Curry County: One size does not fit all

CLOVIS — After approximately 45 minutes of discussion on how and why to send the strongest message possible to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, the Curry County Commission approved a resolution seeking a modification of public health orders for businesses to reopen with safeguards as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

Before and after the 5-0 vote, commissioners agreed letters from the commission and business owners would also be needed to get the message across on how public health orders have devastated small businesses with specialized services by closing them while mostly big-box stores remain open to offer those same goods and services.

Commissioner Chet Spear, who introduced the resolution, spoke from his own prepared remarks and those of local business owner Stacey Martin. Spear noted when the goal of social distancing is to keep people apart, it makes no sense to allow hundreds to pack into big-box stores at once while small businesses don’t see that traffic in a month.

Spear continued that a “one-size-fits-all” approach doesn’t work and that the governor is “holding 28 counties hostage” while five counties have nearly all of the positive tests.

If the state’s social distancing measures continue, Spear said, residents will go to Texas for the services they can’t get locally and possibly carry coronavirus from Lubbock or Amarillo.

Spear said he trusts small business owners could follow public health guidelines just as well as businesses deemed essential.

“Free Americans can be responsible as adults,” Spear said, “and use common sense to open their doors responsibly.”

Commissioner Robert Thornton didn’t believe a resolution would carry enough weight, and said letters needed to be sent the governor’s way.

“I think passing a resolution is something that’s going to be ignored,” Thornton said. “We need to make our displeasure known directly.”

Commissioner Robert Sandoval felt the discussion and the resolution had a “preaching to the choir” feel and agreed with Thornton that a resolution wouldn’t do much. He asked Spear to pull the resolution and asked for a letter.

“We need to start a dialogue with the governor,” Sandoval said. “We all know what the problem is here.”

Martin didn’t see a reason why both approaches couldn’t be taken, and Commissioner Ben McDaniel said a followup letter-writing effort made sense.

“These businesses provide revenue to the state,” McDaniel said. “The state, with what’s going on right now with oil and gas, has a serious issue with revenue. They keep a clean, clean, clean place and they will do everything to adhere to requirements. I know many of these people, and they would take it very seriously.”

The county will have a special meeting 10 a.m. Monday, at which commissioners plan to discuss the letters further.

In other business at the Tuesday meeting:

• With no debate, the commission voted to close the county’s juvenile detention center as soon as possible. County Manager Lance Pyle anticipates a closure could take place as early as May 1.

The center has a $937,000 annual budget, which Pyle told commissioners was more than $2,500 per day.

“Right now, we are housing one juvenile from Roosevelt County,” Pyle said. “We are receiving $200 per day.”

The county has juvenile detention housing agreements with San Juan, Bernalillo and Dona Ana counties, and an agreement with Lea County will be presented at a future meeting. Under each agreement, the arresting agency would be responsible for the initial transport and the county would take responsibility after that.

The 15 people employed will be retained within the county, either at the adult detention center or in other vacant county positions.

Commissioners went straight to the vote, with Spear noting the matter has been repeatedly discussed.

• The commission approved purchases by rural fire departments — $400,000 for the Broadview department to buy a pumper/tanker apparatus and $9,725 for the Ranchvale department to buy a used truck trailer and used tank trailer for $9,725.

County Fire and Safety Director David Kube said he had concerns fire protection funds the departments had saved up for years could be taken by the state if unencumbered. For the Broadview purchase, he was planning $91,000 from those funds, $100,000 in budget transfers and the remainder as a loan through the county. Kube said the county had previously done such an agreement with Pleasant Hill’s department, and the terms are favorable because they include no early payment penalties.

Pyle said Kube hadn’t yet addressed the loan arrangement, but didn’t see any reason why he couldn’t set it up.

• Commissioners approved a $189,000 emergency contract to buy and install additional cameras for the adult detention center.

Facilities Director Ben Roberts said the camera purchase was considered an emergency because they were required to finish the detention center renovations and some vendors are having supply issues due to the pandemic’s impact on manufacturing.

Thornton asked if any part of the purchase could be covered through a reduction in payment to one of its construction companies. Roberts said he was still looking into the matter.

• Rick Masters of Cannon Air Force Base gave a presentation on COVID-19 policies at the base. He said he wasn’t allowed to give any statistics on exposures, infections or recoveries but that Cannon’s numbers were part of Curry County’s and that the county’s 10 positive cases are not all attributable to the base.

Only mission-essential personnel are reporting to duty, with others teleworking or discontinued for now. A restricted movement order is in place until June 30, meaning deployments scheduled to end are extended.

The base is closed to visitors, but prescription orders are being filled with phone requests and pickups at the visitor’s center.

• Pyle notified the commission Moody’s recently gave the county its highest credit rating at AA3.

• The next commission meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday.