SEC board hires third attorney
Immediately following the roll-call at the Monday, Dec. 21, Socorro Electric Cooperative special meeting, the trustees went into executive session to discuss the single item on their agenda — an additional SEC attorney.
According to the minutes from the Nov. 16 meeting, the co-op decided to employ two lawyers. This was the same meeting where police were called due to a altercation between board members during executive session.
The motion to hire the attorneys was made and approved during the regular session, which occurred after the police arrived and took statements at that meeting.
The first lawyer hired during that meeting was Joanna Aguilar.
However, a few days prior to that meeting, Aguilar had tendered her resignation as SEC attorney in a letter that accused trustee Charlie Wagner of racially motivated harassment. Aguilar also claimed in the letter that the harassment was “detrimental to my health and well-being,” and stated that she did not intend to renew her contract for the upcoming year.
But apparently Aguilar had a change of heart and was rehired by the board at the Nov. 16 meeting to handle contracts, employment and regulatory matters.
At the same meeting, Paul Kennedy was hired to represent the SEC for redistricting, bylaws and policy issues.
For reasons that haven’t been disclosed — personnel and legal issues are discussed in executive session — SEC trustees decided they needed more legal representation and scheduled the Dec. 21 special meeting.
Nine members were present, with Juan Gonzales and Manny Marquez absent.
After Leroy Anaya made a motion to move the meeting into executive session to discuss hiring a third lawyer, Wagner asked if it could be discussed in the regular meeting session first.
“When it’s a personnel matter, it’s pretty cut and dry,” said president Paul Bustamante.
“I’m not sure it’s a personnel matter,” said Wagner, arguing that it was a contract issue.
“Do we have an attorney?” Wagner protested.
All in attendance were asked to leave the room, including the three newly elected trustees, who won’t formally take their seats on the board until after the first of the year. They discussed their frustrations in the parking lot.
“It irritates me greatly,” said Dr. Donald Wolberg, who defeated Harold Baca in the Oct. 3 District 3 election. “There isn’t any reason why this can’t be a public matter. This just destroys any potential for public confidence.”
“So we will be potentially greeted with new contracts in January,” he continued. “What do we do with that? What do the people who voted us in do with that?”
Wolberg then clarified that he didn’t mean to speak for the other newly-elected trustees who were standing nearby.
“We feel the same way,” said Prescilla Mauldin, who unseated Juan Gonzales.
“I feel that it would have been a matter of courtesy,” said Luis Aguilar, who beat out Herman Romero during the elections. “We don’t have a say, we don’t have any voice, but we could have been invited.”
Aguilar explained that attending the executive session might have been a valuable learning experience for the three new board members, who will take office in January.
At approximately 7:15 p.m., trustees began leaving the meeting.
“The motion was made and passed to hire an attorney,” Wagner said after he left the meeting.
However, Wagner also said he wasn’t able to give the name of the new attorney, due to executive session restrictions.
Contact Ether Ashe