

“We sent a lot of our guests to the El Rancho because they have a restaurant and a very good restaurant,” Palmore stated. “But we couldn’t do that because they didn’t have water, either.” Palmore did not say how much revenue the Best Western lost, but said guests could not check in as normal and some reservations could not be honored.

An employee who answered the telephone at Taco Bell said water was off “for a long time” and that the normal routine of doing things was interrupted. The employee asked that her name not be used in the newspaper.

Romero said the area impacted by the water outage goes from Burke Drive to Aztec. He said the water outage went as far south as Hill Avenue.

Romero said the city is using the CodeRed system to let impacted residents know that free water was available at Fire Station No. 1 at the intersection of Second Street and Nizhoni Drive. “We can deliver the water if necessary,” Romero said.

Regarding the repair, Romero said, “Due to the lack of restraints for the line, we had to use full body flanges and mega lugs for the thrust that a pressurized line would create.” Romero did not give cost estimates regarding the repair. He said it could take about a week for things to return to normal at Ford Canyon and Aztec Avenue.

Water service at the impacted areas was restored at about 3 pm April 4, Romero said.

By Bernie Dotson
Sun Correspondent

The Gallup City Council unanimously passed a management agreement related to the veterans center along West Maloney Avenue.

The action took place at the March 28 regular city meeting and was not met with opposition by council members or members of the community. City Attorney George Kozeliski introduced the matter to council members.

“Everything is the same in this agreement as per a previous agreement,” Kozeliski told council members. “It is a management agreement that needs your approval.”

Kozeliski said the veterans center building, located at 204 W. Maloney Ave., used to be a fire station up until about three years ago.

“It was the old, closed north side fire station,” he said.

Joe Zecca, a retired U.S. Navy veteran, said renewing the management agreement allows vets a convenient place to meet. Zecca is a signee to the management document and is chairman of the Gallup Area Veterans Council, Inc.

“I think it’s a good thing that we have that building to meet at,” Zecca said. “I’m glad both sides agreed on this.”

Noting some history of the building, Kozeliski said the city owns the structure outright. He said the building was being used to store fire equipment and to house the fire marshal prior to the veterans occupying it. And the city fire marshal moved to another building near the Harold Runnels Swimming Pool Complex, Kozeliski noted.

“The mayor and council were looking for a place for the veterans to gather and it was decided that this would work,” Kozeliski said.

The agreement expires on June 30, 2019, or until a permanent place is found for veterans, the document reads.

Dave Cuellar, a Vietnam Veteran (U.S. Army) and retired police officer, who also sits on the veterans council, is a prominent member of the group Veterans Helping Veterans. This group has taken on the responsibility of opening the center’s doors each day and providing a safe haven for local vets.

Their biweekly meeting held on Fridays at Don Diego’s, usually attracts about 100-150 veterans from the area.

He said having the center available at other times for meetings, gatherings and socializing has made a difference in countless lives.

“I am really grateful for the city providing us use of this building,” he said

Cuellar said the group rolls out the red carpet to families that need a nice place to have a reception to honor a loved one that served in the Armed Forces, and has passed on.

With the city taking care of the rent, VHV doesn’t have to worry about overhead and can focus on what the group does best – taking on veterans causes such as raising funds for a mammoth size flagpole, and equally stated flag at the location of the future veterans cemetery. The main entrance will be off Hassler Valley Road, near the Community Pantry.

Cuellar said the smoke and alcohol free veterans center has its doors opens on most days, and attracts some interesting characters and strikes up fond memories.

“We have had some good conversations in there,” he said. “You never know whose going to show up.”

THE AGREEMENT STATES, AMONG OTHER THINGS:

• The city pays the veterans center manager $500 per month (Joe Zecca).

• The city is responsible for the electricity, water, sewer and solid waste charges and center management is responsible for natural gas charges.

• The (minor) repairs to doors, windows, trim, drains and pipes are the responsibility of building management. (Minor repairs are those under $200 per month, the agreement states).

By Bernie Dotson

Sun Correspondent

Agreement OK’d with Youth Center

State Rep. Patricia Lundstrom, D-Gallup, briefed the Gallup City Council March 28 on the happenings at the 2017 session of the New Mexico Legislature. Lundstrom’s remarks were for discussion purposes only and were not intended to be voted on.

Lundstrom told council members that the 2017 legislative session, which convened Jan. 17, saw 277 bills approved out of nearly 1,000 that were considered.

“This was an approval rate not seen since 2003,” Lundstrom said. “The governor has already acted on a number of bills and has until April 7 to act on the remaining bills or they will be automatically vetoed.”

Lundstrom, elected in 2001, said the budget dominated the bulk of discussions at the Roundhouse this time around, but there were equally heated discussions about the minimum wage, ethics, public safety and job creation. Lundstrom, who sits on the appropriations and finance committee, said New Mexico’s population is flat.

