Always Open To Constituent Concerns

Guest Commentary
By Delilah Walsh

Editor’s note: Delilah Walsh is the Socorro County manager and she is responding to a letter by Tom Kimball of Veguita that was printed in last week’s Mountain Mail.

On June 8th, I brought a discussion item to the commission in order for there to be a dialogue on the topic of the County vacating county roads that do not physically exist, particularly in the area of Rio Grande Estates in Socorro County. These roads were either never built by the original developer or never properly constructed and residents were left with open land and no roads.
The challenge is this: how do we provide the most services to the most residents with a very limited budget in our predominantly-rural county? Vacation of roads that do not physically exist was one suggestion for discussion. Such action would allow our staff and road department to develop better maps and road management plans for the area. The downside however is that the County would lose any future claims and access to those roads.
During that discussion, the Board of County Commissioners stated that they would rather commit resources to the roads we currently maintain in Rio Grande Estates and try to meet the signage needs as best we can within our limited budget.
As a rural County, we are very much aware of the need for road signs and road maintenance in several areas in order to best meet the needs of our residents. The Board of County Commissioners even passed a resolution at their June 22 meeting, requiring employees to report missing or damaged road signs should they notice the need in any area of the County and establishing a system for citizens to report damaged or missing road signs (I plan to add this to our website).
In May, following a phone call and request for street signs from a constituent in Rio Grande Estates, I met with our road department staff who committed to working with the manager’s office to order and install road signs at the beginning of our new fiscal year when we would have funds available in the new budget. We have ordered those supplies and have been printing signs to meet these early requests made by constituents. It was this action that led me to explore how the County has addressed roads that do not physically exist.
In spite of Mr. Kimball’s assertion that you can find any parcel of the Rio Grande Estates subdivision using a system of pipes and survey markers, it is a simple fact that many roads were never built on these easements. That you need a map, pipes and survey markers to find an easement demonstrates that although a road may legally exist in the clerk’s office, it does not physically exist on the ground. Ariel photographs of the area demonstrate how some residents have even created their own roads by driving the easiest path to their home.
It has been the focus of this administration and this office to correct several issues of the past in the northern part of our County, particularly in Rio Grande Estates; from illegal tire dumps to poor signage. Quite frankly, correcting 40-year-old problems in less than 18 months is an accomplishment that should be heralded rather than condemned.
Mr. Kimball’s accusation of tiring of complaints is baseless and unwarranted. My office is always receptive to constituent concerns and complaints. Due to our limited funds, it may take us some time to implement correction and action, but we are committed to addressing all issues.
Further, my office will continue to explore solutions that meet and address the needs of County residents as a whole and not only the financial advantages of a few speculators in Rio Grande Estates. If this includes vacation of roads that do not physically exist, we will discuss those options as we will discuss all options, with input from residents.
I hope that Mr. Kimball can understand that open dialogue about such topics is the only way a community can work out the best way to protect citizen with serious problems. Problems caused by unscrupulous land developers -not the County. Those developers long ago returned back East with their profits leaving the County to solve the problems they created – we will continue to work to solve those problems. I welcome Mr. Kimball’s comments as we welcome the comments and suggestions of all residents. However, threat of lawsuits only stifles dialogue and impedes the County’s ability to help our residents; our citizens need solutions not threats.

Always Open To Constituent Concerns