Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Editor's note: The following is Clovis Mayor Gayla Brumfield's State of the City address, provided in advance by city staff:
2011 was a great year for our community as we continued to grow and thrive despite the continued national and global economic climate. The Clovis community is blessed with hardworking municipal employees who continue to move the City of Clovis forward in a positive direction. I would like to thank them for the outstanding service they provide the citizens of Clovis.
The Clovis city commission faced some challenges in 2011 and I would particularly like to thank them for their tireless work, dedication and support for the residents of our community. As commissioners they are tasked with making the hard choices regarding the direction our city takes and they are always prepared to step up to the plate to meet and address the challenges relating to our community - from supporting new jobs for Clovis' residents to our city streets, and from public safety to quality of life. As District 2 Commissioner Van Soelen leaves the Commission next week I would particularly like to thank him for his dedication and heart for his community. He has worked tirelessly in many areas, particularly those of public safety and quality of life and is to be commended for all his achievements as a commissioner.
Fiscally our community has remained stable during the past year. We received an outstanding audit report and our fiscal conservatism continues to ensure our healthy financial state.
1. INFRASTRUCTURE & WATER
The Public Works Department is one of our large department and they work extremely hard throughout the year through all weathers to ensure our city infrastructure functions well. The areas they work in include our regional landfill, sanitation, streets, traffic and wastewater treatment plant.
The upgrades for the wastewater treatment plant will be completed in May 2012 at a cost of $7.5 million. I would like to commend our city engineer, Mr. Justin Howalt for his professionalism in keeping this project on time and on budget.
In 2011 the design was completed for the effluent reuse pipeline which, when completed, will run through our city's parks. The cost of the project is $16 million and $4.1 million has been secured from the Water Trust Board towards paying for the first phase of the project which is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2012.
The Commission secured $500,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding for an 18" sanitary sewer line extension along Martin Luther King between 21st Street and Zulek in 2011. Construction of this pipeline, which will address the growth needs of the west side of our community, is scheduled to begin in spring 2012.
In 2011 street improvements included completing safety and drainage upgrades on Prince Street in the area of Eastern Audio, the completion of drainage improvements to north Thornton and the completion of milling and resurfacing on Main Street from Tierra Blanca to Llano, and on Manana from Prince to Main Street. In 2011 funding was secured for roadway and drainage improvements on Llano Estacado from Prince to Norris with construction due to begin in March and completion in August 2012 at the cost of $1.6 million dollars.
351,000 linear feet of striping was completed in the City in 2011 at the cost of $65,000. The Public Works Department spread 520 tons of sand and 175 tons of salt on our streets. They used 9,000 tons of rock and 32,000 gallons of asphalt on chip sealing projects throughout the city.
Our Public Works Department continues to do an outstanding job, even though it is still a challenge to obtain state and federal funding.
UTE PIPELINE PROJECT
The Ute Pipeline continued moving forward in 2011 and we very excited to hold a groundbreaking for the intake structure for the pipeline, which is the first phase of construction, in August 2011. We have been extremely fortunate to begin to obtaining federal funding for the Ute Pipeline Project. Funding was received in 2011 from the Water Trust Board and construction of the intake structure at Ute Reservoir is scheduled to begin in spring 2012.
In 2011 the City of Clovis identified a funding source for the Ute Water Pipeline which has enabled the City of Clovis to fund its initial portion of the project.
2. CITY SERVICES
City of Clovis' public service departments continue to provide excellent service to our community and are to be commended for their diligent and professional work.
POLICE DEPARTMENT
The Clovis Police Department had another busy year in 2011. Changes in the department included work on an accreditation program with the State of New Mexico. Upgrades in technology were completed to the Dispatch Center with the help of the P.S.A.P. funds. A remodel of Dispatch was also completed. The police department was able to add some new car cameras and body cams for police officers. The Clovis Police Department continues to provide outstanding professional assistance to the residents of Clovis, New Mexico.
In 2011 the Police Department saw a change within the reported crime. There was 6% overall decrease in reported crimes. The department responded to a total of 30,538 calls for service and took a total of 7,255 police reports. The department attributes this success to the partnerships with the community. The citizens have been making the calls, willing to get involved and ultimately with the arrest for crime up, the overall crime as dropped.