“There are more people moving out than in,” she said. “But our death rate is lower than our birth rate. So, overall our population is remaining flat. Every sector of our economy is sluggish, except for our health care industry.”

Gallup won’t see much, probably nothing, in capital outlay funds due to the statewide budget crunch, Lundstrom informed.

“Gallup, nor any other municipality in the state, most likely won’t receive capital outlay funds,” she said.

She continued that capital outlay funds would be used in state projects.

For the next fiscal year, the state legislature approved a $6.1 billion budget package. That amount represents an .04 percent increase over the current state budget.

Lundstrom touched on a few bills that she either sponsored or co-sponsored that have an area impact. A bill on small short term loans, like payday loans or tax return application loans, would have a maximum interest rate of 175 percent over a four-month term and without the possibility of a rollover.

Other relevant bills went through the state legislature, also.

“We approved legislation that allows students to take a 16-month break between high school and college and still be eligible for the lottery scholarship,” she said.

Councilor Fran Palochak thanked Lundstrom for her attentive and intelligent approach at representing Gallup at the state level.

“Thank you very much for what you do,” Palochak said. “You do everything in a very respectful and intelligent way.”

THE GALLUP YOUTH CENTER

The Gallup City Council unanimously approved a management agreement for the Youth Center with the Boys and Girls Club. The matter was presented to council members by City Attorney George Kozeliski.

The current management agreement expires on June 30, 2017. The agreement approved by council members at the Tuesday meeting continues through another two years.

“It was a big savings to simply allow the Boys and Girls Club to manage the facility,” Kozeliski said after the meeting.

Kozeliski noted that there are various entities located in the building that houses the Youth Center. The North Side Senior Center is the primary area and Presbyterian Medical Services runs a clinic inside the edifice, too.

The Boys and Girls Club and senior Center are in the building as well. The Boys and Girls Club manages the Youth Center and is paid by the city to do so.

By Bernie Dotson 
Sun Correspondent

Silversmith drops the hammer on Rangel, Noriega

By Bernie Dotson

Sun Correspondent

Two of the three deputies involved in a physical altercation in January are no longer employed with the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office, officials said. Three others were suspended.

McKinley County Sheriff Ron Silversmith confirmed in a written statement to the Gallup Sun March 22 that termination letters were prepared for Richard Rangel and A.J. Noriega, but, the one-page letter states, “… pursuant to policy and past practices we have accepted resignation in lieu of termination from each.”

Three other deputies received suspensions without pay from between 30 to 45 days, Silversmith wrote. Those deputies are Joey Guillen, Monty Yazzie and Johnson Lee. The annual salary amounts of each of the five deputies in question was not available at press time.

Silversmith continues in the letter that the appropriate personnel actions were taken and the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office will continue to provide transparent and professional services to the citizens of McKinley County.

“I, as the sheriff of McKinley County, would like to thank the community for their patience and understanding with the constitutional due process requirements of these types of actions,” Silversmith wrote. “The laws and processes a local government must take for these types of situations require lengthy and thorough investigation; and due process meetings to come to the appropriate conclusions.”

Guillen, Lee and Rangel were initially placed on paid administrative leave in early January as a result of the reported altercation. They were reinstated Jan. 23 by Silversmith who, along with McKinley County Attorney Doug Decker, revealed ongoing county and state investigations at the time.

Both investigations are complete. The state investigation, conducted by the New Mexico State Police, was initially turned over to McKinley County District Attorney Karl Gillson, but was farmed out to the San Juan County District Attorney’s Office as to avoid conflicts of interest.

A call to the San Juan District Attorney’s Office in Aztec was not immediately returned this week.

Reportedly, Guillen, Lee and Rangel were involved in the beating of Cody Bitsilly, 23, at Noriega’s residence and during a party. A Gallup police officer, five-year veteran Clarissa Morgan, transported Bitsilly to a local hospital. Bitsilly was subsequently flown to an Albuquerque hospital due to the extent of his injuries.

Morgan was not placed on administrative leave of any kind, city police have said, instead, police have said, she took a personal leave of her own volition.

The reasons behind Bitsilly getting beat up are not clear, but comments made to the Gallup Sun have suggested that Bitsilly, believed to be a Phoenix resident, made a pass at Rangel’s girlfriend, who was at the party at Noriega’s place, too.

It is not immediately clear how Yazzie’s name surfaced as his name was not part of the original information given to the Sun by Silversmith regarding the matter. Guillen is a U.S. Navy veteran and near 20 year veteran of the MCSO. Noriega’ name is a constant in day and night police reports, and Rangel, 20, was a superstar basketball player at Gallup High School before joining MCSO.