2006 New Mexico Statutes - Section 59A-53-19 — Fire protection grant council; duties.

59A-53-19. Fire protection grant council; duties.

A.     The "fire protection grant council" is created.   Subject to the requirements of Subsection B of this section,  the council shall consist of: 

(1)     a representative of the New Mexico municipal league; 

(2)     a representative of the New Mexico association of counties; 

(3)     two members appointed by the public regulation commission who shall serve at the pleasure of the commission;

(4)     three members, one from each congressional district, appointed by the governor who shall serve at the pleasure of the governor; and 

(7)     the marshal, who shall serve as a nonvoting advisory member.  The council shall elect a chair and vice chair from its membership.  

B.     No appointee to the council shall be a member of the public regulation commission, the superintendent of insurance or any other employee of the commission or an active member of a municipal fire department or a county fire district.  

C.     The public members shall receive per diem and mileage as provided in the Per Diem and Mileage Act [ 10-8-1 NMSA 1978] and shall receive no other compensation, perquisite or allowance.    

D.     The council shall develop criteria for assessing the critical needs of municipal and county fire districts for fire apparatus and equipment, communications equipment, equipment for wildfires, fire station construction or expansion or equipment for hazardous material response.  

E.     Applications for grant assistance from the fire protection grant fund shall be made by fire districts to the council in accordance with the requirements of the council.  Using criteria developed by the council, the council shall evaluate applications and prioritize those applications most in need of grant assistance from the fund.  To the extent that money in the fund is available, the council shall award grant assistance for those prioritized applications.  

F.     In awarding grant assistance, the council may require conditions and procedures necessary to ensure that the money is expended in the most prudent manner.