Commission hears presentations on comprehensive plan, alcohol/drug use

Marijuana use and driving after using marijuana increased from 2022 to 2023 as did drinking and driving, but underage and binge drinking decreased from 2022 to 2023, Shannon Morrison of the Curry County DWI prevention program Tuesday told the Curry County Commission.

At the same time, Morrison said, there was a decrease in the number of young people considering suicide and attempting suicide in the county between 2022 and 2023.

E-cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana are the most-used illegal substances among middle and high school students, Morrison reported.

Morrison’s presentation on underage substance abuse Tuesday included: what is legal only for adults 18+, demographics, perception of the risk of getting caught, alcohol consumption and access, prescription pain killer use and access, community attitudes and perceptions, and marijuana consumption.

Other highlights from the presentation revealed survey results among under-age young people that indicate:

• 3% report drinking while driving in past 30 days

• 9% report using painkiller to get high in past 30-days

• 40% of 18–20-year-olds report past 30-day alcohol use

• 14% report past 30-day binge drinking

• 7% provided alcohol for minors in the past year

The commission heard a presentation outlining the process for developing a comprehensive plan for the county at Tuesday’s regular meeting.

The Comprehensive Plan Update, presented to the commission by senior planner Danielle Wilson with Sites Southwest, revealed that a community survey for input will be open until September 15.

Sites Southwest is a landscape architecture, community planning and urban design firm based in Albuquerque.

The plan addresses transportation, housing, infrastructure, land use, and other aspects of the county’s future and will help make the county’s grant applications more competitive, according to Wilson.

There are three phases in the planning process. The first, which started in July and will end in September, deals with assessing existing conditions in the county. The second, which would start in October and end in December, deals with plan development. The final phase, which would start in January of 2024 and end in March of the same year, is the plan review and adoption phase.

“We’re going to be looking at a lot of data to build out that community profile,” Wilson said. However, she said Site Southwest will wait until January to have the most up-to-date data for each community in order to accurately meet the needs of each community.

The survey can be found online at sites-sw.com, or comments can be sent to [email protected]

K.C. Messick, the general manager for the Curry County Events Center and Fairgrounds presented financial statements to the commission, but also gave a brief summary of how this year’s Curry County Fair went.

“We had very minimal issues,” Messick said. Commissioners thanked Messick’s and his staff’s work during the busy week. Chairman Robert Thornton specifically pointed out the security over the course of the week.

“Security was very nice,” Thornton said.

Messick responded, “That was my biggest concern after last year.”

Commissioner Dusty Leatherwood said he enjoyed the rodeo that took place. “That was a very good amateur rodeo,” Leatherwood said, praising the overall production.

Messick will provide more data on this year’s fair at the next commission meeting, once financials and other numbers are collected.

In other items of business at Tuesday’s meeting:

n Tuesday was declared Kyan Wilhite Day in Curry County. Wilhite is 17 years old, and a first-generation rodeo athlete. He scored first in the nation in the 75th National High School Finals Rodeo in July in the tie down roping competition. The proclamation read, “This Curry County community is proud of his dedication and representation and is wishing him the best.”

n The commission approved the purchase of a sewer grinder for the Adult Detention Center for $51,500 plus gross receipts tax. A document included with the Commission’s agenda explained that a sewer grinder pulverizes objects that could otherwise clog sewer pipes.

n The commission approved hosting of the New Mexico Counties Annual Conference in 2026 or 2027.

The next Curry County Commission meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Sept. 12