NMAC News Brief 3/28/2013

ALL AFFILIATES A HUGE THANK YOU GOES TO COUNTY COLLEGE, NM EDGE, AND THE NEWLY ELECTED CLERKS AND TREASURERS THAT ATTENDED BIPO!

REGISTER NOW! APRIL DISTRICT MEETINGS FOR ALL COUNTIES NMAC will be holding six District Meetings beginning April 9, 2013 from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. The NMAC District meetings are:

4/9 District Five: Mimbres Valley Learning Center, 2300 East Pine, Deming, NM 88030 4/10 District Three: Socorro County Annex Bldg, 198 Neel Ave., Socorro, NM 87801 4/11 District One: El Zocalo, 246 S. Camino Del Pueblo, Bernalillo, NM 87004

4/23 District Six: Chaves County Sheriff’s Training Rm, #1 St. Mary’s Place, Roswell, NM 88203 4/24 District Four: Rockin’ Ys’ Roadhouse, 1806 E. Tucumcari Blvd, Tucumcari, NM 88401 4/25 District Two: Plaza Hotel, 230 Park Plaza, Las Vegas, NM 87701

District One: Los Alamos, McKinley, Rio Arriba, Sandoval, San Juan and Santa Fe Counties; District Two: Colfax, Harding, Mora, San Miguel, Taos and Union Counties; District Three: Bernalillo, Catron, Cibola, Socorro and Valencia Counties; District Four: Curry, De Baca, Guadalupe, Quay, Roosevelt and Torrance Counties; District Five: Dona Ana, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna and Sierra Counties; District Six: Chaves, Eddy, Lea, Lincoln and Otero Counties.

At each meeting Paul Gutierrez and the NMAC staff will report on the 2013 Legislative Session and how new laws affect counties. Participants will have an opportunity to meet with county officials in your area and receive an update on NMAC. State Legislators have been invited to attend the lunch portion. All county elected officials, managers, and county employees are encouraged to attend and must register online. There is a $25 registration fee. To register for your District Meeting Click Here To Register ***(By the way, NMAC Board members do not register online but need to RSVP to Susan Mayes, [email protected].)

SIGN UP NOW! ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE OPEN MEETINGS ACT & INSPECTION OF PUBLIC RECORDS ACT WORKSHOP APRIL 25, 2013 Once again the Attorney General’s Office will be hosting a workshop on the Open Meetings Act (OMA) and the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) in Española, NM April 25, 2013. Both workshops are designed to provide assistance to local governments, members of government boards and commissions, and the general public.

"Sunshine Laws" training: 1:30pm - 3:30pm Northern New Mexico College Joseph Montoya Building-Room AD 101 -1 02 921 Paseo de Oñate Española, NM Though the training is offered to you at NO CHARGE, we do ask that you RSVP to the Civil Division's La Verne Roller at [email protected] or 505-827-6063.

SIGN UP NOW! OSHA 10-HOUR CONSTRUCTION SAFETY COURSE Bernalillo County Risk Management is providing another session of the Department of Labor, OSHA 10- hour Construction safety course. There are a few seats open for staff from NMAC member counties The two-day course is April 23rd and 24th. Cost is $5/person for the OSHA completion card. If interested, please contact Safety Specialist Justin Vigil at 505-314-0453.

CHECK THIS OUT! VOLUNTEER FIREMANS INSURANCE SERVICES (VFIS) VFIS, a part of the Glatfelter Insurance Group, has been a partner with NMAC for many years providing accident and sickness insurance for volunteer firefighters, sheriffs’ reserves and other county volunteers. VFIS is the leading insurer of fire departments in New Mexico and in the United States. The Glatfelter Insurance Group also offers property/casualty insurance programs for special districts and joint powers entities, including special districts, irrigation and conservation districts and private and non-profit utilities.

VFIS’s coverage is broad and tailored to the entities they insure. Coverage for special districts includes general liability, public officials and management liability, property, crime and automobile. Excess liability limits can be written for up to $10 million.