Animal Control
In 2011 the Animal Control Division responded to 3,800 calls for service. In 2010 the city implemented a licensing program and so far more than 2,000 licenses have been given out for animals which helps in identifying stray pets. 2011 saw a change in the supervision at the Animal Control Department and Mr. Marty Martinez took over as supervisor for the department. Animal Control completed some remodeling and modifications in 2011 with heating and lighting in the older facility. They are currently working on remodeling the newer facility to be able to house more animals.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
The Clovis Fire Department continues to experience growth and expansion providing fire protection and Paramedic ambulance service to the community. The Clovis Fire Department now has seven fire stations in service and a total of 79 personnel.
In 2011 the Clovis Fire Department continues its commitment to provide the best and most effective emergency services to the community. Our personnel are provided excellent equipment to perform their job as well as outstanding training and promotional opportunities.
In 2011 Station 6 at 21st & Main was placed back in service with personnel after a 15 year absence. Construction was completed on a new fire station at the Airport.
The Melrose "Tire Fire" burned over 77,000 acres in April and our fire department personnel did an outstanding job in working on this massive fire.
In 2011 call volume increased by 8% at the fire department and over 280,000 miles were driven by our personnel providing EMS services to the community.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
In 2011 our Emergency Management Department conducted BNSF HAZMAT full-scale drill with participants from law enforcement, fire, hazmat, CAFB, and other entities. The exercise was a huge success and great practice for everyone.
Emergency Management participated in NMDHSEM Preparedness Area 1 Communications Exercise which involved nine counties - Curry, De Baca, Guadalupe, Roosevelt, Chaves, Eddy, Lea, Quay, & Lincoln - great exercise for all involved.
Emergency Management conducted presentations at Farm Safety Days to 3rd graders from Clovis, Curry County, and the surrounding counties, conducting 20 presentations over two days to approximately 1500 students at CC Events Center.
Emergency Management also responded to several major fires and power outages that affected Curry County, including "Tire Fire", "Windy Fire", and others.
OLDER ADULTS
The mission of the Division of Older Adults is to improve the quality of life for senior citizens through innovative programs and facilities that meet their levels of need; to assist clients to remain independent through transportation, nutrition, recreation, education, socialization, and in-home services. The City of Clovis, Older Adults Department is committed to its role as a catalyst for senior advocacy, volunteerism, and information resources for our elder population.
Older Adults continues to manage two senior centers, the Baxter-Curren Senior Center and the Alice Converse Senior Center also known as the Friendship Senior Center.
The Division of Older Adults works with the Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico, Non-Metro New Mexico Area Agency on Aging, the Curry Resident Senior Meal Association, Matt 25, United Way, 50+ Olympics and CATS to provide assistance to the senior population and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
With the baby-boomer generations which make up two-thirds of the 50-plus populations, the Older Adults Department has adjusted their activities and programs to accommodate the boomers life style of staying more active in the community with very popular programs such as Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced Line Dances every week with Friday night dances, Square dances on Saturdays and Spanish dances on Sunday. The Division of Older Adults provides many other programs and activities that suit seniors as well, such as Quilting, Dominoes, Bingo, Cards, Ceramics, Crocheting, Pool and Bus trips.
The Older Adults Division continues to support and assist our growing senior population by adapting and refining activities and services for our community in new and innovative ways.
CLOVIS AREA TRANSIT SYSTEM
In 2011, our Clovis Area Transit System, best known as CATS, not only met the daily transportation needs of Clovis citizens, but was also able to assist with the transportation needs of some special events; some of which were:
Program statistics show that this past year CATS provided close to 68,000 trips, drove a total of 212,231 miles and generated $41,000 in fares.
2011 also saw the completion of the 2nd phase of construction at the CATS facility. This project was completed in June 2011 and was funded by an ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) grant totaling $313,708. With this funding CATS was able to complete the Bus Parking Structure, add a Storage Building, finish Landscaping, install Video Security systems in 11 buses and purchase a radio Repeater.
Our City transit system continues to look at and plan for the expansion and development of fixed route service. The Community Transportation Association of America has agreed to provide technical assistance to make this a reality and has scheduled their visit for late March. To get ready for this transition, staff applied for and was awarded a grant to purchase Dispatch/Scheduling software and is also set to receive another grant to replace 4 buses. The total of these two grants amounts to $420,000 (80/20 match ratio).
