[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6230120,"mediaKeyId","3443163-729e9e11ac0d7e4993ff8e1d64dc4ac4","parentId",3443163,"title","San Juan County approves application to U.S. Hire Vets Gold Medallion program","audioSeconds",270,"startMs",3277000,"endMs",3547000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3443163-729e9e11ac0d7e4993ff8e1d64dc4ac4&start=3277&end=3547","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3443163-729e9e11ac0d7e4993ff8e1d64dc4ac4/thumbnail_3277000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6230120/San-Juan-County/New-Mexico/San-Juan-County-approves-application-to-US-Hire-Vets-Gold-Medallion-program","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6230120-1f992b838c7961b7ee7f1ed96ca197ae/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153023&Signature=EriYXGXGXNTrWC821RXS0~14yIRHDbMR3Vu0d6kLxs9k2QTDHcYEgMVJRYaoYV04Mwhq9IEvWy7EC7yadmTx86xAfjuRAEHBzi9ncmJCiC4EWeSzybZGX8lKICW0USqDSPzWlB-tymPyayYYRztodHx6HHijJXR3iNxJ5y~KuWrJYgk3HsH9QSE~A-tXgO-9tP95mm6~DGzO9L7VGMmGPdfEGboOQDCANj8WSU3VPneI5SxEUd2iWgT2SDKhR8i4z~NdNz2siZdJFZpXB0wjphFc~2bCRLzpxmnHGsYRaFHH~eBURJBiDkW~NFA5mek7CbZ7SNJgvkkyRXvjnqoOWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","San Juan County, NM","date","2025-05-22T12:45:55.197Z","article","San Juan County commissioners voted to authorize staff to apply for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Hire Vets Gold Medallion program, a federal recognition for employers that meet standards for hiring, retaining and supporting veterans.

Daniel Newman, senior HR director, told commissioners the program requires that at least 7% of all new hires in a year be veterans and that 75% of those hires be retained for 12 months; the county reported it currently meets the 7% threshold and is at about 24% of new hires this year who are veterans. Newman said the county also must demonstrate veteran-support structures such as a veteran resource group and leadership development opportunities; he requested permission to establish a voluntary veteran employee committee to support the application.

Commissioners moved and carried a motion to authorize staff to apply for the 2026 Hire Vets Gold Medallion cycle and to convene the employee veteran committee to support the program application.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","San Juan County Commission Meeting - May 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The commission authorized county staff to apply for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Hire Vets Gold Medallion, which recognizes employers that meet standards for recruiting and retaining veterans.","taxTitle","San Juan County, New Mexico","taxId",54130,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6230127,"Commission grants variance to Burnin' Barrels cannabis manufacturing facility in Flora Vista",129,3711000,3840000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3443163-729e9e11ac0d7e4993ff8e1d64dc4ac4&start=3711&end=3840","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3443163-729e9e11ac0d7e4993ff8e1d64dc4ac4/thumbnail_3711000.jpg","/articles/6230127/San-Juan-County/New-Mexico/Commission-grants-variance-to-Burnin-Barrels-cannabis-manufacturing-facility-in-Flora-Vista","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6230127-95659b8a8f79a5b9d1e456453aff93fe/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153024&Signature=JXFmLYXhnpMwq8VmoT4n5JnzpYTtOb~yJOmjpoJKdifBx~WM4QzN8C69kV25TkiTynOnsyLYfJvWfQQf-uXncRS5v1ip67-wxBXmLkzeID3sTfeWB-yl7S-MJUQ1GRMuy4UT~11~As1gsIt-u7eiJUylLBfYxBKIovrWueSPKDNrzRucEKfA-hw9LinYURV-Ad~NEA6-fZQBUjaQ2MUJf0CcJYUw01qQh3TA2p6DBO-EOEMYTO-VZPGF8Q81w3ukX47n-HXoQhqNReHRjFJHpFEB3YMGd80v9gjK0Ssp9NaiBkOV5jFxPCgdH8YLotysaDSLv4DH2KytLsormIrOsQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The San Juan County Board of County Commissioners voted to grant a variance to Burnin' Barrels Cannabis, allowing the applicant to operate a cannabis manufacturing (packaging) facility at 870A New Mexico Highway 516 in Flora Vista despite the ordinance’s 300-foot minimum separation from residences.

