When we take a guy like JJ, and he's right here, we're talking to these men, it's about their lives.

He can go make more money tomorrow in Alamogordo. Are you gonna say no to him?

JJ Carrizal, Maintenance Supervisor:

Well, I wanna ask a question to Mayor and Gail. Put yourself in my shoes, just like you asked him. You promised us raises, you promised them in minutes that they were gonna be in last week's check or pay period. No offense to Rolo. I think he's great for this community.

But I'm going to fight for my guys in my department.

Is Alamogordo or Ruidoso going to come up? If all my guys leave, are they going to come up, fix your streets, sewer, and water?

Trustee Maynard:

No way.

JJ Carrizal, Maintenance Supervisor:

So why? I mean, fight for us. Be fair. And I understand you're saying what you guys promised in a meeting. And you guys told us it was going to be next pay period. You shouldn't have said that. The guys were, they went home, they talked to their family, they were happy, they were excited.

Hear me out, but tell me, you two: What do we do? What are you guys going to do? What is the Village of Cloudcroft going to do when they don't come fix your sewers and Alamogordo is not going to come up here like the sheriffs do?

Trustee McCoy:

Well, I didn't say that we weren't going to pay you. He (pointing to the mayor) is the one controlling that. But what I said was, you know, I would have, you know, in the last meeting, when you came to us for a 30% raise, I was like, oh…

JJ Carrizal, Maintenance Supervisor:

So why didn't you say it there? Like you did tonight, I'm not comfortable with that. I'm going to table it. That's my vote. You've got to understand, we have lives too.

I was raised that your words, your word as good as you are. So I'm just saying, be fair across the board.

Is the council open to a question from the press?

Mayor, can we ask a question?

Mayor King:

Sure.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Setting aside the money for a minute,

A question we hear from the community often is about the staff turnover and about

the hiring process.

What can you tell us about the interview process with these candidates?

Did any of you actually meet or interview these candidates?

Did any of you actually meet or interview these candidates and who recommended them?

Trustee Maynard:

I did not.

Trustee Foster:

I did not.

Cloudcroft Reader:

You did not?

One of the candidates said you did.

So that candidate is mistaken.

Trustee Foster:

I set up an interview panel that was comprised of Mr. Mondragon, who is an ex-chief of police. Mr. Darren Hooker, Counselor Darren Hooker from Ruidoso, who is also an ex-chief of police. Robin Cook from the high school or the elementary school, who is not with the school anymore.

And then Officer Mitchell from the Otero County Sheriff's Office set in on those

Cloudcroft Reader:

So as I understand it, that group interviewed both the current chief and one of these candidates.

They unanimously suggested the police chief be hired.

But you did not go back to that group and ask them about their opinion on the other

candidate for this position.

Is that accurate?

Trustee Foster:

They gave a recommendation in their letters to the mayor of each of the candidates.

Cloudcroft Reader:

For this position.

Trustee Foster:

Yes.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Okay, and you can give us a letter showing us that.

Have you shared it with the other trustees?

Trustee Foster:

It was sent to the… it was in the interview process,

so everything that was done in that room has to stay in that room.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Okay,

I just spoke to one of these candidates a minute ago outside,

and he was quite open about it.

I think you all are aware that he was terminated from his position earlier this year.

And are you concerned about that?

I mean, you're talking about background check.

Is that the kind of thing a background check looks at?

Why were you terminated?

Why does that not factor into us hiring you here?

So the question I think the community wants to know is, how have you vetted these people?

Who actually has talked to them?

And is there any concern?

Mayor King:

She just said she gave you four names of the people that were in the interview with.

Cloudcroft Reader:

so I have other people that were in that group that said they gave no opinion about

this candidate for the deputy position.

Cloudcroft Reader:

So somebody is misunderstanding that.

Trustee Foster:

Right,

Cloudcroft Reader:

but they were never asked about, is he fit for that position?

And that when they interviewed him,

it might have been for the disclosure about his termination of the other job.

I'm just wondering how thoroughly you actually vet these people.

Did you share it with the other trustees?

Trustee Foster

Yes, and I also shared it with the interview panel.

I also put out my feelers, which I will not tell you who it was.

I had numerous people check on his background and check officers that he worked for.

He was on a panel for less than a year.

And in my opinion, I won't give my opinion.

I checked all over the state of New Mexico with different officers that worked with

him, worked under him, and everybody gave a glowing review.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Didn't the police chief officer association vote no confidence in him?

Trustee Foster (turning to Mayor King):

Didn’t he ask for just one question?

Cloudcroft Reader:

I mean, look, it's going to come out.

We're going to talk about this.

So why don't we just talk about it now?

Mayor King:

Okay.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Didn't he get a vote of no confidence by the Police Chief Officer association?

And you overlooked that?

That didn't matter to you?

Trustee Foster:

I’m not answering any more questions.

Cloudcroft Reader:

I'm just curious.

So this is what we're just curious about.

What is the process in which you've vetted (candidates).

I'm just curious about, we just let one officer go.

Now you've got some other officers you're bringing in that you haven't even met.

Trustee Foster:

And is there a motion on the table to approve them as of right now?

Trustee Maynard:

There was a motion to not approve at this price.

Trustee Foster:

Well, honestly, at this time, I'm not comfortable making a decision.

based on the salary, just because I would like to have the whole number.