For more information on these programs, please contact John Cain at (480) 772-1576 or email him at [email protected].

SIGN UP NOW! NEW MEXICO SHERIFFS’ ASSOCIAITON LEADERSHIP AND TRAINING CONFERENCE APRIL 3-5, 2013 EMBASSY SUITES, ALBUQUERQUE The New Mexico Sheriffs’ Association, the FBI National Academy Associates and NM Department of Corrections are proud to be hosting one of the most dynamic training and leadership conferences this year. All classes are state-certified and certificates WILL BE PRESENTED to attendees on the closing day of the conference, Friday April 5th, 2013.

The $75 registration fee will include 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches, one evening reception (Roast beef carving stations, Caesar salad, & mashed potato bar) and a one-year free membership to the New Mexico Sheriffs’ Association. BOOK YOUR ROOMS NOW AS THE BLOCK WILL FILL UP QUICKLY. CALL 505-245-7100 AND USE NM SHERIFFS CODE TO GET RATE. Go to www.nmsheriffs.com to get all registration forms.

Classes will be presented by several top instructors from the state, Homeland Security, U.S. Marshall Service, FLETC and other recognized organizations.

The Firearms, Cell Phone Forensics, Combat Focus & Courthouse Security classes must be preselected. Attendance is limited; so register early! (20 cases of shotgun slugs, 20 cases of buckshot, and 3000 rounds of .223 ammo have been donated for the participants at the range.)

****COUNTY COLLEGE NM EDGE CLASSES**** LAST CHANCE! 2013 WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE SUMMIT – NM EDGE TRAINING OPPORTUNITY FOR ICS 402 Registration for the 2013 Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Summit is now open. The Summit will be held April 3-4 in Taos, New Mexico. The registration is $55.00 through April 2nd and $75.00 for onsite registration. To register, click here https://www.regonline.com/2013wildlandurbaninterfacesummit.. The Sagebrush Inn will serve as the host hotel and is located at 1508 Paseo del Pueblo Sur. Reservations can be made by contacting the hotel directly at 1-800-428-3626 or 575-758-2254. A room block has been reserved at a single/double rate of $79.00. Rooms are still available and will be on a first come, first serve basis. We look forward to seeing you at the WUI Summit!

NMAC and NM EDGE have partnered to offer a special training opportunity for WUI Summit Participants Incident Command System (ICS) 402 Course (HS 110 in the NM EDGE class catalog) – Overview for Executives/Senior Officials Thursday, April 4th from 8:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Participants must be registered for the WUI Summit in order to attend this training and must meet the following additional requirements for NM EDGE credit: · To enroll in this class go to reg.nmedge.nmsu.edu · Current Students use your student number and password · New Students must create an NM EDGE student account · Students wanting NM EDGE credit for the class must enroll in the class using the NM EDGE Student Record and Enrollment Site (reg.nmedge.nmsu.edu). · In the Event pull-down menu look for WUI Summit. The class number is HS 110. · On-site enrollment may be accepted if other requirements are met. · The standard fees apply (questions about the fee should be referred to NM EDGE staff/ [email protected] or 505 424 0744) · Students must show up to the class 20 minutes early to complete the pre-test and must stay after to complete the post-test and evaluation  For assistance enrolling or for questions regarding NM EDGE credit should be directed to NM EDGE at [email protected], 505-424-0744 or 575-646-5424.

NEW! THE 2012 NPS Annual Report IS NOW AVAILABLE This annual report to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides an overview of nonpoint source (NPS) management-related activities conducted in New Mexico in 2012 by the New Mexico Environment Department’s (NMED) Watershed Protection Section (WPS) of the Surface Water Quality Bureau (SWQB). The report presents the state’s progress in meeting the milestones outlined in the goals and objectives of the New Mexico NPS Management Program, and provides information on reductions in nonpoint source pollutant loading and improvements to water quality of New Mexico watersheds as required under Section (§) 319(h)(11) of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The majority of funding for projects listed in this report is provided by §319(h) grants awarded to NMED by the EPA. Additional activities included are projects implemented by the WPS Wetlands Program, CWA §401 activities, N.M. Mining Act activities, and NPS projects implemented by other natural resource agencies outside of NMED.

