Older adults get OK

By Douglas Clark

Staff Writer

[email protected]

During Thursday’s regular meeting the Clovis city commission granted the Commission on Older Adults permission to alter how often it convenes.

“The Commission on Older Adults would like to change their structures to meet every other month, rather than quarterly,” Commission on Older Adults Chairperson Donna Labatt said in addressing city commission members. “The commission had been meeting quarterly and to make it more effective we would like to have meetings more often to expand. It’s hard to get things done and respond quickly to events that are occurring if you’re meeting once every quarter. So in order to be an effective organization, we really need to meet more often and need to have a larger membership that is more representative of the community as a whole.”

City commissioners voted 7-0 in favor of the meeting schedule revision request. Mayor Pro Tem Juan Garza was absent.

Commissioner Sandra Taylor-Sawyer commended Labatt for her due diligence.

“This is a very important part of our community and I think we need to take a little bit more time and develop all of the activities and programs our citizens are undertaking,” she said.

Mayor David Lansford echoed Taylor-Sawyer’s sentiments.

“We appreciate the leadership you are providing to the Commission on Older Adults,” he said in referencing Labatt. “It needs some strong leadership and I think you’re filling the bill really well in getting organized right out the chute.”

In other meeting actions:

n Commissioners approved a budget transfer of $149,988 from general cash reserve to capital outlay to fund improvements for the Model Airplane Drivers Society (MADS) new location within Ned Houk Park.

During a previous meeting the Parks, Recreation and Beautification Committee voted to financially assist MADS to help facilitate their move from CR17 on the south side of the park to a new venue in between the Pow-Wow Pass and Patchwork Place area.

Officials said Xcel Energy and Tres Amigas installed large power lines that restricted MADS flying space and interfered with the transmission of their radio controlled aircraft, making it necessary for the society to move locations.

The new location was approved by the Parks Committee and the Commission in February 2015, but officials said due to a lack of resources they have been unable to install the necessary improvements to complete the move.

According to city officials, Xcel Energy compensated the city $33,000 for an easement on the south side of the park and Tres Amigas paid $127,530 for an easement on the east side of the park. Officials said the requested funding for the improvements for the new MADS location would be comprised of the compensated funds.