City talks water, approves beer and wine license

CLOVIS — Clovis city commissioners approved Buffalo Grill restaurant for a beer and wine license and discussed a water plan for Clovis during their regular meeting Thursday evening, among other items.

Previous controversy over the potential proximity of the Hilltop Plaza restaurant to a nearby daycare and church was no longer at issue, said city attorney David Richards. A recent “change in ownership of the property” means the restaurant on the 300 block of West 21st Street is no longer in possible violation of the required 300-foot radius from church and school facilities, said Richards. The qualifications were certified by Planning and Zoning Administrator Louis Gordon.

With all commissioners present, the board voted 7-1 to approve the license, with District 2 Commissioner Gary Elliott voting in dissent. He cited concerns over drunk driving.

The commission reconvened after a short recess following approval of the consent agenda to discuss recent research into short and long-term strategies for creating a sustainable water supply for the city.

Lansford said he recently attended a Conservation Excellence Conference in Denver, where attendees considered the use of land trusts establishing water rights between the government and property owners.

The progress of such a trust often reaches a standstill when water-rich landowners and the state fail to agree on the findings of a third-party appraiser assessing the value of the land — too low for one, too high for another.

Even so, Lansford said he was interested in considering a land trust “pilot project” for Clovis, if city leaders could find a land owner willing to take their land out of irrigation and go to dryland farming.

Ladona Clayton presented a summary of recent committee research toward policy recommendations on water management and supply for Clovis.

Previous plans for sustainable water supplies to the city have looked to distant horizons of 40 or 50 years, said Clayton, but lately the planning efforts have become interested in tackling the issue with more immediacy — first on a five-year timeline, then 10, and so on.

She said city leaders “know the urgency of addressing this water issue” and “want to be very aggressive about addressing that.”

Clayton mentioned five tier of elements working in tandem, including a water reuse conservation project for the dairy industry.

Southwest Cheese, a leading water consumer in the city, has gone from using 200,000 gallons per day down to 100,000, and aims to halve that amount once again, said Clayton.

She also recommended looking toward recharging the Ogallala Aquifer and the Playa Lakes, so that they can “do what nature created them to do.”

“We may need to reconsider the way things are being done around water,” she added. “We are not afraid to get creative.”

Thinking outside the box may include efforts of engineering as well as collaboration.

Lansford pointed out that Roosevelt County has a rural water co-op serving non-city residents of the county. Curry County has of yet no such entity, but local grassroots efforts mean to establish it.

“We advocate for that,” said Lansford. “I’m in favor of that.”

Taylor-Sawyer chimed in, noting “sometimes we need to reach out” to existing non-profits, or support nascent groups.

Layton agreed; he from an ethical and practical perspective, empowering water supply access for non-city county residents can easily benefit the city as well.

“We cannot force Curry County or EPCOR to address this crisis,” said Lansford, “but we can advocate.”

“We may not have a legal obligation to the county residents, but I feel we have a moral obligation,” added Martin. “Our main concern is the city of Clovis, I just don’t want to do it to the exclusion of others.”