I would like to know how the whole number with salary benefits,

what we project, what our schedule is going to look like,

what the chief is going to put together for a schedule,

and how many hours we foresee them working every pay period so that I can see the

whole economic breakdown of it in regarding our budget.

Trustee Maynard:

Do you want to amend my motion, or do you want my motion?

Chief, can I talk to you for a minute?

I'm Chris Hearne. I'm the editor of the Cloudcroft Reader.

Police Chief Hernandez:

I don't do interviews, especially if they're recorded.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Well, you should.

Why won't you?

Police Chief Hernande:

I'm sorry.

Cloudcroft Reader:

But tell me why you won't.

Police Chief Hernandez

Yeah.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Why won't you?

Police Chief Hernandez:

Oh, I'm sorry.

Cloudcroft Reader:

So I'm going to report to everybody in town you won't take any questions from the press.

Police Chief Hernandez:

Yeah, yeah.

Cloudcroft Reader:

And what are you going to say about that?

Police Chief Hernandez:

Sorry.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Really?

Police Chief Hernandez:

Yeah.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Really?

Police Chief Hernandez:

Yeah, sorry.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Uh-huh.

Police Chief Hernandez:

Yeah.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Huh.

That's interesting.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Yeah.

Cloudcroft Reader:

So the question I want to know is who interviewed this gentleman besides you?

Cloudcroft Reader:

Yeah.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Who interviewed you for this position?

For the officer position.

I know you were interviewed some police chief by a group.

How about for the officer position?

Officer Candidate Joshua Calder:

There's a few that are on the board to talk.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Who did?

Officer Candidate Joshua Calder:

Ms. Foster.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Anybody else?

Cloudcroft Reader:

Not one of them.

Cloudcroft Reader:

So that was it.

And the chief.

Obviously that.

So, you know, the question we have is about your termination in...

What about that?

Officer Candidate Joshua Calder:

I'd be happy to talk about that once we get through this now.

I mean, if you talk to, I think it's Source New Mexico.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Yeah, I read the article.

Officer Candidate Joshua Calder:

Them I had spoken to several times because I kind of proceeded through.

I did talk to the Santa Fe New Mexican as well.

So there's some stuff cited from me in those articles.

That, I mean, open book, right?

They'd call me or whatever, and I'd tell them,

hey, this is exactly what we're doing and why we're doing it.

So, I mean, the actions up there...

Cloudcroft Reader:

Did the police chief association have a vote of no confidence on you?

Officer Candidate Joshua Calder:

To my understanding.

So, I was never informed of that.

I was made aware of their agenda.

I, since, based upon that agenda,

I sent information to Chief Hebbe,

who's the president of that, informing him of why I was taking actions the way I was.

He never responded to me, made changes to those agendas when they presented that information to the governor's office.

Cloudcroft Reader:

To your knowledge, they did vote no confidence?

Did the police chief association have a vote of no confidence on you?

Officer Candidate Joshua Calder:

So that's my understanding.

About my knowledge,

I don't know for certain, but they presented something to the governor's office.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Did that come up in the interview process?

Did that issue come up about the termination?

Officer Candidate Joshua Calder:

I don't know specifically.

I wouldn't be able to say, yeah, we absolutely talked about the vote.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Okay.

Well, look, I'm sorry to have to ask you these kinds of questions, but they're going to come up.

The community's going to want to know.

They're going to want to understand why the chief is putting you forward in that situation.

I mean, we (Cloudcroft) just let go of an officer over ethics.

and now you've got an officer who has an ethics issue in the background.

Officer Candidate Joshua Calder:

That's incorrect.

I'm a master ethics inspector for the state of New Mexico.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Okay, so they fired you for what reason?

Officer Candidate Joshua Calder:

Their citations for that were all a misunderstanding and interpretation of statute and New Mexico administration.

Cloudcroft Reader:

So they said you had a misunderstanding of the statutes, and that's why they fired you?

(Turning to Police Chief Hernandez). And Chris Swanson is no longer on the force?

Police Chief Hernandez:

Right.

Cloudcroft Reader:

And why is that?

Police Chief Hernandez:

Administrative

Cloudcroft Reader:

Okay.

Officer Candidate Joshua Calder:

Well, if you want to talk about my history in law enforcement…

(Turning back to Officer candidate Joshua Calder) I’m curious about the process.

I'm really not making a judgment on you,

but I'm really interested in the fact that the village has had a terrible turnover

in the police department.

It's had a terrible turnover in the clerks, everything else.

So the question is,

What's the process the village goes through to interview people and to find

candidates?

So, you know, my concern is the process is a pretty weak one.

And so that's why I'm kind of curious how many people you actually talk to.

And so I know it's Trustee Tabitha and it's the Chief.

Officer Candidate Joshua Calder:

Right.

Cloudcroft Reader:

You never met twith he mayor.

You didn't meet any other trustee.

You haven't met the mayor.

He didn't interview for your position.

Officer Candidate Joshua Calder:

No.

And I don't know how they work amongst them.

Cloudcroft Reader:

I understand.

I mean, we try to find out how they work, too.

Officer Candidate Joshua Calder:

Okay.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Right.

Cloudcroft Reader:

And the Chief doesn't want to tell me how he works.

Officer Candidate Joshua Calder:

Okay. And it's actually his prerogative.

Cloudcroft Reader:

Okay.

Well, you'll read about it.