Officials approve arena for livestock shows

CLOVIS — The show must go on.

By a unanimous vote Tuesday morning, the Curry County Commission approved the Kevin Roberts Show Arena as the site for parent-driven livestock shows Aug. 11-15. A junior livestock sale, commissioners said, would be held outside of county property.

In June, the commission canceled the Curry County Fair that normally includes shows and the sale due to state public health orders banning mass gatherings to limit COVID-19 spread. An expo planned in its place for the mid-August timeframe has met obstacles with the county fairgrounds considered a recreational facility by the state.

Commissioners, during a half-hour discussion, made it clear they did not consider youth livestock shows to be recreation or the Roberts arena to be a recreation area. Commissioner Robert Thornton said a parent-driven show at the outdoor arena, following all public health guidelines, is both reasonable and achievable.

“This has become very political,” Thornton said. “I believe our kids are being punished because of political stuff going on between the states and the federal government. The ag barns we have are outdoor facilities. Six other counties are going forward with their shows. Those things are all designed for ease of use.”

Thornton said kids and their families would come to the shows, get their animals judged and go home.

Commissioners largely agreed with Thornton, with Commissioner Chet Spear noting the Roberts Arena is an exhibition of work.

“It’s an open air barn,” Spear said, “where kids once a year present the fruits of their labor. It’s not recreation.”

Commissioner Bobby Sandoval said he saw no difference between junior livestock shows and cattle sales allowed by the state, and Chairman Ben McDaniel didn’t believe anybody could reasonably argue the Roberts arena could be described as an indoor recreation area.

“It sounds like it’s a plan,” McDaniel said, “and the first one I can see going with.”

Casey Messick of the events center and fairgrounds staff didn’t see an issue with management company Spectra participating and making sure COVID-safe guidelines are followed.

“If it’s not going against restrictions or the governor’s orders, we’re here to make it happen,” Messick said. “We’re willing to make a show happen as long as we’re not violating any orders.”

County Manager Lance Pyle said the event should be limited to participants and their families. County Attorney Stephen Doerr noted the state hasn’t clearly defined recreational areas, and didn’t have any issues with the shows as long as they fall within other state restrictions. Doerr noted that without a fair, the fair board doesn’t technically exist and should be considered a private parent organization working with Spectra.

Spear said a plan should be put into writing, and Pyle noted that would fall under the umbrella of Spectra.

In other business at the Tuesday meeting:

• The county gave final approval to the 2020-21 budget of $36.2 million, down from the $41.6 million budget of 2019-20. Pyle said he based some of the cuts off of no longer operating the juvenile detention center and anticipated gross receipts taxes based on the three months the county has seen so far during the pandemic.

• Commissioners tabled a resolution asking the governor’s office to intervene on a BNSF Railways plan to increase train speeds from 50 mph to 70 mph within the city limits.

Commissioner Seth Martin noted that he based a resolution off of a pair of meetings he attended on a railroad committee operated by the Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce, and he noted concerns the increased speed would lead to more accidents and increase the chances BNSF would close the Clovis rail yard.

Spear also brought up the idea of accidents, noting a driver at a crossing wouldn’t hear a train going 70 mph until it was right on top of them, and had concerns what would happen if a train derailed and damaged one of the four overpasses in the county.

Sandoval moved to table the resolution because he wanted the Clovis city commission to join in on the resolution. He said he contacted every city commissioner individually, and all were on board.

“The city wants to work with us,” Sandoval said. “They’re excited to work with us, and we should give them the opportunity.”

Sandoval also had concerns the charges of BNSF potentially closing the rail yard were conjecture, and wanted more concrete information a closure was being discussed.

Donald Gallegos Sr., who is in charge of safety for the union at BNSF, said the company would have to go through the Federal Railroad Administration for a speed change and he has not been made aware of a rail yard closure.

“We haven’t heard it from senior management at BNSF,” Gallegos said, “and we haven’t heard from our senior chairman.”

Martin said the minutes of the meetings would reflect what he put in the resolution, but had no issue tabling it to satisfy Sandoval’s requests.

• The commission approved a $175 clothing allowance for maintenance department employees to purchase steel-toe boots.

• The next meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 4. Pyle said he anticipates a short meeting, as the commission met four times in July and already completed much of the business that would have been on that agenda.