Clovis approves agreement with county

CLOVIS — In a “hallmark decision” after some back and forth this month with Curry County, the city of Clovis on Monday approved an intergovernmental services agreement only slightly modified from its original form.

The adjusted shared services and cost agreement — split into two so as to differentiate the entities’ payments to one another — passed by a 3-2 vote last week by county commissioners, was met with an all-but-unanimous approval from the city.

By terms of the agreement passed 8-0, the county will pay the city $35,000 annually in addition to an upfront $1 million toward the city’s Master Water Assurance Plan, with the latter funds coming from the county’s environmental gross receipts tax. Commissioners voted 7-1 on the other agreement, which specifies the city paying the same combined amount of money ($1.35 million) to the county over the course of the 10-year arrangement.

The shared services are the same as they’ve been — EMT and fire services, pest control, emergency management, landfill use and library use from the city, and housing of prisoners by the county.

The sole dissenting vote was from Commissioner Fidel Madrid, who told The News he objected to the city’s monthly payment being raised some $230, to $11,065.11 per month.

Mayor David Lansford said passage of the agreements was “a hallmark decision.”

“This has been a virtual year in and year out challenge,” he said.

Commissioner Ladona Clayton, who presented the agreements at Monday’s meeting and along with Commissioner Sandra Taylor-Sawyer worked with County Commissioners Chet Spear and Robert Thornton to broker the deals, said she was “elated as well as relieved.”

“We spent a long time in negotiations trying to get to a point of consensus. We arrived at that destination, so the outcome tonight, to me, just validates all the work done by the commissioners working together, back and forth,” she said. “What’s so impressive this evening is that it’s unprecedented to put a 10-year agreement in place between the two entities. ... It’s pretty impressive to see how far we’ve come.”

Also at Monday’s commission meeting:

• Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding between Clovis and Portales for the former to assist the latter with permitting, inspection, and planned review, presented by Building Inspector Pete Wilt.

• Quarterly report on the Clovis MainStreet program from President Natalie Daggett.

• Appointment of Stefan Ivanescu to the Civil Aviation Board and approval of Alfred Bryant to the Lodger’s Tax Advisory Board. The latter item was pulled from the consent agenda and voted on separately, with Commissioner Chris Bryant abstaining.

• Approval for use of Greene Acres Park and various road closures during upcoming Fourth of July city programming.