CATS strives to meet the growing demand for service in the community and asks that citizens continue to voice their support for public transportation to state and federal delegates. In this economy it is imperative that we let officials know how important public transportation is to us.
CLOVIS-CARVER PUBLIC LIBRARY
In 2011 the Library hours were changed to better serve the needs of area patrons. On May 1, 2011, the library began opening at 9:00 a.m. Monday-Saturday, instead of the 10:00 a.m. opening. The public has been warmly accepting of this new hour opening.
New computers for both the public and the OPAC were purchased through a special allocation from the city commission. The new OPAC computers will access the card catalog along with several databases. The public access computers will add additional computers for the public to access personal data.
The Summer Reading Program was a hit, as always. With more than 500 children in attendance, the program was a definite positive in children's programming. Among the activities were free movie Fridays, a "chopped" challenge for young adults, songs and dance with Andy Mason, a visit with animals from the Hillcrest Zoo. The Summer Reading Program continues to be a successful endeavor and a positive influence on youth services in the library.
Three Chautauqua programs were done for adults. These included: a person portraying Dale Evans; a talk focusing on The New Deal; and a John Chisolm interpreter, a program highlighting New Mexico history.
The Library, through a sustainable grant from the State Library, hosted a program entitled Fast Forward New Mexico. This program provided computer training to attendees. The programs were held in October and November and serviced over 200 programs. The library was given 6 laptops as a result for hosting the program. These computers will be used for later computer training.
The Clovis Carver-Public Library committed to joining a consortium for E-book delivery. This consortium includes five libraries and should be live sometime in mid-February 2012.
With an annual circulation of over 150,000 books, magazines and other materials, the Clovis-Carver Public Library continues to support the literary needs of eastern New Mexico.
QUALITY OF LIFE
2011 was an exciting year for the City of Clovis Parks and Recreation Department with lots going on. The Commission refinanced the Parks bond and utilizing some of those funds the city purchased the Chaparral Country Club and re-named it the Colonial Park Golf Course.
A $500,000 grant was received from the Sisler Foundation for the refurbishment and renovation of the old Youth Recreation Building at 7th and Sycamore. This project has just been completed and we held a ribbon cutting yesterday.
In 2011 Parks with the help of Public Works completed the 1 1/8 mile nature walking trail at Goodwin Lake.
Construction of a splash pad at the old Hillcrest Pool began in 2011 and we anticipate this will open in late April 2012.
A dog park at Hillcrest Park was begun in 2011 and completed in 2012.
With funds received from the Friends of MainStreet, the city relocated the old Locomotive at Hillcrest Park to the Model Train Museum.
In September 2011 the City of Clovis Parks Department hosted the state Parks Conference. Ms. Janna Rankin, President of the National Recreation and Parks Association attended the conference and was excited to see all the work being done by the city to improve parks in our community.
The Zoo is planning an expansion and we were delighted to welcome the addition of a baby Giraffe to the Zoo in January.
3. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Clovis Municipal Schools
Clovis Municipal Schools had an extremely busy year in 2011 with many infrastructure additions and upgrades.
Groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the new Gattis Middle School and for the new Arts Academy at Bella Vista Performing Arts Center with 12 classroom additions.
Additions and renovations were completed at La Casita Elementary School and renovations began at Marshall Middle School.
Design started on the new James Bickley Elementary School and the new Lockwood Elementary School.
Other infrastructure activities included roofing projects & HVAC upgrades which were completed throughout the District.
In 2011 the District awarded the schools with the prestigious designation as "Best Communities for Music Education" as well as numerous band & choral programs awards.
We are extremely proud of our schools and the great work they do for our community's children. They have stepped up to the plate to address the growth needs of Cannon AFB and are to be commended for their outstanding work.
Clovis Community College
Clovis Community College continues to provide excellent educational opportunities for our area. 2011 saw some changes in the leadership at the College with Dr. Becky Rowley moving from Executive Vice President to President and Robin Jones-Dean becoming the Executive Vice President of the College.
The Joe and Charlyne Sisler Allied Health Building will be completed at the end of March. Classes will be offered in the fall. CCC has completed a thorough self-evaluation process as part of its re-accreditation process through the Higher Learning Commission. The Cultural Arts Series has its highest attendance at the performance with the Vienna Boys Choir.
Renovations on the Norman and Vi Petty Performing Arts Center will begin in late spring 2012.