NEW! NEW MEXICO FEDERAL LANDS ACCESS PROGRAM-CALL FOR PROJECTS The New Mexico Call for Projects is now open. Applications for the program will be accepted through April 30, 2013 as noted within the application materials. The Call of Projects can be found at: http://www.cflhd.gov/programs/flap/nm What is the purpose of the program? The goal of the Access Program is to improve transportation facilities that provide access to, are adjacent to, or are located within Federal lands. Who is eligible to apply? Eligible applicants include State, county, tribal, or city government agencies that own or maintain the transportation facility.

What types of projects will be considered? The Access Program supplements State and local resources for public roads, transit systems, and other transportation facilities, with an emphasis on Federal high-use recreation sites and Federal economic generators. Access Program funds are intended for design, construction, or reconstruction and are not intended for maintenance projects (e.g., crack sealing, chip seal, potholes, or drainage repair).

How would the projects be delivered? CFLHD is looking forward to the opportunity to provide “cradle to grave” project delivery services under this program. This approach allows State or local resources to be utilized on their other priorities with the knowledge that projects under this program will generally be delivered by CFLHD.

What happens if my project is selected? Applicants will be contacted upon initial selection of the submitted project by PDC. The applicant and CFLHD will enter into a Project Agreement stipulating the scope of the project and the funding arrangements. On submission of an application, the applicant agrees to provide match funding portion for the initial scoping that is not to exceed $10,000. The applicant agrees that the execution of the scoping project agreement can be made within 10 business days after notification from the PDC. After execution of the agreement, the scoping project team from CFLHD will meet with the applicant and the Federal Land Management Agencies to review the proposed project. This effort will yield a Project Scoping Report, a Project Delivery Plan and a scoping level project construction estimate to be shared with the applicant and the PDC. The results of the initial scoping effort will form the scope of the project and the funding requirements for the project development. A final endorsement by the PDC and a project agreement signed by all appropriate parties will anchor the proposed project in the New Mexico 5-7 Year Plan. For more information, please contact Allen Grasmick, Federal Lands Access Program Coordinator, (720) 284- 8235 cell.

*****NACo NEWS***** REGISTRATION OPEN! 2013 NACo ANNUAL CONFERENCE: COUNTY SOLUTIONS AND MARKETPLACE JULY 19-22 FORT WORTH CONVENTION CENTER New Name The 2013 NACo Annual Conference: County Solutions and Marketplace is the new name for the Annual Conference! New Conference The Conference has been reduced to a 4-day program and we’ve been able to add additional opportunities for you to engage with your peers! CLICK HERE to see the new and improved schedule! Registration is Open Register and make your hotel reservations now! CLICK HERE! Questions? Please send your inquiries to [email protected]

NEW! NACo HEADLINE STORIES Two-Week Congressional Recess is an Excellent Opportunity to Meet with Members of Congress With Congress on recess for the next two weeks (until April 9), now is a great time to schedule meetings and federal project tours with your Members of Congress while they are back in their states and districts! The recess is a great time to build and strengthen relationships with your Members of Congress and to share with them the message of "Why Counties Matter" or to organize a tour of county facilities and operations. For talking points on NACo priorities including municipal bonds, Medicaid, CDBG, rural development and other key issues, click here.

