Businesses show interest in Clovis

Businesses are interested in being in Clovis, 38 of them have varying degrees of interest in opening a location in the city.

Clovis city commissioners learned of retail and service business interest in the city at Thursday’s regular commission meeting.

Chris Bontrager from the consultant firm Retail Strategies made a presentation to the commission about retail opportunities for the city.

Retail Strategies was hired by the city over a year and a half ago to engage in retail recruitment for Clovis.

Bontrager said Retail Strategies is about halfway through a three-year process in the company’s relationship with Clovis.

Bontrager said of the 38 businesses interested in Clovis, four “may be very close to reality” in terms of opening a business. He described the businesses as two clothing and accessories shops, one general merchandise store and one quick service restaurant. Bontrager did not name the businesses.

In other business at the city commission meeting, the city’s new director of the Hillcrest Park Zoo, Damian Lechner, was introduced to commissioners by parks and recreation director Russell Hooper. Lechner comes to Clovis from the Los Angeles area.

Clovis’ teen community emergency response team (CERT) was given an award for being the top team in youth community preparedness by the Region Six FEMA administration.

The Texico chapter of the Future Farmers of America gave a presentation on windmill farms, property rights and related matters.

John Montaño, Richard Hadley and Jeff Lynn were on hand representing the Pioneer Days Rodeo and festivities coming up the first week of June. They received a Pioneer Days proclamation from mayor Mike Morris.

Kelsey Knight from the city manager’s office reported to commissioners on the statistics from the trash cleanup of May 7. Knight said over 78 tons of trash was collected by 206 volunteers.

There was a pointed discussion about a request to zone a lot at 414 Mitchell Street to industrial so a cannabis growing facility may be located there. In the end, the commission voted to deny the request.

Clovis police captain Roman Romero addressed the commission, reading a letter he composed about how the city and a number of other government entities came together and worked together well to put out the April 29 grass fire northwest of the city. Standing with him as he read from his letter was Clovis police chief Roy Rice, Clovis fire chief Mike Nolen, emergency management director Dan Heerding and deputy fire chief Faye Craigmile.

Clovis city commission meets again for a special session Thursday at 2 p.m. in the North Annex of Clovis Carver Library to go over the city budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

The next regular session of the commission will be Thursday, June 2.