Agreement emphasizes controlled alcohol service

CLOVIS — A new agreement approved Tuesday between Curry County and the company managing its Fairgrounds and Events Center places a stricter emphasis on controlled alcohol service, following two citations served on the Events Center this summer.

A modified management agreement approved unanimously by Curry County commissioners at their regular meeting Tuesday morning extends the county’s existing contract with Spectra Venue Management through the end of 2019, with a few adjustments.

All references to the “Beer Garden,” introduced at the 2017 county fair, were removed from the two-year contract. The agreement also stipulates a $2,000 reduction in the company’s earned incentive fee for each instance of an alcohol related citation resulting in a finding of liability.

County Manager Lance Pyle said Monday that of the two alcohol-related citations served on the Events Center this summer, both are still pending investigation by state police and neither have resulted in such a finding.

Of those two past citations at the Events Center, one was issued in June for allegedly serving an intoxicated customer and another during the county fair in August for allegedly serving a minor.

“They recognize there have been some challenges in the past and they are committed to Curry County and working to address those items for the facility,” Pyle said.

Alcohol can still be served during the fair, he added, but only in the Events Center.

The agreement allots Spectra a Fixed Management Fee of $7,000 per month and maintains an incentive fee of 20 percent of gross revenue over $600,000.

A second, “qualitative” section of the incentive fee was adjusted for the modified agreement, providing Spectra up to $12,000 annually conditional on the achievement of various goals during the operational years 2018 and 2019, such as a clean audit, mentorship and training for employees, and no at-fault alcohol citations.

“I want to commend you on negotiating that, because (Spectra representatives) were in here a few weeks ago and they wanted to increase their contract,” Commissioner Angelina Baca told Pyle during the meeting. “The conditions you put into this contract put some skin in the game. I think that’s excellent. ... It gives them incentive to earn their money and make sure they provide our local manager with the things that she needs so that she can be successful at her job.”

Also at Tuesday’s commission meeting:

• Former Commissioner Benjamin Smith’s position, left vacant by his resignation effective Oct. 7, remained vacant Tuesday. Pyle said Monday there were no further updates on Gov. Susana Martinez’s pending appointment to fill the position. As of last week at least four individuals had applied online for the appointment.

• A list of polling places for the 2018 primary and general election was approved unanimously, with slight changes from the list of 2016 locations.

Ten sites were unanimously approved by commissioners following a motion from Robert Thornton and a second from Ben McDaniel. They are: Roy Walker Recreation Center, Youth Recreation Building, Farmer’s Electric Cooperative, Colonial Park Golf Course, Pleasant Hill Fire Department, Grady Senior Citizen’s Center, Melrose City Hall, Texico Community Center, North Plains Mall and the Curry County Administrative Complex.

Of those sites, the mall will be an early voting location only and the county building will be for early and absentee voting only, the records show.

All the polling locations will be Voter Convenience Centers, meaning they will all serve any registered voter in the county regardless of their precinct of residence, records show.

Commissioner Chet Spear expressed concerned for the voters in Ranchvale, which has approximately 180 registered voters, making a long round trip to their nearest polling place at Farmer’s Electric.

Ranchvale Baptist Church and Elementary School were no longer available locally, as the former was not compliant with disabled accessibility and the latter was shut down. The locations needed to be approved before the next commission meeting Nov. 7, so there was not much time to scout other options.

“It’s unfortunate for my district that I can’t fight for them harder because there’s just not viable options available for the VCC in Ranchvale,” Spear said.

• Commissioners unanimously approved a $94,000 contract with Accurate Controls Inc. to upgrade the Juvenile Detention Center’s Master Control Panel. The project provides essential upgrades to the original system established when the facility was constructed in 1984, said Pyle, and is estimated to take 24 weeks to complete.

• Jail administrator Mark Gallegos said the average daily population of the Curry County Adult Detention Center was “leveling out to about 210 for the last two or three weeks,” down from an ADP last month of 222. Gallegos attributed that drop in part to efficient processing of bond schedules and arraignments for jail inmates.

• Pyle said in his report to the commission that he was working to see if the county would qualify for disaster funds from the state due to recent rains and flooding. That would first require additional research on the extent of weather damage as well as a disaster declaration from the commission, but if successful the county could receive up to $750,000 in state funding.

• Commissioners reported no action following a 90-minute executive session concerning “pending or threatened litigation and limited personnel matters.”