Curry County recommends remediation

CLOVIS — Nearly a year ago, Curry County and the city of Clovis agreed the county would give the city $1 million in environmental gross receipts taxes for implementation of the city’s master water assurance plan.

County commissioners are hoping they can convince the city to slightly rethink how it uses those dollars.

By a 5-0 vote Tuesday morning, the commission approved a recommendation to the city to spend the $1 million specifically on remediation of the water near Cannon Air Force Base that has PFAS/PFOA contamination.

“This isn’t about one family, three dairies or four or five subdivisions,” Commissioner Seth Martin said. “It’s about the aquifer that supplies all of Curry County.”

Under terms of the agreement the city and county struck May 15 of last year, Curry County was to pay the city $1 million from environmental gross receipts revenue “solely for the implementation of the city of Clovis Master Water Assurance plan for the acquisition and construction of solid waste facilities, water facilities, waste water facilities, sewer systems and related facilities and no other purpose.” Any change in the agreement requires approval from both parties in writing.

Martin said a component of the water assurance plan was protecting quality of existing water supply.

Other commissioners were largely in support, though Thornton did raise objections. He said the money was targeted for building infrastructure and added the Air Force’s job to clean the water issue caused by firefighting chemicals is going to be an eight-figure expense.

“Our $1 million is likely not going to do anything in the grand scheme of things,” Thornton said.

Commission Chair Chet Spear didn’t think it would be too hard to convince the city of the need to clean up the contamination, which wasn’t known when the original agreement was struck. He added that the city has already acknowledged the problem by spending $15,000 to hire King Industries to help find cleanup options.

Thornton said his objections to the request would be satisfied if it were termed as a recommendation to the city, because the county isn’t in the position to dictate terms. The other commissioners had no objection with the distinction.

In other business at the Tuesday meeting:

• The county approved voting locations for 2019, 2020 and 2021 statewide elections by a 3-2 vote.

Sites will be the Roy Walker Recreation Center, the Youth Recreation Building, Farmer’s Electric Cooperative, Colonial Park Golf Course, the county road department barn, the Pleasant Hill Fire Department, the Grady Senior Citizens Center, Melrose City Hall and the Texico Community Center. Registered voters may cast ballots at any location.

Commissioner Bobby Sandoval wanted an additional voting site for residents in the west side of Clovis, as there are no sites between the Roy Walker Recreation Center and Melrose. He suggested La Casa as a site.

Spear didn’t see the need, noting some of his constituents have to drive 25 miles to a polling spot.

“They vote absentee, they vote early,” Spear said, “or on election day to drive to Melrose, go visit their friends and vote.”

Sandoval and Thornton voted against the measure, with Thornton saying he saw another voting place as a justifiable expense.

• The commission denied a $15,370 change order request on HVAC renovation at the Curry County Courthouse.

The work was done without prior permission from the commission, despite a contract requirement to acquire it, Spear said. Additionally, anything requiring the change order should have been caught during a design process that ran the county nearly $188,000.

Spear said the county manager, county facilities director and county attorney had advised him against granting the change order, and, “I am not about to overrule them.”

• The commission tabled a request for a utility vehicle purchase for the Curry County Events Center.

Events center staff had a Gravely JSD 3000 in mind at a $12,600 cost, but commissioners wanted to look into the possibility that a John Deere model might provide the better value for the county.

• Three citizen members were added to the planning committee for a Sept. 7 10-year anniversary celebration for the county events center.

Lexie Myers, Susanne Oborny and Fernando Madrid were approved. Originally, the committee was created with openings for two citizen members, but Oborny and Madrid applied as a team. Spear saw no need to turn down help from them, or from Myers.

Commissioners asked Pyle if they could appoint three members, to which Pyle said, “It’s your committee.”

• The next meeting is set for 9 a.m. June 27 at the Curry County Administrative Complex.