STARCO Receives County Support

By John Severance

SOCORRO -- The San Agustin Ranchers Cooperative Association (STARCO) received a letter of support from the County Commission Tuesday night. That’s important, STARCO attorney Roscoe Woods said, because he will be speaking to state and federal officials as well as potential developers.
STARCO’s initiative is to develop a wind farm in and around the Plains of San Agustin and near Magdalena. “We believe the area is ideal for a wind farm,” Woods said.
Woods said so far 12 ranchers with close to 10,000 acres are taking part.
Commissioner Juan Gutierrez initially balked at giving his support, but Woods said he just needed a letter to support the initiative and there was no financial obligation to the county.
Woods said eventually the project would bring jobs to the area.
The commissioners voted 4-1 to give support to the cooperative with R.J. Griego voting no. “I’d like to think about it some more,” Griego said.
In other business:
• The Commission passed resolutions in regards to an attorney services contract, city MOAs (Veteran’s Park and Amubulance and Detention Fund exchange), the sale of general obligation funds that will save the county about $72,000, NMTRD delinquency listing of property through 2007 and the Board of Finance Delegation of Authority of Investments.
•Appointed Mark Mercer as active chief of the Midway Fire District while Michael Lucero recovers from emergency surgery.
• Tripp commended the county investigation into the arrest of detention center employee Juan Acosta, who allegedly brought contraband into the jail to give to an inmate. Acosta of San Antonio was charged with two felonies and was being held in the Sierra County Detention Center.
• Richard “Arf” Epstein, speaking on behalf of the Socorro Peace Vigil, read a letter detailing how much federal money was spent on the military and that it spends more in one hour than all the PILT funds disbursed New Mexico this year. He urged the commission to contact Socorro’s federal representatives in Washington. “Security starts here with funding for the Sheriff’s Department, for ambulance services, for fire departments, for roads and bridges, for mental health for food and shelter for our poor,” Epstein said.

STARCO Receives County Support