City officially retains ordinance author's legal services

Clovis city commission voted Thursday to approve a “Letter of Engagement for Professional Services” with Austin, Texas attorney Jonathan F. Mitchell, the author of the anti-abortion ordinance the city adopted in January.

The ordinance is not active at this time as a petition drive for the matter to be put before city voters awaits approval of petitions by Tuesday.

City Attorney Jared Morris said Friday the city entered in to the agreement with Mitchell, “to represent us and file a response in the recently filed [New Mexico] Supreme Court petition.”

While the anti-abortion ordinance is the subject of a petition drive for a Clovis vote, state Attorney General Raul Torrez filed a writ of mandamus in state Supreme Court Jan. 23 seeking to nullify the anti-abortion ordinances recently passed by Clovis, Roosevelt and Lea Counties, Hobbs and Eunice.

Clovis Mayor Mike Morris and City Attorney Jared Morris [no relation] have stated at various times during city commission meetings that Mitchell would defend his authored ordinance at no charge to the city.

In other business, Commissioners voted to approve a plan for the city’s Parks and Recreation Department allowing the city to charge annual membership fees.

City Parks and Recreation Director Russell Hooper said, after the commission meeting, the department will start this coming Apr. 1 charging an annual fee for use of the fields, any facility.

“The fee will be $50 annually,” Hooper said. “This does not include the zoo or the shooting range.”

Hooper said the fee covers sports leagues, the aquatic center, weight room.

“The more you use the membership the more valuable it is,” Hooper said. “For instance, let’s say you want to be in three leagues, then your cost comes to about $17 to join each league.

Hooper said there would be extra charged for some classes.

Clovis is suspending it’s plastics recycling program.

Commissioners voted to agree with the finding of the Public Works Committee that, as noted in the Commission meeting agenda, “With the current market price of plastics, the Plastics Recycling Program has become non cost-effective. Due to the low prices, the operational costs of the program significantly outweigh the revenue generated.”