Many furious about Mount Taylor listing

By Helen Davis
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — Cibola County citizens attending Tuesday’s public comment meeting on Mount Taylor’s new cultural properties status opposed the status by a ratio of four-and-a-half to one.

Cibola County Manager and New Mexico Senator David Ulibarri said 351 people signed in and participated in the impromptu sign-in vote. The question at the top of the sheet asked: “Do you support listing Mount Taylor as a Traditional Cultural Property?”

The county manager said 287 people voted “no,” and 64 voted “yes.” Not everyone at the meeting signed in or voted.

Many were left in the halls because the Cibola Convention Center was filled to overflowing; many who gained access to the room to hear the meeting did not sign in, Ulibarri said.

He estimated between 100 and 150 people attended but did not take part in the survey.

The sign-in vote does not carry any legal power, but does provide the county with an indication of how the people feel. It also provides Ulibarri with documentation of local sentiment should he have to appeal the anticipated attorney general’s decision on the legality of the February 22 State Historic Preservation Office meeting granting temporary listing in the State Register of Cultural Properties. The commission will also keep the tapes recording all the speakers at the county’s public meeting and create written transcripts.

In the immediate aftermath of the SHPO meeting, Ulibarri asked Attorney General Gary King for an official opinion of the legality of the meeting.

The attorney’s general’s office sent the request to an investigator, who has the power to make a recommendation to the AG. King indicated earlier this week that he expects to have a decision next week, Ulibarri said in an interview Thursday.

The community is protesting the lack of any effective notice to area residents and stakeholders before the meeting. The other chief concern in asking for a decision from the AG’s office is the nature of the emergency that prompted the February meeting.

Ruling the meeting illegal would void the decision to list.
The county commission closed the Tuesday public meeting here by passing a resolution calling for the SHPO meeting to be declared void.