Plains Regional Medical Center
Plains Regional Medical Center continues to improve the health of our community. Several of their top accomplishments in 2011 include:
Hiring 6 physicians in 2011to meet Clovis' needs in general surgery, orthopedic surgery, psychiatry, Internal medicine and Pediatrics.
PRMC has implemented "room service" to allow patients to order what they want, according to their dietary needs, when they want it. For the first time, PRMC Inpatient satisfaction exceeds competitors' scores in Amarillo and Lubbock on a majority of standard Medicare survey questions. PRMC's Emergency Department is experiencing record high patient volumes while managing care in the safest manner possible and doing so with shorter wait times compared to hospitals of comparable size throughout the country resulting in record high patient satisfaction. Outpatient satisfaction scores have also improved and in many instances are better than 90-percent of all hospitals across the country. PRMC was recognized as a Top Improver in 2011 for their Ambulatory Surgery Center's high patient satisfaction scores by the Press Ganey Company.
PRMC raised $102,518 for UNITED WAY of Eastern New Mexico in 2011, which nearly triples the amount raised in 2009. PRMC's campaign raised approximately one-fifth of all United Way giving for eastern New Mexico. PRMC's generosity is the foundation for our community and all the valuable organizations United Way supports.
As part of a community-owned health system, PRMC has invested in a state-of-the-art cardiac cath lab; a new MRI machine which provides enhanced images and added services such as breast imaging for women's care, and a new PET scan service for cancer patients.
PRMC continues to be glad to offer the convenience and quality of care right here at home.
Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce
Over the past year, the Clovis/Curry County Chamber focused its efforts on the things that matter most… building on community strengths through tourism, special events and community celebrations, increasing chamber member engagement and fostering a culture that nurtures collaboration and a sense of community. The Chamber, together with the Clovis Civic Center and the Curry County Events Center, host many major events to include the Pioneer Days celebration, two youth rodeo finals - the New Mexico High School Rodeo Finals and the High Plains Junior Rodeo Finals - and the 4th of July Smoke on the Water celebration. New to the calendar of events last year was the Clovis High School 70's Reunion and the New Mexico Parks and Recreation Conference. There is no doubt that "Clovis Rocks!", especially during the annual Clovis Music Festival in September. Visitors from around the world come to Clovis throughout the year to visit the original 7th Street NorVaJak Studios and the Norman and Vi Petty Rock & Roll Museum in downtown Clovis. Significant that history repeats itself, Will Banister and the Mulberry Band has hit it big internationally with their recent performance at Wembley Arena in England…another worldwide statement that Clovis Rocks!
Public/Private partnerships between the Chamber and the City of Clovis included the fundraising campaign for new Christmas Lights for downtown Clovis, the overall promotion of Clovis through the city's lodgers tax fund, legislative events and event planning of the Smoke on the Water Fourth of July celebration at Greene Acres Park. The Chamber has partnered with the City on the following groundbreakings and ribbon cutting celebrations in the last year: Colonial Park Golf Course, Dog Park, YRB, Splash Park and the historic Hotel Clovis and we are anxiously awaiting the premiere showing of the newest addition to the Hillcrest Zoo, the baby giraffe.
Chamber committees are thriving with a record number of participants in this year's Leadership Clovis class and many new recruits for the Ambassadors. The Chamber has also served as the catalyst for many outreach programs and events in support of the men and women assigned to Cannon Air Force Base. As a community, we have reached out to Cannon personnel by hosting the annual "Cannon Appreciation Day" in August, the "Single Airmen's Christmas Party", the "Career Expo Fair" for military dependents and civilians and the "Discover Home Travel Fair" to showcase local and regional tourism attractions to the military families, throughout the year with the "Sponsor an Air Commando" program.
In November, The Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce was awarded the New Mexico "Best Practice Award" for Tourism during the 16th annual New Mexico Infrastructure and Finance Conference that was held in Albuquerque, NM.
As a business community and in sync with the City of Clovis, we are doing the right things to create a pocket of greatness right here in Clovis, New Mexico. And your Chamber continues to be the best way for local businesses, organizations and government to stay connected to something larger.
