Letters to the Editor: Rapid, unplanned growth dangerous

Carol Singletary makes a good point in her commentary published Tuesday.

Rapid, unplanned growth is not beneficial. The city of Clovis needs to join the 21st century.

Growth is going to continue; new developments are going to be planned and constructed, and it is going to cost money to build underground storm-water runoff pipes just like you have in any modern city.

Recruiting and hiring a city planner is going to have to be done and the sooner the better in order to address the concerns that Singletary and many others have.

Bottom line is that Clovis is going to continue to grow. Taxes will undoubtably increase to pay for expanded city services and all of us will benefit by additional retail establishments, an increase in the value of our homes, and more cultural and recreational assets.

Professional city planning is the key to organized growth.

Karl D. Spence

Clovis

City should spend money on animal care

In this day and age of spending money on a convention center, a swimming pool, horse stalls, etc., why can’t this city provide some funds for a no-kill animal shelter and a trap-neuter-release program for feral cats?

All of the towns surrounding Clovis have these programs in place. Roswell has a no-kill shelter as well as free neutering for cats, wild or domestic. Lubbock has a trap-neuter-release program for cats and a no-kill shelter. So does Amarillo.

Clovis has one sanctuary for cats that is always too full to accept any more; and even if it could, the cats still have to be examined by a vet for about $35 before they will take them.

I have spent probably $2,000 in the past three years neutering, spaying and feeding the feral colony of cats in my neighborhood. Not once has a vet offered me a price break.

Clovis has a big problem with homeless and neglected animals. Why can’t we take care of our own and provide some funding for some of these animals?

Let’s get our priorities straight — the swimmers in Clovis, which probably number very few, can always use the pool at the community college for their swim meets.

I would wager there are more animal owners than swimmers. Why not spend $7.5 million, or a portion thereof, on an animal shelter?

B. G. Johnson

Clovis