Miss Wayne of the Community Development Department told commissioners that owner Brian Johnson submitted the variance request March 27, 2025, seeking relief from section 3(a) of Ordinance No. 120. \"Burnin' Barrels is seeking a variance from section 3 a of ordinance 1 20 which is the minimum separation distance from a residence,\" Wayne said during her presentation.

A hearing officer, T. Ryan Lane, held a public hearing on April 30, 2025. According to the staff report and hearing officer findings, two residences are within the 300-foot zone; the occupants did participate in the hearing and operate a short-term vacation rental. The residents expressed concerns about potential odors but did not formally object to the variance. The hearing officer recommended approval, and county staff said the majority of variance criteria were met.

Commissioners moved to adopt the hearing officer’s findings and approve the variance. The motion carried by voice vote; the meeting record shows no roll-call tally.

Staff recommended adopting the hearing officer’s findings and conditions as presented; commissioners accepted that recommendation. The file notes the variance would last the life of the business at that location and that affected residents had raised odor concerns during the hearing.","The San Juan County Board of County Commissioners approved a variance to County Cannabis Ordinance No. 120 allowing a cannabis manufacturing operation to operate within the ordinance's 300-foot separation requirement at 870A NM-516 in Flora Vista.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6230131,"San Juan County will stop permitting public fireworks at McGee Park after insurer demands",187,4283000,4470000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3443163-729e9e11ac0d7e4993ff8e1d64dc4ac4&start=4283&end=4470","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3443163-729e9e11ac0d7e4993ff8e1d64dc4ac4/thumbnail_4283000.jpg","/articles/6230131/San-Juan-County/New-Mexico/San-Juan-County-will-stop-permitting-public-fireworks-at-McGee-Park-after-insurer-demands","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6230131-57e124ee852b8a6d3c0bec7c64618aa8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153024&Signature=C-V-Jc0m81jofo4Facai2UnHKStjBrm1vtPq0j1yyi3CBPuA0GR4AIHrsonz8xar~ixs42e8YbPwtSnMYPRCygi~AHY2~MvD-Q39nM3QTwI130Epppsxtg-QEYusFrJvg-Jz0gHkeYl1GU8gwkgpfwY-ufjyDdrZI~ZLBrxvpvC69-Jlqx70AXvJK9OhkPNvFRdDNAmhHngSuWE6NKCxaCI20LWbDk~P9Jc-onuJ7K5qeVYcldbkaZRwdonHPj-qFeCCtZjT-V~CxzSNCYQr8iBoXR0nZent9726G1y14FD~v6Tj7CFjuEyBl0K9kl0BjZCxLJJkVGrd-3SC-iAtaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","San Juan County officials said they will stop offering McGee Park as an open site for public fireworks after the county’s insurance carrier declined to extend coverage unless every attendee signed a liability waiver and showed proof of safe-use training.

County Manager Mike Stark told commissioners the decision followed a review of visitation data and a conversation with the county’s insurer. \"We were able to determine that 8,500 people were actually in the parking lot on July for that event,\" Stark said, and 11,500 people visited over the full week in one recent year. Stark said public-safety officials noted crowded conditions, alcohol use despite bans, and several close calls between vehicles and pedestrians.

The county’s insurer informed county staff on May 9 that it would not provide coverage for the event unless attendees signed waivers and demonstrated safe-use training—conditions county officials described as impractical for an open, first-come, first-served event. \"There would be no reasonable way or practical way to administer such a program,\" Stark told commissioners.

As a result, county leaders said they will not host the open fireworks site at McGee Park this year and will increase public messaging about alternative, organized displays. Officials said they will place message boards at the park, deploy patrols during the July week, and work with fire and rescue to barricade previously used parking-lot areas. Stark encouraged residents to attend scheduled public displays, citing the City of Farmington’s July 3 show, Bloomfield’s July 5 event and the county’s returning Freedom Day Electric Lights parade.

