Curry to vote on budget resolution

CLOVIS — The Curry County Commission will vote on a resolution to set a preliminary budget for fiscal year 2019 at today's meeting.

Curry County Manager Lance Pyle said the proposed budget for 2019 includes $41,100,824 in total expenses, compared to a total expense budget of $42,962,090 in fiscal year 2018. Pyle said the main difference in the total operating budgets is tied to starting work on the courthouse heating system improvements and the detention center renovation project.

Pyle said the county's preliminary budget is due to the state Department of Finance and Administration by the end of May and the commission will vote on a final budget for fiscal year 2019 in July.

Also on the agenda for today's meeting, scheduled for 9 a.m. in the commission chambers at the Curry County Administrative Complex, 417 Gidding St.:

• The commission will select members for the county's water conservation committee.

Previously the commission voted to construct a committee made up of two commissioners and two or three members of the public. At least five members of the public have written letters expressing an interest in serving on the committee.

• The commission will vote on a new intergovernmental services agreement with the city of Clovis. The county's previous agreement with the city expired in 2016.

The new agreement does not change the services provided, which well remain ambulance, fire, emergency management, pest control and library services from Clovis to the county while Curry will provide housing for detainees who are arrested for violating city ordinances at the Curry County Detention Center.

Previously the city paid the county $130,000 a year for those services. That stayed the same in the new agreement, which also calls for the county to pay the city $35,000 annually and a one-time payment of $1 million to go towards the Clovis Master Water Assurance Plan.

If the agreement is approved by both the city and county commissions on Tuesday, Curry would pay $1,350,000 and Clovis would pay $1,321,666.66 over the life of the 10-year contract.

• The commission will vote on a resolution to extend the burn ban in the unincorporated areas of the county. The burn ban was put in place on March 20 and requires the commission to re-approve the resolution every 45 days.

Curry County Fire and Safety Director David Kube said the resolution will still go before the commission despite the rainfall the county saw on Sunday and he will present the drought map prior Sunday's storm.

"The rain wasn't widespread or enough of it to take it off the agenda," Kube said. "We'll let the commissioners decide how they want to proceed with it."

• The commission will provide direction on installation of security cameras at the Curry County Courthouse at a cost of around $47,000.

In a letter to Pyle, District Judge Drew Tatum requested the cameras only be purchased if it's done using money outside the courthouse renovation funds, which has about $600,000 that will be needed for other projects.

• The commission will vote on an amendment to the county's personnel policy adding a new definition for seasonal workers for elections.

• The commisison will vote on a pair of budget adjustments: the removal of $5,262.20 in grant funding the county could not use and returning $5,934.05 to the general fund after it was not needed for the retired senior volunteer program.