Roosevelt County commissioners at a meeting considered a set of governance, procurement and facilities items and approved changes that narrow how much authority the county manager can exercise without returning to the commission.

The commission voted to lower the dollar threshold for automatic contract renewals from $60,000 to $25,000 and removed the county manager’s authority to enter into legal settlements. Commissioners also approved a package of contracts and applications, adopted a fairground fee schedule to take effect while staff compiles comparative costs, and agreed to publish notice to revisit an ethics ordinance.

Why it matters: the changes shift oversight for higher-dollar renewals and settlement decisions back to the full commission, increasing formal review of recurring contracts and litigation settlements. The measures affect procurement transparency, county fiscal controls and how outside vendors contract with county departments.

Most important actions and context

- Renewal authority and settlements: The commission amended a draft resolution on delegation of authority so that annual renewals under $25,000 may be handled with manager-level approval but renewals above $25,000 must come before the commission. The commission also voted to remove the county manager’s authority to approve legal settlements (litigation settlements now require commission approval). Commissioners debated the appropriate threshold, procurement safeguards against artificially splitting projects, and whether renewals should be presented even when below the threshold.

- Fairgrounds fee schedule: Commissioners considered a fee schedule for the Roosevelt County Fairground facilities, including a proposed daily hookup fee and stall fees. The commission voted to approve the schedule for immediate use while directing staff to return in February with cost breakdowns, comparisons to other facilities and insurance requirements. Staff indicated a $1,000,000 liability requirement for renters and discussed pro rata recovery of utilities and cleaning costs.

- Ethics ordinance: Commissioner discussion centered on Ordinance 2021-1, which governs ethics and interference by elected officials. A motion to publish notice of intent to abolish the current ordinance and to bring a final adoption vote at a future meeting passed; commissioners were advised that final adoption requires 15 days’ prior public notice per state law.

- Contracts, procurements and applications: The commission approved applications and contracts brought forward during the meeting:
- FY25 EMS Fund Act application for the Arch Volunteer Fire Department — staff said the application (including a service report) must be submitted by Jan. 17; the commission approved the signature and application process.
- Professional services contract with Takeium LLC for interim CFO services (contract described as under the prior $60,000 manager threshold) — approved for execution.
- A 48-month renewal with TimeClock Plus (timekeeping software and services) — staff explained per-unit pricing and an annual license component; the commission approved renewal and maintenance agreements.

- Open Meetings and public-participation rules: Commissioners reviewed a resolution meant to confirm compliance with the New Mexico Open Meetings Act and a separate proposed public-participation policy. The commission discussed whether time limits and agenda-placement protocols should live in the Open Meetings resolution or in separate rules of procedure; staff and legal advice recommended placing presentation time limits and agenda-request procedures in the rules of procedure. Commissioners indicated they will draft or amend the rules of procedure to require commissioner sponsorship for items placed on the agenda, and to set per-item time allocations subject to extension by motion.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 2025-04 (delegation of authority for contract renewals and settlement authority): Motion to lower renewal threshold to $25,000 and to remove county manager authority for litigation settlements — outcome: approved (motion carries).
- Resolution (fairgrounds fee schedule): Motion to approve current schedule with direction to revisit in February with cost data and comparisons — outcome: approved (motion carries).
- Ordinance 2021-1 (ethics ordinance): Motion to publish notice of intent to abolish and bring the matter back for final action at a subsequent meeting (15-day notice to be published) — outcome: approved to publish notice (motion carries).
- FY25 EMS Fund Act application (Arch Volunteer Fire Department): Motion to approve submission/signature — outcome: approved (motion carries).
- Contract with Takeium LLC (interim CFO/professional services): Motion to approve contract execution — outcome: approved (motion carries).
- TimeClock Plus 48-month contract and maintenance: Motion to approve renewal and maintenance agreements — outcome: approved (motion carries).
- Executive session (pursuant to NMSA 1978 §10-15-1.H.2 for attorney-client privileged matters and limited personnel matters): Motion to enter executive session — outcome: approved (motion carries).

Discussion highlights and clarifications

- Agenda placement and public requests: Commissioners debated a practice used in other counties in which items from the public require both chair approval and a sponsoring commissioner; commissioners asked staff to draft rules that would ensure items placed on the agenda were supported by at least one commissioner or an elected official and processed through the county manager’s office. Staff and counsel recommended placing these procedural rules in the commission’s rules of procedure rather than the Open Meetings Act compliance resolution.

- Time limits for presentations: Commissioners discussed setting per-item time limits (examples mentioned ranged from 10 to 15 minutes) with the ability to extend that time by motion under parliamentary procedure. Several commissioners favored a default cap with the option to extend where substantive discussion warranted.

- Procurement safeguards: Commissioners raised concerns about breaking large projects into smaller phases to evade thresholds; staff referenced existing procurement regulations that prohibit arbitrary splitting of projects to circumvent small-purchase limits.

- Insurance and fees for fairgrounds users: Staff advised that renters provide liability insurance (staff noted a $1,000,000 policy is the baseline used in the county’s contract template). Commissioners asked staff to calculate pro rata utility and cleaning costs to support an equitable fee schedule and to collect comparative rates from similar facilities.

What’s next

Staff will draft language to amend the rules of procedure to codify agenda-request sponsorship and per-item time limits, return with detailed cost data and comparisons for the fairgrounds fee schedule in February, and publish the required notice before any final vote on the ethics ordinance change. Renewals now over the $25,000 threshold and any litigation settlements will be brought to the commission for approval.