County Health Rankings Special Report

County News looks at the state-by-state County Health Rankings compiled by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and how counties can use that information to improve the health of their residents. Read More

Congress avoids shut-down; okays stop-gap funding Another fiscal impasse was averted as the Senate and House agreed to a continuing resolution to fund the government through Sept. 30, the end of the federal fiscal year. Read More

Look for new Creating Healthy Counties newsletter Through support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and in partnership with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, NACo will publish a bi-monthly newsletter providing background information on the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps and highlighting ways that counties can address community health. Learn More Contact: Katie Bess · 202.942.4215

Tell NACo about your National County Government Month activities Are you ready to celebrate? Be sure to tell NACo what your county has planned in April for NCGM via an online form. Upload your proclamations, photos, videos and calendar of events. Learn More Contact: Jim Philipps · 202.942.4220

NACo WEBINAR: Front-End Justice Reform: The Role of Risk Assessments in Cost- Saving Justice Reform Thursday, April 25, 2–3:15 p.m. EST. Learn about safely reducing jail populations while saving money. Find out how your county can create and validate a risk assessment instrument tailored to your jurisdiction's needs and discover a few best practices counties have used to overcome common implementation barriers. Register Contact: Meghan Levine · 202.942.4279 NEW! NACo LEGISLATIVE NEWS NACo Issues Action Alert on Municipal Bonds This week, NACo, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and National League of Cities led an effort that resulted in 59 national organizations signing a letter to Senate leadership expressing concerns over language in the FY 2014 Senate Budget Resolution that could lead to changes in the tax-exempt status of municipal bonds and emphasizing their importance to infrastructure and economic activity. More

NACo Testifies at Senate Hearing: Maintain Federal PILT Commitment to Counties Testifying before the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, NACo Associate Legislative Director Ryan Yates urged Congress to extend mandatory funding provisions for the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program. In addition to providing a justification for maintaining the federal commitment to counties encumbered by the presence of the expansive federal estate, NACo cautioned the committee from pursuing legislative efforts to consolidate PILT with other federal land management revenue sharing programs such as Secure Rural Schools. More

Comprehensive Immigration Bills Expected in April - Contact Your Members! The Senate bipartisan group working on comprehensive immigration reform announced that they expect to introduce legislation the week of April 8. Mark-up in the Senate Judiciary Committee is not expected until May. Meanwhile, House leadership has been holding listening sessions with members. NACo unanimously adopted a new resolution at the legislative conference that calls for comprehensive immigration reform. More

NACo Issues Action Alert on Marketplace Fairness Act This week Sens. Durbin (D-Ill.), Enzi (R-Wyo.) and Alexander (R-Tenn.) will offer an amendment on the Marketplace Fairness Act (S. 336/H.R. 684) as part of the Senate consideration of the FY 2014 Budget Resolution. Counties are asked to urge their Senators to co-sponsor and support the amendment. More

House Passes Budget Resolution While Senate Begins Debate The House passed its budget resolution (H. Con. Res. 25) on March 21 while the Senate continues to debate its version (S. Con. Res. 8) on the floor for the first time since 2009. Budget resolutions serve as the blueprint for the spending and tax policy goals for both chambers. NACo has been carefully monitoring the Senate budget resolution this week and the potential implications to municipal bonds and the Marketplace Fairness Act. More

Continuing Resolution Sets Final FY 2013 Spending Level The Senate and House agreed to a FY 2013 Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government through Sept. 30. The CR maintains an overall spending level of $984 billion which locks in the sequester cuts. Most domestic discretionary programs and agencies would receive an across the board cut of 5 percent. NACo is analyzing and will provide a detailed analysis of funding levels in the coming days. More

Senate Committee Passes Water Resources Development Act On March 20, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee unanimously passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2013 (S. 601). The Senate is expected to act on S. 601 by late April or early May. WRDA authorizes funding for local projects for flood control, navigation, ecosystem restoration, water supply, emergency management, etc. More

Bipartisan Congressional Rural Caucus Re-Launced - Action Needed On March 20, Rep. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) and Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) announced that they will serve as co-chairmen of the bipartisan Congressional Rural Caucus (CRC) for the 113th Congress. NACo's bipartisan Rural Action Caucus has been a key partner and collaborator with the CRC, through facilitating joint briefings on rural policy matters. More

