Clovis to consider vacancy

CLOVIS — Ladona Clayton isn’t leaving the Clovis city commission until July 12. And when she does, the commission has 30 days to appoint another District 1 resident to fill the approximate eight months left on the term.

But the commission figures there’s no better time than the present. It plans to discuss the vacancy and how it intends to fill it at the end of its new business at the 5:15 p.m. Thursday meeting at the North Annex of the Clovis-Carver Public Library.

The city charter requires the commission to appoint a registered voter who lives in District 1 by Aug. 12, but it lets the commission use whatever format it chooses to find that candidate.

Clayton, who is resigning as the superintendent at Clovis Christian Schools, said during the June 9 meeting she was leaving Clovis to pursue a position with Tyler Street Christian Academy in Dallas.

The commission will also appoint Clayton’s successor on the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority. The terms of Clayton and Mayor David Lansford expire at the end of June.

Other items on the city’s Thursday agenda include:

n A presentation of the key to the city to outgoing City Attorney David Richards. A reception for Richards is also planned prior to the meeting at the North Annex.

n Consideration of a Curry County request to redirect $1 million the county gave the city in environmental gross receipt taxes to help remove pollutants and remediate groundwater in the southwest corner of Cannon Air Force Base.

The Curry County Commission in its June 4 meeting directed County Manager Lance Pyle to make the request to the city, with the understanding the city had slated the money for the master water assurance plan but that the city might reconsider following reports of PFAS and PFOA contamination.

n A public hearing on a request from the Buffalo Grill for a beer and wine restaurant license.

The zoning statement attached to the application lists the nearest church, New Life Assembly of God, at 373.19 feet and the nearest school, Future Generations, at 360 feet from the requesting premises. If either were within 300 feet, the commission would have to consider granting a waiver.

n A resolution to participate in the state capital outlay program and receive a $300,000 New Mexico Department of Transportation Grant to defray costs for upgrades to Martin Luther King Boulevard.

n A trio of resolutions outlining possible commission member participation in providing business services to the city.

The resolutions are for Commissioners Sandra Taylor-Sawyer, Gary Elliott and Chris Bryant, who operate Legal Shield, A-1 Alignment and the Foxy Drive-In, respectively. The resolution acknowledges the city shouldn’t dismiss using those businesses because of the ownership, and stipulates the commissioners abstain from voting on any contract where their business is a prospective vendor.

Mayor Pro Tem Juan Garza also owns Juanito’s restaurant locations in Clovis and Portales, but City Manager Justin Howalt said Garza hasn’t provided any services to the city for more than three years. If that changes, Howalt said, similar documentation would be prepared.

n Approval of an ordinance adopting the Clovis Unified Development Ordinance. The UDO is a comprehensive update of city code meant to modernize the city code, which has had many sections unchanged since 1993.

The ordinance has been developed by the city’s planning and zoning commission through several of its own meetings, along with various public input meetings over the last two years.

n A resolution to continue participation in the Eastern Plains Council of Governments for 2018-19 and select a voting representative and alternate from the commission.

n An update on the Curry Residents Senior Meals Association program.