Meetings watch: Clovis City Commission

The Clovis city commission met Thursday at the North Annex of the Clovis-Carver Public Library.

All commissioners, and Mayor David Lansford attended.

• Commissioners approved a $350,000 Local Economic Development Grant from the state for Southwest Cheese.

• Resident Carolyn Spence spoke before the commission to praise the Clovis Fire Department for their recent work retrieving a cat stuck from a chimney on Brentwood Drive, without any damage to the chimney, fireplace, or feline.

• Commissioners approved the adoption of an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan for Clovis, 22 years after federal requests for compliance and just in time for a presentation Thursday from the Eastern Plains Council of Governments reminding the city as much.

• Following months of preparation, multiple emergency response agencies will participate in a hazardous materials response drill 8:30 a.m. Thursday.

• Carlos Molina, Jr., vice-president of the Clovis Disc Golf Club, was appointed to the Parks, Recreation and Beautification Committee.

• From a pool of five candidates, Janice Martinez was elected to a citizen member position on the Commission on Older Adults.

Martinez was voted in with ballots from Fidel Madrid, Juan Garza, Sandra Taylor-Sawyer, Tom Martin, and Helen Casaus.

Candidate Brenda Harpold received votes from Gary Elliott and Chris Bryant. District 1 Commissioner Ladona Clayton voted for candidate Carl Coslett.

• Two openings were filled on the Public Works Commission. Russ Backoff ran unopposed as District 2 representative and incumbent Rudy Garcia reclaimed his spot in District 3.

Garcia won with votes from Clayton, Taylor-Sawyer, Madrid, Garza, and Bryant. Clifford Martin Jr. earned votes from Casaus, Elliott, and Martin.

Mayor David Lansford thanked all the candidates for seeking volunteer positions to serve their community.

• Assistant City Manager Claire Burroughes spoke on behalf of Wilma Foldham regarding a change to the upcoming 2017 Pioneer Days event. Instead of a “chuckwagon cookoff” fundraiser, Miss Rodeo New Mexico will instead be supported with money raised by vendors paying into a “rodeo tailgate” following the Pioneer Parade.

Clovis Police Chief Doug Ford said the city would have a few officers on site for no cost during the event. Elliott proposed imposing a small entrance fee to the tailgate bazaar.

• The next commission meeting is 5:15 p.m. April 20 at the North Annex of the Clovis-Carver Public Library.

— Compiled by Staff Writer David Grieder