Offshore Revenue Sharing Bill Introduced in Senate On March 20, Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) introduced a bill that would give coastal states a larger share of revenues generated through offshore drilling activities and renewable energy projects. Under the bill, states would receive 27.5 percent of the revenue, a quarter of which would be sent to coastal areas most impacted by the offshore development. More

House Resolution on Public Pension Plans Introduced On March 13, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) introduced a "Sense of the House" resolution (H. Res. 117) that the federal government should not bail out State and local government employee pension plans or other plans that provide post-employment benefits to State and local government retirees. The resolution was referred to the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce. More

Congress Considers Reviving Ban on Horse Meat Processing On March 12, companion bills in the House and Senate were introduced that would prohibit horse slaughter and export for human consumption n response to efforts by several companies to restart horse meat processing in the U.S. NACo opposes these bills. More

GAO Report: CDBG Administrative Spending Down On March 21, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on Community Development Block (CDBG) grantees' use of planning, management and administration funding. According to the report, the amount available to grantees for administrative costs has decreased over 11 years by 47 percent ($532 million) as the overall CDBG funding level declined. More

Supreme Court Strikes Down State Medicaid Recovery Law On March 20, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in Wos v. EMA, which struck down a North Carolina law that allowed state officials to recover one-third of a medical malpractice settlement paid to a Medicaid recipient. The ruling restricts how states can tap into Medicaid beneficiaries lawsuit settlements to recover the states medical expenditures. More

Deputy Secretary Merrigan Departs USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Deputy Sec. Kathleen Merrigan announced her resignation on March 14. Her primary responsibilities at USDA included overseeing daily operations and managing the department's budget. More *****NMAC JOB POSTINGS***** Updated job position openings from counties and the NMAC organization are posted on the NMAC website at the following link: Employment Opportunities Please email any listings to be included on the NMAC website to: [email protected]

NMAC News Briefs: If you know of anyone in your county or in your office who would like to receive these email briefs, have them email [email protected] to be added to the distribution list. OR Affiliate Chairs, you may want to pass on information to your affiliate through this email brief.

Calendar of Events, Trainings, and Conferences: Fri. April 5 Legislation Not Acted Upon by Governor is Pocket Vetoed Mon. April 8 REVISED DATE! NMAC Executive Committee Meeting, Albuquerque office, 10 am Tues. Apr. 9 NEW! Deming, Luna County District V meeting, 10:00 – 2:00 p.m. Wed. Apr. 10 NEW! Socorro, Socorro County District III meeting, 10:00 – 2:00 p.m. Thurs. Apr. 11 NEW! Bernalillo, Sandoval County District I meeting, 10:00 – 2:00 p.m. Tues. Apr. 16 LEDAC meeting, Santa Fe, 8:30 a.m. Wed. Apr. 17 Multi-Line Board meeting, Santa Fe, 8:30 a.m. Thurs. Apr. 18 Workers’ Compensation Board meeting, Santa Fe, 8:30 a.m. Mon. April 22-25 Assessors’ Affiliate Spring Meeting, Alamogordo Tues. Apr. 23 NEW! Roswell, Chaves County District VI meeting, 10:00 – 2:00 p.m. Wed. Apr. 24 NEW! Tucumcari, Quay County District IV meeting, 10:00 – 2:00 p.m. Thurs. Apr. 25 NEW! Las Vegas, San Miguel County District II meeting, 10:00 – 2:00 p.m. Thurs. May 2-3 NMAC Executive Committee & Board meetings, Guadalupe County Thurs. May 9 Affiliate Officer Orientation & Advisory Council Meeting, Clovis, Curry County Tues. June 18-20 NMAC Annual Conference, Clovis, Curry County

National Events: Wed. May 22-24 NACo WIR Conference, Flagstaff, AZ (Registration open) Fri. July 19-22 NACo Annual Conference, Fort Worth, TX (Registration open)