County officials said they will notify vendors during fireworks-stand inspections and issue a press release to give as much advance notice as possible to residents. The county manager asked the public for understanding and emphasized the decision was driven by insurance and public-safety concerns rather than a change to the county’s desire to provide a safe venue.","County staff announced the county will no longer provide a designated public fireworks area at McGee Park after its insurer required liability waivers and proof-of-training that officials said are impractical for the large public event; county will direct residents to public displays instead.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6230135,"Commission hears New Mexico CPACE briefing; Exceptional Healthcare outlines Farmington emergency hospital financing needs",1008,1064000,2072000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3443163-729e9e11ac0d7e4993ff8e1d64dc4ac4&start=1064&end=2072","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3443163-729e9e11ac0d7e4993ff8e1d64dc4ac4/thumbnail_1064000.jpg","/articles/6230135/San-Juan-County/New-Mexico/Commission-hears-New-Mexico-CPACE-briefing-Exceptional-Healthcare-outlines-Farmington-emergency-hospital-financing-needs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6230135-edd2c1fbed796732dd9cd91bd0990249/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153024&Signature=PxUfSxDzMMF9Ufc2hRK0oFYxkcXFyKMaIZZqzQxtytCYsCqItXX1W4faX9vLBrpbA7552F8v2RdTip8nuj8M5DfUXypTDh6BscvyEA7xLO7s~iqK4frbRUZyJUy5U~TC9iOpmimaxDF2z1ozWnp3zNS9EMIh301DG9iAfTa2~klddg-NcEkoE918v-AwOi0yM3rHOEc50nsCBtSW4PsxjajVfw5YhsUgiQohJd0HcZLh0PNOhQKuCLUTu8m7rcEUbUy~-gNiqcNBx3Ks6TI8orz5L2jinnWpijcPTXX7i80e-JHcyJ5ofoZDw8yAbu3JnXg79j~TmEwv2yX87U9KKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","San Juan County commissioners heard a presentation on New Mexico’s CPACE (Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy) program and a project briefing from Exceptional Healthcare, which said it intends to use CPACE financing for energy- and water-efficiency measures at a Farmington emergency hospital under construction.

Eric Christensen, program administrator with Adelante Consulting, explained that CPACE finances energy, water and resiliency improvements on privately owned commercial, agricultural, industrial and multifamily properties of five or more units. “All of the funding comes from the private sector,” Christensen said, and counties must opt in by ordinance to permit CPACE transactions in their jurisdictions because the program uses an improvement special assessment lien to secure repayment.

Christensen highlighted features county officials asked about during the Q&A: CPACE transactions do not make a county liable for the property owner’s debt; the lender — not the county — generally handles billing and collections; lenders require lienholder consent because the CPACE special assessment holds priority after property taxes; and the program charges an administrative fee of 1% of the financing amount capped at $25,000 to sustain program operations. New Mexico’s statutory authorization was the Improvement Special Assessment Act (2023), Christensen said.

Don Nicolini, vice president of development for Exceptional Healthcare, described the Farmington facility as an emergency hospital with 24/7 staffing, observation beds and imaging, targeting an opening in the fourth quarter of the year. Nicolini said the company has already invested capital into construction and energy upgrades and is seeking CPACE to help finance costly, efficiency-focused components such as its HVAC system. “The HVAC system for our hospital to do the energy conservation improvements cost $1,200,000. That would change. So I need help paying for it,” Nicolini said.

Nicolini described the current project footprint as roughly 21,000 square feet with an additional 4,000 square feet added after community feedback. He also said the site plan includes provisions for a helipad; Nicolini said the Federal Aviation Administration has issued the helipad license and the company will seek a special-use permit from the City of Farmington.

County Treasurer Miss Talby asked whether the assessor’s office or treasury would have new reporting responsibilities. Christensen said modern CPACE programs typically delegate billing and collection to the lender (rather than placing repayments on the county tax bill) and offered to connect county staff with assessor offices in other counties that have closed CPACE transactions.

Commissioners asked about patient transfers and operational agreements with hospitals. Nicolini said transfers and clinical coordination are management- and operations-level responsibilities handled by Exceptional Healthcare operations staff; he said conversations with local providers — including San Juan Regional Medical Center — were ongoing but not finalized. Commissioners requested follow-up contact with Exceptional Healthcare’s operations leads for details about emergency protocols.

