Curry commissioners table events center marketing plan

CLOVIS — A discussion of sponsorship goals for the Curry County Events Center and Fairgrounds quickly became a referendum on what exactly the county is paying its management company to manage during a pandemic.

The county commission, by a 4-0 vote in its Tuesday morning meeting held via Zoom, tabled a marketing plan from Spectra. Commissioner Chet Spear also instructed County Manager Lance Pyle and County Attorney Stephen Doerr to explore the county’s options to enforce force majeure to relieve the county of its $7,000 monthly management fee to the company.

The matter started pedestrian enough, with Manager KC Messick providing commissioners with a rundown of up to $165,500 in potential sponsorship avenues, including:

n $40,000 for naming rights at the Curry County Events Center.

“The facility itself is equestrian-based,” Messick said, “but we do feel like we can market to a broader audience, based on our ability to use the floor (for other events).”

n Naming rights for smaller buildings at the fairgrounds, with those fees somewhere in the neighborhood of $4,000 annually with discounts for multi-year deals.

n A $3,000 pouring contract, which would give soft drink companies like Coca-Cola or Pepsi exclusivity on site in the same way many franchise restaurants offer only one slate of product.

n Alcohol sponsorships, which would not tie the facilities to exclusive products.

Spear agreed on the need for sponsorships, but said the facilities have garnered roughly $12,000 in sponsorships in the last year and he sees no reason to anticipate sponsorships will approach six figures when COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed to the point events can be held at the facilities.

And while events aren’t being held at the center, Spear continued, the county has paid a $5,000 monthly management fee.

“Please tell us,” Spear said, “what you have done during the past five months to earn the $35,000 management fee.”

Danny Wheeler, a regional vice president for Spectra, noted that the company has had many employees on furlough, but has worked to navigate public health orders and last week helped facilitate county livestock shows.

“Everything that is in our management agreement with Curry County,” Wheeler said, “are the things we try to meet and fulfill on a daily basis.”

Spear responded that if Spectra was presenting a plan like this for the first time, he would be impressed.

However, he noted some version of the plan has been floated for 11 years and there’s little to show for it.

“I have no reason to believe,” Spear said before making his motion, “you'll do any better in the future.”

In seconding the motion, Commissioner Seth Martin said there was no reason to move forward on a marketing plan with numerous other matters to tackle. Martin told Messick the action wasn’t aimed at him, and that he was simply the person who got thrown into a difficult situation unexpectedly when Kadee Hande left the position.

“KC, you got thrown into this unexpectedly,” Martin said. “Management is difficult to keep for some reason. I think when management from Spectra changes every six to eight months, it's tough to get a foot in to pursue this type of marketing.”

In other business at the Tuesday meeting:

• Detention Administrator Mark Gallegos said the facility has had two COVID-19 positive cases. One was an inmate from the Lubbock area who did not show any symptoms, was quarantined during his entire stay and has since been released back to the Lubbock area. The second was a staffer who was asymptomatic, and is back to work after clearing recovery protocols. Overall, the facility has conducted 178 staff tests and 501 detainee tests.

The detention center helped set up 149 attorney-inmate phone calls, and 74 detainee video conferences with friends and family. Gallegos said there is a noticeable improvement in inmate morale with the latter.

• The county approved creation of a new fire protection district mostly south and partially east of the Clovis city limits.

County Fire and Safety Director David Kube said a 7-acre parcel of land by Curry Road 6 could work for a station, provided Southwest Cheese and the city of Clovis were willing to donate the co-owned land. He said the area has 15 people signed up to be on a volunteer fire department, and numerous businesses in the area have pledged money to the cause. The department would not receive any assistance from the state fire marshal’s office during a 12-month review period, but would be eligible should it acquire certifications and justify its presence.

“I agree it's needed,” Chairman Ben McDaniel said before the 4-0 vote. “It is a big portion of land without a lot of fire protection.”

• Three of the commissioners gave brief reports early in the meeting.

Commissioner Bobby Sandoval said he had spoken with top brass at BNSF Railways and was assured there were no current plans to close the Clovis railyard.

Commissioner Robert Thornton said the livestock shows at the Ben Roberts Show Arena last week and the privately operated junior livestock sale on Friday were successful. Thornton said it was a big deal for area youth, and he appreciated everybody’s efforts.

Martin noted the county has public wi-fi access at the events center and its administrative complex at 417 Gidding for students who don’t have Internet access at home.

• The next meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Sept. 1.