Interim city manager on agenda

CLOVIS — The Clovis city commission is expected to hear a request during its Thursday meeting to hire an interim city manager, who would take over after Larry Fry departs at the end of April.

Indications are Tom Phelps, who retired last year as CEO of Plateau, is being considered for the position. Commissioners did not name specific candidates for the position earlier this week, but Commissioner Chris Bryant indicated only one person had been interviewed, and Phelps confirmed he had spoken with the commission at its request.

Fry was hired in March 2015 to take over for the retiring Joe Thomas.

In other items listed on the agenda for the 5:15 p.m. meeting at the North Annex of the Clovis-Carver Public Library:

• A request to apply for state Municipal Arterial Program dollars to help rehabilitate Thornton Street from Grand Avenue to Seventh Street, along with the Thornton-Seventh intersection. The city would pay $94,500 of the $378,000 project costs.

• Reports from Quality Liquid Feed, Gavilon Grain, Cummins Clovis and Cherney Microbiological Services, as required under respective project agreements with the Clovis Industrial Development Corporation.

According to its report, QLF made the last of its five lease payments in September and employs 12 people at an average wage of $22.64 per hour.

Gavilon reports an investment of $1.491 million in its Clovis facility and maintained 21 employees in 2016 with an average wage of $18.55 per hour. To qualify for $100,000, split equally among five years, the company had to maintain an average of 19 jobs.

According to Cummins’ report, the business has 34 employees and paid $50,900 to the city in compliance with a loan agreement.

Cherney reports an average of 4.33 employees with an average wage of $18 per hour. The business will receive the second of five $8,000 payments from the city’s economic development fund upon approval of the report.

The city will also receive a summary report from Western Interconnect, a project of Pattern Energy and Tres Amigas. The city has received a payment in lieu of taxes of $89,100.

• A request to hold Relay for Life 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. June 10 at Ned Houk Park, plus a waiver of park rental fees.

• A waiver of rental fees at the Youth Recreation Building for the Miss Rodeo New Mexico pageant meet and greet May 31.