Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Mayor takes stand on masks

CLOVIS — New Clovis Mayor Mike Morris had weeks ago told residents he planned to wear face coverings as positive reinforcement when they were recommended to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Now with the masks required in public, Morris took a stronger stance and called the masks the best thing an individual could do for the various sects that make up Clovis.

Morris’ comments came at the Thursday Clovis city commission meeting, held one day after the state announced it had moved past encouragement and onto enforcement with fines of $100 for violators.

Morris, who has taken part in a weekly mayoral task force focused on the pandemic, said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is “laser-focused” on preventing outbreaks as seen in other states.

Masks have been debated, including former Mayor David Lansford calling into a recent commission meeting to call the masks “slave training” and a government overreach. But Morris said, “we’ve got to get to the place we take politics out of this,” and follow mask requirements instead of railing against them.

Morris noted many parts of Clovis would be adversely affected if infection rates continue to grow and the state goes back to lockdown procedures he believed were unfair to small communities.

“Six weeks ago, I was arguing we needed a regional approach because (our region) had the lowest spread rate,” Morris said. “Now we have the highest spread rate.”

With a wife who teaches and school-age children, Morris said he saw the negative effects of eliminating in-person instruction in the spring and doesn’t want to see it in the fall.

He also noted that at the beginning of the pandemic, the fear was Cannon Air Force Base was an infection danger to Curry County — but now Curry County’s infection rate threatens Cannon’s ability to stand up. One Cannon employee who tested positive, Morris said, led to 34 coworkers being quarantined.

Nobody at the meeting argued against Morris, and presenters backed him up in their discussions.

During an update on the hospital to the commission, Plains Regional Medical Center Administrator Drew Dostal also noted the importance of using masks, given the virus’ ability to be spread by asymptomatic carriers. He said he was no politician, but viruses don’t care about political beliefs.

“You don’t wear a mask to protect you,” Dostal said. “You wear a mask to protect others from something you may not know you have. If you know you have COVID, you know what to do — stay home.”

Former Commissioner David Robinson, who attended the meeting in his role on the Clovis Committee of Fifty, said even if concerns were overblown he felt it far better to overreact than underreact.

“If (wearing a mask) allows airmen and their families to feel safe,” Robinson said, “and feel like they’re part of the community, I’ll do that.”

In other business:

• Local legislators updated the commission on the recent special session. The information provided by Sen. Pat Woods and Reps. Randy Crowder and Martin Zamora mostly aligned with a presentation given to the Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce earlier that day.

• Dostal told commissioners that during the pandemic, PRMC has had seven people hospitalized for COVID-19 and all but one have been released.

The facility has given 1,838 tests, with 35 positives. Some of those people were asymptomatic, and received a test because they were coming in for another reason.

“They didn’t necessary get put into the institution,” Dostal said, “but they didn’t get their surgery that day.”

Dostal said PRMC had changed visitor policies to one per patient without COVID-19 and two visitors for pediatric visits. He also noted PRMC was hoping to get a new neurologist into the area soon.

To conclude his report, Dostal announced he would be leaving PRMC July 27, a difficult decision he attributed to social reasons.

• The commission voted 7-1 to accept Curry County’s 240 acre foot portion of reserved water at the Ute Reservoir and take over the approximate $30,000 in annual debt service.

City Manager Justin Howalt said he was approached by Curry County Manager Lance Pyle about the reservation after the county withdrew from the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority. Melrose and Grady, which also withdrew from the authority, held small portions of the reservation. However, Howalt said, neither entity had an issue with the transfer.

Commissioner Fidel Madrid cast the dissenting vote. He noted the county left the water authority because commissioners didn’t see a benefit for the county, and believed it was a contradiction to then offer its water reservation as a benefit to Clovis residents who make up most of the county’s population.

• The commission honored Detective Dale Rice, who will retire Friday to close a tenure of more than 23 years with the Clovis Police Department.

CPD Chief Doug Ford said Rice came to the department in February of 1997 after serving 20 years in the Air Force. He spent much of his time as a school resource officer, but was also a detective and a driving instructor. He received numerous commendations during his time, including a Combat Cross for his actions during the 2017 Clovis-Carver Public Library shooting.

“He will be greatly missed,” Ford said, “and I’m not just saying that.”

• Four commissioners were appointed to the revenue review committee, which will determine various fees charged by the city for additional services like road closures, facility rentals and the zoo.

Appointed commissioners were Juan Garza from District 1, Gary Elliott from District 2, Helen Casaus from District 3 and Rube Render from District 4. Other commissioners said they would help find one citizen from each district for the committee with hopes to have appointments finalized in the July 16 meeting.

• Lacho Gutierrez of Clovis addressed the commission regarding an interaction his wife had with Chief Ford. While en route to a local senior center last July, Vina Gutierrez was waived through a barrier on Dartmouth Street. She arrived at the center to find Ford shouting at her about going through the construction zone, Lacho Gutierrez said.

He said his wife was rattled and has taken medication since the incident.

“I have been married for 51 years,” Gutierrez said. “I’ve never spoken to my wife that way, and no lady should ever be spoken to that way.”

Vina addressed Ford in the audience, called him a hateful man and questioned the way the department protects and serves.

Ford did not respond during the meeting, but said there were two sides to every story and that he apologized for raising his voice and that she was not cited despite putting officers and utility workers in danger.

• Joseph Pedroza of Clovis told the commission the community is not doing enough to address homelessness and inquired about getting the ball rolling on creating more homeless shelter options.

Pedroza, a pastor for Changed Lives Changing Lives, said being able to use the Lighthouse Mission three days a month doesn’t provide substantial help, and allows churches to say, “go to the Lighthouse,” as a crutch instead of offering support.

He said he offers a meal and a shower at no charge at his home for anybody who needs it, and a larger effort from the community is needed.

“The work of Jesus does not stop because we’re staying 6 feet apart,” Pedroza said.

Commissioners noted the Salvation Army was working on a shelter, and City Manager Justin Howalt said he would be happy to meet with Pedroza to discuss the matter.

• The next meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. July 16 at the North Annex of the Clovis-Carver Public Library.

 
 
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