Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
PORTALES -- At the Roosevelt County Commission’s regular meeting on Tuesday, the following actions were taken:
• The commission accepted an audit report as presented by Bobby Cordova and Rufino Rodriguez of Cordova CPAs., LLC, for the county’s financial record-keeping for fiscal 2021, which ended June 30. The county received an “unmodified” rating, the highest rating available. Cordova recommended the county take measures to assure its computer systems are kept as safe as possible from intruders.
• The commission approved a review and recommendations presented by Vincent Yermal, human resources consultant of S Resource, Santa Fe.
Yermal recommended classification and pay level changes that would net about $150,000 additional in base pay to county employees, $22,500 to bring pay of Roosevelt County Detention Center employees to competitive levels.
Most county positions, he said, are paid below prevailing market rates.
Yermal said his recommendations were based on review of classification and compensation information from neighboring competitive entities like the cities of Clovis and Portales, and of comparable counties in New Mexico.
• Took steps to apply for $126,000 in anti-driving while intoxicated program funds from the state Department of Finance and Administration.
• Approved a statement of work for cyber-security inspections of county computers by Secureworks, a security consultant. The work included simulations of an attack on county computers and other security tests.
In addition the commission approved additional testing though the federal Cybersecuirty Infrastructure Security Agency, but the county’s Chase Gossett said the free service may be many months in coming.
• Approved a lease agreement for a tower and internet access for the Milnesand Volunteer Fire Department.
• Approved an agreement with the Roosevelt County Community Development Corporation for use and management of the Roosevelt County Enterprise Center.
• Issued a proclamation of February as 2-1-1 Month in the county. Erinn Burch, executive director of the Eastern New Mexico United Way, said dialing 211 puts callers in touch with human services agencies that can help people cope with adverse circumstance. The 2-1-1 Month observation is a national recognition of the 2-1-1 system, she said.
County Treasurer Layle Sanchez said her department discovered the county had cashed a fraudulent check for $16,000, but was able to be reimbursed for the funds through the county’s bank.
County Manager Amber Hamilton said the incident showed that security and control systems in the treasurer’s department had operated as intended.
Sanchez said the Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Department is investigating.
Shayla Ramsey, lieutenant with the county detention center, said frozen pipes in a sally port at the detention center on Feb. 4 caused pipes to burst and alarms to sound. Corrections officers secured the jail facilities, and then other staff hurried to save boxes of camera equipment being stored in the sally port.
All the equipment was saved, she said, because of the efforts of staff to move boxes out of harm’s way despite icy conditions.
