Commissions host luncheon at Gidding building

Staff photo: Kevin Wilson

Clovis Municipal Schools Superintendent Jody Balch speaks during the quarterly city / county luncheon. The event was hosted by Curry County at its new commission chambers in the complex at 417 Gidding.

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Weeks before the room serves its official purpose to house meetings, the new Curry County Commission chambers were set up to host lunch on Tuesday.

The chambers, part of the county’s new administrative offices on 417 Gidding, played host to the quarterly city / county luncheon where representatives from various local entities updated each other on business.

Many of the speakers touched on the recent special legislative session and looming budget issues in the 2017 regular 60-day session.

The following entity updates were given during the quarterly event:

• Cannon Air Force Base: Col. Douglas Gilpin, commander of the 27th Special Operations Mission Support Group, said during the nine years Cannon has been a Special Operations base, a combined $1 billion has been spent on military construction and dormitory upgrades.

He said a privatized housing project, featuring 700 new homes and 400 renovated homes, is progressing. All new homes are scheduled for completion in spring 2017, while all renovations are on target for spring 2018. He also noted a dining facility on the south portion of the base should open next month.

• Clovis Municipal Schools: Superintendent Jody Balch said the district dodged a bullet on its cash reserves during the special session, but is concerned it may be targeted again next year.

He noted 86 of the 89 public schools in New Mexico receive more funding than Clovis’ district. He also said Clovis is one of just nine schools with more than $1 million in cash reserves. He said that was a concern because it meant most districts wouldn’t be able to afford an emergency roof repair or something else, but that has also meant most of the districts had zero problem cutting cash reserves because they didn’t have any.

The district, Balch said, had $10.6 million in reserves, and the Legislature was first looking to take $5.8 million of that. Balch said that would have punished responsibility.

“That’s an interesting message to send to people who are frugal,” Balch said, “who are also ranked 87th in funding and have a Blue Ribbon School (in Mesa Elementary).”

Balch said a better solution was reached in an across-the-board 1.5 percent State Equalization Guarantee cut. Instead of $5.8 million, Balch said, the district lost $880,000. He credited local legislators for looking out for the district.

“Randy Crowder called me every day, sometimes two or three times in a day, asking me for input,” Balch said.

• Clovis Christian Schools: Superintendent Ladona Clayton said the school attendance was at 270, near the school’s record of 274 and above last year’s 230.

Clayton noted CCS is preparing for a groundbreaking the third weekend of November for its high school addition. The building would house grades 7-12, Clayton said, and nobody is more excited than one CCS high school student who is 6-foot-4 and has to use restroom facilities built for elementary students.

The school is also working on a fundraiser to send 10,000 meals to Haiti. The endeavor was launched before any knowledge of Hurricane Matthew, and Clayton has seen kids bringing in their change jars and allowance to help the effort.

“They’re looking at it themselves,” Clayton said, “and realizing, ‘There’s a greater need outside of myself.’”

• Clovis Community College: Natalie Daggett, CCC’s director of institutional advancement, said the school is holding steady on attendance despite a nationwide trend of diminishing community college enrollment.

The school, she said, has been careful with money and didn’t get hit too hard with legislative cuts during the special session. She also encouraged voters to approve General Obligation Bond C, which would provide CCC money for HVAC improvements.

• Clovis MainStreet: Executive Director Lisa Pellegrino-Spear said MainStreet’s Facebook page has a poll to decide the theme of the Dec. 3 Christmas Lights Parade. Seven options range from misfit toys to a Hawaiian Christmas.

She said the Lyceum Theater is almost up to code and remediation of the Levine Building is nearly complete.

“Our goal for that (building) is to have a new business in there,” Pellegrino-Spear said, noting the facade would remain as is to preserve its history.

• Clovis / Curry County Chamber of Commerce: President Tammy Garner said she is prepared for her final few months as president before David Robinson takes the reins, and noted the chamber plans a business-to-business function Jan. 6 and its annual banquet Jan. 13.

• Clovis Industrial Development Corporation: Executive Director Chase Gentry said Clovis’ industrial park should benefit from BNSF Railways taking control of the Carlsbad route because the park currently has access to BNSF’s lines.

He noted a successful event for the Pattern Energy wind blade signing. The blade used for the Wednesday event on Main Street is scheduled for installation on a turbine in the wind farm near Grady, and, “We’ll try to figure out exactly where (that blade is) going to be.”

• City of Clovis: City Manager Larry Fry reminded everybody of Saturday’s Trek for Trash pickup event and a corresponding waiver of landfill fees over the weekend. He said the Revenue Review Committee is also advising the city to waive its $4 tipping fee for city residents to encourage them to bring large items to the landfill rather than dumping them into alleys.

Mayor David Lansford said he received good news Tuesday morning on wells the city purchased two years ago on the Wall property. Lansford said the wells were shut down following the $1.8 million purchase, and the saturation of each grew by an average of 23 inches.

“It gives me a strong indication that converting irrigation farming to dryland farming could have quite an impact,” said Lansford, who noted the wells would likely become a component of the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System.

• Curry County: Bostwick said detention center renovations are planned in three phases to avoid any need to transfer prisoners to other facilities.

The first phase includes a sally port and a two-story, 48-bed facility. The second phase upgrades the booking areas. The third phase upgrades the medical facilities and overall HVAC.

Bostwick led informal building tours following the luncheon, and encouraged taking advantage of the first day of early voting during the visit.

Commissioners are hopeful to have meetings in the new chambers beginning in November, but recording and broadcasting equipment installation is still in the works.