City to consider carriers for federally subsidized flights

CLOVIS - The Clovis city commission will consider three carriers for federally subsidized flights to and from Clovis Municipal Airport at today's meeting.

The commission, in its first meeting since the March 6 municipal election, will look at Essential Air Services packages from current provider Boutique Air, Servant Air and Southern Airways.

Boutique has served Clovis with flights between Clovis and Dallas-Fort Worth since June 2014 using Pilatus PC-12 planes. It is proposing a pair of options using either a PC-12 or a King Air 350. The first is to continue its current 18 weekly round-trips to DFW, and the second would be a mix of round trips to DFW and Denver International Airport.

Servant Air is offering 18 weekly round-trips to DFW on either a PC-12, a King Air 200 or a King Air 350.

Southern Airways is offering three options, all with a non-pressurized Cessna Caravan - 18 weekly round-trips to DFW, a 12/6 mix of round-trips to DFW and Albuquerque Sunport or a 11/7 mix of round-trips to DFW and Albuquerque.

The annual federal subsidy varies between $2.62 million and $5.34 million, with the cost differences mainly coming from the different planes and whether the routes are split between different airports.

The city staff recommendation is to select Boutique's DFW-only option with a preference for the King Air 350 to better accommodate Cannon Air Force Base personnel.

In other business:

• The commission will have an executive session at 4:45 p.m. covering acquisition or disposal of property.

• The commission will select its mayor pro tem for the upcoming two years. The mayor pro tem is a sitting city commissioner who acts as the mayor at functions the mayor cannot attend.

District 1 Commissioner Juan Garza has been mayor pro tem since 2012.

• A proclamation marking March 24 at Homer Tankersley Day in Clovis. According to the proclamation, Tankersley arrived in Clovis in 1958 and three years later opened a men's shop that later expanded into the Tankersley's Clothing Store. The proclamation also mentions his time with the 82nd Airborne during World War II and his work as a music evangelist across America and England.

March 25 is Tankersley's 91st birthday.

• A request to close Main Street 10 a.m. to noon March 24 between Hilltop Plaza and Seventh Street for a "March for Our Lives" event. The demonstration is part of a series planned nationwide by the Everytown for Gun Safety nonprofit. The group is requesting a waiver of the $150 street closure and $40 per hour for traffic control during the event.

• Appointment of a representative for the Lodger's Tax Advisory Board.

Don David is not seeking a new term, and Jonathan Wilson and Bill Bargman applied for the position. The board meets quarterly and makes recommendations on disbursing tax dollars received through an add-on tax at local hotels.

• An application for state designation of opportunity zones in the city.

As part of 2017 tax reform, opportunity zones were created as a designation to unlock favorable capital gains treatment for investments in those areas.

Governors have up to 120 days from Dec. 22 of last year to designate up to 25 percent of qualified census tracks as opportunity zones, and the city has until Wednesday to apply.

• A request to close the southern portion of Ned Houk Park from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 11, 18 and 25 for Clovis Police Department training activities.

The training will largely consist of pursuit operations and would help fulfill New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy requirements.

• A bid for tree trimming at Hillcrest Park. Marathon RMG is recommended for the task with a bid of $37,500. The other three bidders - Timber Oklahoma, Cut It Right and Deco, Inc. - range between $149,336 and $282,000.

• A request for usage and a fees waiver at Greene Acres Park for an April 21 walk/run-a-thon to benefit the Freedom Foundation of Eastern New Mexico.

• A request to close Upsilon Street and use Potter Park -including the pool and a city stage - 7 a.m.-7 p.m. June 16 for annual Juneteenth activities.