Empty hospital board position filled

PORTALES — With no names on the ballot, a seat on the Roosevelt General Hospital Board of Trustees was left vacant after Election Day. It was filled Tuesday with the reappointment of Paul Benoit.

Benoit was reappointed to the position representing the Floyd area on the RGH board by the Roosevelt County Commission during its regular meeting Tuesday.

Benoit missed the deadline to get his name on the ballot after hospital elections were rolled into the general election and dates were changed.

With no candidates, the RGH board had authority to submit a candidate to fill the seat. The board voted to reappoint Benoit during its November meeting; he was confirmed by the county commission Tuesday.

Benoit has been on the hospital board for the last six years and serves as chairman.

Following their usual business, the Roosevelt County Commission held a work session regarding local roads and decide which roads will be major priorities as they transition into the new year.

The commissioners each reviewed the roads in their respective districts, reviewing notes, estimated costs and giving input based on requests from their constituents as to which roads will require the most urgent service.

There is $600,000 allocated to road projects for District 2 to 5, with each commissioner tentatively allocating $150,000 in available funds to the projects they found most urgent for the next fiscal year.

Other action items from the Tuesday morning meeting include:

• The board reviewed and approved the 2020 committee appointments discussed during a previous work session.

• The County Board of Finance was approved to move $500,000 in invested funds from the county’s Moreton Money Market Fund to a higher yield investment before the new year.

The Board of Finance will be reviewing several options for how to reinvest the money and present them to the commission at a later date.

• The board passed a resolution to authorize the city of Portales to participate in the Local DWI Grant and Distribution program.

• The board approved adjustments for the second-quarter budget.

• The board approved a policy drafted by the county attorney to change Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office policy regarding the handling of cash, currency and negotiable instruments in certain areas.

• The commission ended the meeting with its annual tour of the Roosevelt County Detention Center.

The commission also entered into executive session to discuss attorney-client privileged information pertaining to the Natural Chem Holdings, National Prescription Opiate Litigation, Roosevelt County vs. Manuel Perez, McFarlin vs. Roosevelt County and Hernandez vs. Roosevelt cases.

No action was taken following the executive session.