City of Grants fills vacancies

By Helen Davis
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — The city of Grants is oiling its machine with a new hire, an internal move and new advisory board members.

City Clerk Cora Urioste signed on in City Hall last week, replacing Suzanne Jaramillo, who moved out of the area. Urioste will be handling records for the city, records requests from the public, take care of agendas, provide clerical and organizational support for all city meetings except Planning and Zoning and take up other duties for the city.

Planning and Zoning will be seeing former accounts payable clerk Veronica McDermott in the office part-time. Code enforcer John Phillips said he has been handling the clerical work, phone calls and enforcement duties since he was hired in March. Phillips said will glad to welcome McDermott to the office. He hopes to have more time for Planning and Zoning and enforcement duties once McDermott joins the team.

In Tuesday’s regular city council meeting, the council filled the Animal Control Board seat left vacant when Jack Daugherty passed away in December. The empty seat will be filled by Paul Stern, with Lynsey Bohannon acting as alternate.

The council appointed two new members to the Recreation Board, bringing the board up to the required five members. Manuel Vaquez and Charlotte Hemingway received appoints Tuesday night.

City Manager Robert Horacek said the city is reviewing all boards to see that they have a full member count and to determine if reappointments or new appointments are necessary. Board terms vary from two to four years, with individual members terms staggered.

City volunteer boards include Planning and Zoning, Animal Control, Recreation, Library, Airport, Lodger’s Tax, Rio San Jose Drainage, and Cemetery. Members are appointed from the Grants population by the city council.

Horacek said that citizens interested in holding a seat on an advisory board should pick up an application at city hall to indicate interest and return it to the city clerk. He added that the Cemetery Board is hardest to keep filled.