Christensen also summarized transactions in New Mexico, including a large Santa Fe transaction (Bishop’s Lodge, a $76,000,000 package over 25 years) and other projects including a multifamily transaction (Rancho Santa Fe Apartments, about $15.9 million over 27 years). He said CPACE offers fixed-rate financing up to 30 years, can fund retrofit or new construction, and can finance eligible measures completed within three years of application approval.","State CPACE program administrators briefed San Juan County commissioners on the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy program and local developer Exceptional Healthcare said it plans to use CPACE to finance energy and water-efficiency upgrades for a new Farmington emergency hospital.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6230139,"San Juan County commission adopts FY2026 interim budget",344,3852000,4196000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3443163-729e9e11ac0d7e4993ff8e1d64dc4ac4&start=3852&end=4196","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3443163-729e9e11ac0d7e4993ff8e1d64dc4ac4/thumbnail_3852000.jpg","/articles/6230139/San-Juan-County/New-Mexico/San-Juan-County-commission-adopts-FY2026-interim-budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6230139-abbc4dc279290316bb508a8069b07372/orig.mp4?Expires=1771153024&Signature=EEUXrQZdM5vJ7VIwfprhrJgsrayJIE~bdbf9sAzaPfB8Dsu5VsQlvAQhe9yb3Xbw4trJBJ8R53QpfkaulyszGyJLo5hpcpZWbgMGRqWLmGgcDQghOEWtPLksLqHiYTOy2f8WoROIg5NrXpyzmpvNK0-zIc0CSqbPyP2zFBo-3BwFi6FkrrPgs4cyA06SVyrw-wn0Jt7GZ8oidGHPsUoAIGaFGfMszrARFrvW6IEBYjURv0IuRCfP58KV2KElgkGUw7krbtHmLyL6F6LzrO-tA8WNHJSEomNRvCaqdfdIznMIXRoSPCV6cc~QXmyg54UitFv79YTM3g8gjA-7ZECC4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The San Juan County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt the county's FY2026 interim budget and submit it to the New Mexico Department of Finance for review.

Finance Director Miss Martin presented the interim budget and described it as a balanced plan. “It’s my pleasure to come before you to present a balanced budget,” she said while reviewing submission deadlines and post-approval steps.

The interim budget must be filed with the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) via the Local Government Budget Management System (LGBMS) by June 1; DFA will approve the interim budget by July 1, and the final budget is due to DFA by July 31, the county finance director said. The interim document becomes the county’s legal spending plan until the final budget is approved.

Key changes added after the budget workshop include a $2,500 increase for a mobile food bank and pantry allocation and the sheriff’s proposal to implement longevity pay for certified employees. The longevity proposal is a tiered structure spanning service years and carries a total estimated fiscal impact of $419,357, including employer payroll tax and retirement contributions. The detention center requested a reclassification of a lieutenant to an ADC captain; that personnel reclassification increases the budget impact by $15,181 while leaving the total headcount unchanged.

Other technical adjustments include adding a revenue line to track marriage-license fees tied to new state legislation effective July 1 (projected to add about $6,750) and a request to carry forward purchase orders for capital items from FY25 into FY26. The finance director told commissioners that additional changes can be made in the final budget presentation in July.

Commissioners made the motion to approve and carried it by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting minutes.

The county manager and department heads will continue work on carryovers and any ordinance changes needed to implement a new compensation system planned for July 6; those handbook changes will be presented at subsequent meetings.","The San Juan County Board of County Commissioners approved a balanced FY2026 interim budget to submit to the New Mexico Department of Finance, including several line-item adjustments and new revenue-tracking measures.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

San Juan County approves application to U.S. Hire Vets Gold Medallion program

Commission grants variance to Burnin' Barrels cannabis manufacturing facility in Flora Vista

San Juan County will stop permitting public fireworks at McGee Park after insurer demands

Commission hears New Mexico CPACE briefing; Exceptional Healthcare outlines Farmington emergency hospital financing needs

San Juan County commission adopts FY2026 interim budget