Cummins officials present on remanufacturing project

CLOVIS — The Cummins plant in Clovis is known for big engines. Officials revealed to the Clovis city commission just how big its newest engines were Thursday night.

As part of the parent company’s 100th anniversary celebration, representatives of the plant that has been part of Clovis for more than 40 years reported their foray into engine remanufacturing is going as planned.

“We hired all of the people we said we were going to hire (10), and we’re training them now,” said plant controller John Ellis.

The engines they’re remanufacturing? The Bradley tank engine. Ellis said that detail had to be kept under wraps while the expansion was in the works.

Cummins invested $2.5 million, and received $950,000 in state and local help — $510,000 loaned from the Clovis Industrial Development Company, $290,000 from a Clovis Economic Incentive Board grant and $150,000 from the state economic development department.

The Cummins plant, including its new 22,500 square foot facility, is located on land the CIDC owns and leases to Cummins at a below-market rate.

In other business at the Thursday meeting:

• Rumors of David Lansford stepping down as Clovis mayor next year are greatly exaggerated, Lansford said.

Lansford told commission members that at the end of the meeting. It definitely wasn’t a 2020 campaign announcement, Lansford said, but simply a rumor he heard about himself and wanted to address.

“I’ll probably make a final decision, like many of you, a month or two before the filing date,” Lansford said. “Right now, I can’t imagine not being mayor.”

Lansford was elected as Clovis’ first at-large mayor in 1996 —previously, mayors were elected from within the city commission. He was re-elected twice, sat out the 2008 race won by Gayla Brumfield, won his job back in 2012 and ran unopposed in 2016.

• The commission approved a memorandum of understanding with Southwest Cheese and New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology to test water filtration possibilities.

The college developed a filtration system to treat water for the oil and gas industry, and wants to modify the filter so it can be used in the dairy industry for phosphates and nitrates.

“We use student labor to do a lot of testing,” said Leonard Garcia, a site engineer for the school. “They work together as a team to develop this thing.”

The aim is to take 20,000 gallons of water per day from Southwest Cheese, treat it for phosphates and nitrates and move it on to the wastewater treatment plant lagoon. The students are expected to arrive May 4, and testing would take place over a 30-day period.

• Senior services staff reported on the first few weeks of the Myseniorcenter software rollout.

The program, used by about 900 senior centers across the country, starts with a senior adding his or her information to the database by either visiting the Friendship Senior Center or calling 575-769-7908.

The senior — anybody 50 and older is eligible — is then given a keychain card they scan at the senior center entrance. Senior Services Director Barbara Riggan said that one feature has already saved time that was spent on sign-in sheets.

So far, 500 seniors have been registered since the program rolled out on Jan. 2. Staff is also promoting the database program for seniors who want to be notified of emergencies, inclement weather or facility closures.

• A change order for upcoming work on Seventh Street was accepted for $23,479.93 to relocate a reuse line. City Manager Justin Howalt said staff knew the line needed to be replaced, but needed to check if it was better to do with the Seventh Street work or upcoming effluent pipeline work.

• Lansford said he intends to step down from the public works committee, and will nominate District 1 Commissioner Ladona Clayton to the position.

When the position became vacant by Randy Crowder not seeking re-election, Lansford volunteered to take it for Clayton with the understanding she was busy with additional water issues. Some of those time constraints have lessened, so Lansford said it’s best to give Clayton the position.

“I’ve enjoyed serving the committee,” Lansford said, “but I think it’s good for commissioners to be on there.”

• The next meeting is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. Feb. 21 at the North Annex of the Clovis-Carver Public Library.