City commissioners table gun-range proposal

Staff report

Three hours of debate Thursday night on a proposed public shooting range on city property revealed that far more debate was needed.

And so the Clovis city commission voted, by a 5-3 count, to table a proposal allowing the state to construct and the city to maintain a 720-acre shooting facility at the city-owned Ned Houk Park.

The city was first approached about the matter in 2014 by the state game and fish department, and in March the parks, recreation and beautification committee approved recommending the item to the city commission.

The city’s estimated annual cost of $128,100 — including two fulltime employees and one part-time employee.

The main draw for proponents was trap and skeet shooting, something not offered within 100 miles of Clovis. They noted the money to pay for the range would be funded by the taxes they pay on weapons and ammunition and the fees they pay for hunting licenses.

Opponents, led by Commissioner Sandra Taylor-Sawyer, were troubled that taxpayer dollars would fund an operation that would compete with a local for-profit business.

At 9 p.m., Taylor-Sawyer pushed for tabling the motion, with the caveat that the issue would be studied for the possibility of moving the range out of Ned Houk Park and eliminating city involvement. She was joined by Ladona Clayton, Chris Bryant, Juan Garza and Bobby Sandoval. Voting against the tabling action were Gary Elliott, Tom Martin and Fidel Madrid.

Mayor David Lansford ended the discussion by thanking the overflow audience members “for their comments, their passion and their compassion.”