Curry approves road improvements for block grant

CLOVIS — Take two: The Curry County Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved road improvements on Curry Road 11 for the county’s annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) project this year — a shortened version of last year’s selected project.

In 2018, a three-mile stretch of improvements to CR 11 was selected by the commission for CDBG funding. But the application was never submitted because cost estimates came in nearly triple what the county was expecting.

After the meeting, Administrative Services Coordinator Doria Rey told The News the decision to narrow it down to a one-mile stretch of the road was made to make the project more economically feasible.

Chairman Chet Spear said he supported the project and thinks it could benefit Cannon Air Force Base and lessen traffic on Llano Estacado Boulevard.

Rey said the other two projects to come out of the two public hearings to solicit potential CDBG projects were a water project south of Clovis and a new ag extension office at the county fairgrounds.

Rey said the county thought the new extension office would qualify for CDBG funding because it would benefit children, but it was later determined to not meet the eligibility requirements, which specify the project aid children from low-income families.

Commissioner Seth Martin asked if there are any grants available that could be used for the project. Rey said she knew of grants to support the operations of an extension office, but not the construction of a new building.

Spear suggested the county keep the project in mind for next year’s capital outlay requests.

Rey said the potential water project did not have enough specifics in place yet for a CDBG application this year, but the county will continue to work on the proposal for a potential application next year.

The county can apply for up to $750,000 for its CDBG project, with a 10 percent local match.

Also during Tuesday’s meeting:

• No action was taken following an approximately 30-minute executive session held to discuss limited personnel matters, according to the agenda.

• The commission approved a resolution setting a policy for winners of the annual employee and supervisor of the year awards.

Winners will receive a plaque, a $50 gift card to a Clovis restaurant of their choice, one extra paid day off and their name will be added to a plaque to be displayed in the county administration building.

Curry County Manager Lance Pyle said the county had an employee of the year program in practice but not yet established in policy.

• The commission approved a $73,824 loan agreement with the Pleasant Hill Fire Department for the volunteer fire department to purchase wildfire apparatus. Pyle said the agreement is nearly identical to previous loan agreements with Pleasant Hill and other volunteer fire departments in the county.

• The commission approved the closure of an approximately 2.28 mile portion of Curry Road 6.

• During a report on the events center and fairgrounds, General Manager Jeff Blake said he has contracts signed for a tejano concert on Friday night and Spectra, the company which manages the events center, is assisting in finding a country act.

• The monthly detention center report was tabled until the commission’s next meeting on April 2.