Clovis Industrial Development Corporation
On the industrial development front, Clovis Industrial Development Corporation worked on several projects in 2011. CIDC continues to work with Tres-Amigas, which is a $1.2 billion power station which will be located north of Clovis. The project will bring 65 new high wage jobs to Clovis. The project is also anticipated to spur many new renewable energy projects within the area. A groundbreaking for the Tres-Amigas project is anticipated to happen this summer. Quality Liquid Feed just completed the construction of a $2 million production and distribution facility at the Clovis Industrial Park. QLF will employee 15 people. In November CIDC announced that Beauty Health and Science Innovations will be moving their manufacturing facility from California to Clovis. The estimated $7 million project will create 300 new jobs for Clovis over the next five years. CIDC continues to work with Shell Oil to explore natural gas production opportunities in Clovis and Curry County. CIDC worked with Cummins Natural Gas Engines to ensure that their current operation remains as retention and expansion project. Additionally, CIDC is currently working with Cummins to expand their current facility and potentially add 25 to 50 new jobs in 2012.
AIRPORT
In 2011 we saw a change of leadership at the Clovis Municipal Airport. Mr. Steve Summers retired and was replaced by Mr. Gene Bieker.
During the past year, the Clovis Municipal Airport (CVN) has been busy with projects that will improve the airport. Projects that have now been completed are the runway extension project, installation of a new 200,000 gallon water tank and a wildlife survey of the area surrounding the airport. With the completion of these projects we will not only increase the safety for current air traffic but also position ourselves for enhanced air service to the East. The increased length of the 4/22 runway will make it possible to accommodate a regional jet with connection to Dallas/Fort Worth or other major airport.
Negotiations of terms and conditions for the relocation of FAA owned navigational equipment was also accomplished. Both were vital steps needed to complete the extension. The installation of a new guidance system and the return of the Instrument Landing System are underway with an expected completion time of April 2012.
BUILDING SAFETY
In 2011 Building Safety permitted a total of 146 new residences, 74 single family and 72 multi-family units with a total permit value of $35,334,980. Building Safety permitted 53 residential additions with a value of $1,209,329 and had 17 new commercial projects with a permit value of $7,525,734, and 32 commercial additions and remodels with a permit value of $48,843,557.
In 2011 Building Safety permitted a total of $102,739,595 in building permit value, and received $198,403 in building permit fees. The larger projects we permitted were the dairy feed project, Southwest Cheese addition and the Hotel Clovis Housing project.
The single family and multi-family housing has helped with the housing crunch but since the affordable housing ordinance didn't pass, developers are building homes with affordability in mind and are trying to keep the cost down to where they are affordable. We are still talking to developers that have expressed interest in building multi-family complex.
The City has just received word that they have received approval from FHA for the Rain Tree Apartments to be located on Llano Estacado Boulevard. This is a 192 apartment project. These will be market rate apartments which may be utilized by the community for housing.
Planning and Zoning demolished 6 houses this year and secured 8. They processed 2 preliminary plats, 5 final plats, 11 re-plats and 16 zone changes.
Vector control treated 1590 miles of area, 176 playa lakes and drainage retention ponds, 864 ditches and 9471 gopher and prairie dog holes. He is doing pre treatment projects now and will continue until spring.
Code enforcement has sent out 1422 weed/grass letters,951 public nuisance letters and tagged 254 vehicles and had 3 towed.
4. DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION
Clovis MainStreet Program
The Clovis MainStreet program experienced a lot of activity in 2011. The program continues to be accredited from New Mexico Main Street and National Main Street. They made a lot of progress in the downtown area this year.
Projects completed included the streetscape of a further block on Main Street with new concrete with decorative brick imprints, along with planter pots. They received secret visitor reports and held business workshops. A new event was held downtown "Cruzin with the Moons" and the first Wind Festival. Clovis MainStreet organized the Christmas Light parade which was very successful and moved the ATSF 9005 engine into the downtown railroad district. The beginning of redevelopment for the old Hotel Clovis which will bring more retail and housing to the downtown area is a tremendous catalyst for growth in the heart of our community.
In 2011 the Clovis-Carver Library, located in our downtown district, set aside a room for the Commission to meet with the public. I have held office hours there and this has proved to be a useful tool in communicating with the public.
As you can see, we have had another tremendous year with much going on in our community. Clovis, which has grown 15.6% in the past ten years, continues to strive and we are extremely blessed as a community to have experienced stability and growth during these challenging times in our great Nation's history.
