City to consider final approval on fuel operations

Staff report

The Clovis city commission will consider final approval of the city taking over fuel operations at the Clovis Municipal Airport, and make new arrangements on lower board assignments during its meeting today.

The 5:15 p.m. meeting at the North Annex of the Clovis-Carver Public Library has under its unfinished business portion a sales agreement with Moby, LLC., for final purchase of the hangar it owns. The hangar was used by Blue Sky Aviation.

Under the agreement, the city would pay Moby $450,000 for the hangar, its associated structures, equipment, furniture and concessions. Moby would have a separate agreement for the Hoffman Hangar it leases from the city, and pay a prorated share of assessed property taxes.

Many pilots at the airport have expressed frustration with what they perceive to be the city squeezing out a private business, and have said they will not purchase fuel from the city.

The meeting will also cover assignment of board positions held by former District 3 Commissioner Bobby Sandoval, who resigned from the commission at the end of September.

Helen Casaus was appointed by the commission at the Oct. 20 meeting to fill Sandoval’s term until the March 2018 municipal elections — at which point the seat will be up for election.

Sandoval served as the district’s representative on the animal control task force and the water policy advisory board and as an alternate on the Eastern Plains Council of Governments. He also served on the Civic Center policy board, Eastern area workforce development board, employee compensation review board, Local Emergency Planning Committee, railroad committee, revenue review committee and the Wellness Center board.

Other items on the commission agenda include:

• A 4:45 p.m. executive session to discuss acquisition or disposal of property for drainage purposes.

• Final approval of landfill fees and garbage collection fees. Single-family dwellings would go up from $13.70 to $15.07 per month, while multifamily dwelling fees would go from $10.44 to $11.483 per quarter. Amounts are billed on a quarterly basis.

• A request to apply for a North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant. The $85,000 grant would be used for conservation of four playas, three of them city-owned.

Matching funds would total $91,212 from the city ($60,721), the Central Curry Soil and Water Conservation District ($25,491) and Blake Prather ($5,000 in work to fill a pit).

• A vote to appoint one of seven applicants to replace Shirley Wolfenbarger on the Commission on Older Adults.

• A presentation for the United Way of Eastern New Mexico’s annual fundraising campaign.

• A proclamation marking Nov. 7-12 as Veterans Week in the city.