Archives for August 2015

An anonymous benefactor wants Clarendon to have a water recreation facility and has put up $500,000 to challenge the community to make it happen.

Alderman Sandy Skelton announced the big news during the regular meeting of the Clarendon City Council last Thursday, August 13. Skelton said he had been approached by the benefactor in July and that he and City Administrator David Dockery immediately began looking into the opportunity.

“This is all very preliminary,” Skelton said. “We could be looking at anything from a really nice swimming pool to a water park like Wellington has or something in between.”

What the final project looks like will depend entirely on the success of fundraising and the support of community. City officials have learned that the price tag for water recreation projects can range from $1.5 million for a pool and a few amenities to $3.4 million for a water park like the new one in Wellington with slides, diving pools, splash pads, a swimming area, and covered picnic pavilions.

Clarendon Aldermen were enthusiastic about the prospect of a water park or pool as something many people have wanted for many years.

Reaction on social media validated the public’s interest in the project. The Enterprise broke the news on Facebook and Twitter when Skelton made his announcement Thursday night. The post had reached more than 1,000 people by the time the meeting adjourned 45 minutes later. By Tuesday morning, it had reached more than 3,700 people and had received almost 900 clicks.

Dockery suggested a steering committee be appointed very soon to guide the project and help with fundraising. The council agreed that Skelton would represent the city on the committee, and aldermen will bring committee nominations to their next meeting on August 27.

Dockery says the committee will be charged with looking at all aspects of the project, including the location of the facility, the size of the facility, and the cost to build and operate the facility.

An early site possibility for the committee to consider is due east of the Post Office at Fourth and Kearney, where the city already owns property which is connected to Prospect Park by a sidewalk and lighting.

Dockery also presented more information during Monday’s meeting of the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) and reiterated that benefactor is challenging the community.

“Nothing about this is set in stone,” Dockery said. “The benefactor is looking to see how much Clarendon will help itself.”

CEDC members also expressed enthusiastic support for the project.

“I think it would be great and a drawing card for Clarendon,” CEDC President Terri Floyd said of the water project. “It would bring business to our town.”

Floyd said she would like to see the community rally in support of the project.

“A lot of good things are happening in Clarendon,” Floyd said Tuesday. “We’re seeing a lot of progress, and we hope to see everyone get on board and make this a community effort.”

CEDC board member Alderman Doug Kidd was also strongly in favor of the project and said targeting young families should be the key.

“You have to think about the younger ones,” Kidd said at Monday’s meeting. “Splash pads and things like that are where it’s at.”

Last Wednesday, Skelton and Dockery, along with Interim Director of Tourism & Economic Development Jack King, and CEDC member Roger Estlack, toured the new Wellington Aquatics Venue and met with city officials there, gathering information on construction costs, operating procedures, and economic benefits of that project.

Dockery’s research also indicates that projects are more likely to be self-sustaining if they include more amenities than just a pool.

Dockery has been in contact with other cities that have water recreation facilities, and he told the CEDC that each city had its own challenges in building their facilities but all agreed they were huge benefits to their communities and had helped grow their economies.

Communities also report aquatics projects had enhanced property values and benefit other types of development.

Wellington, which has just had its aquatics center open since June 12 and closed for the season on Sunday, August 16, reported that it has had about 14,000 visitors in that short time with 70 percent of them coming from out of town.

Albany reports 80 percent of the users of its facility come from out of town.

Dockery says keeping the public informed will be a top priority as this project moves forward, and updates will likely be given at every regular city council meeting.

“We have to build trust and confidence that once we begin this initiative, we will complete it,” he said. “We need to show community interest and community backing.”

To make a donation or pledge your organization’s or business’ support for this project, contact David Dockery at City Hall at 806-874-3438.

 

The Clarendon City Council approved a 14 percent increase in sanitation rates during its regular meeting last Thursday, August 13.

Mayor Larry Hicks said the city had been struggling to keep up with expenses in the sanitation department for several years.

City officials said the increase will raise about $36,000 for the department and stave off having to use other revenues to support the trash service. The rate increase will also include a new $40 set out and pick up fee for delivering and retrieving Dumpsters that aren’t part of a regular service.

Alderman Doug Kidd asked if it would be cost effective to contract sanitation services, and City Administrator David Dockery said he would be happy to look into that. Dockery noted that the city has built up an enormous amount of capital equipment in the sanitation department that would be hard to rebuild if it was ever done away with.

The board voted unanimously to approve the 14 percent rate increase. Aldermen Larry Jeffers and John Lockhart were absent.

Aldermen also listened to proposals from engineer Clayton Scales to solve drainage issues on West Third Street. The board voted to pursue an option that will lay 10 feet of blacktop behind the north and south rollover curbs in order to armor those areas and carry storm water better. The work is expected to cost about $117,000 and will be paid for from reserve funds.

Will Jordan of Texas Panhandle Cyber Medics presented a proposal for contracted code enforcement services. The city currently pays Jordan $500 per month, and he is seeking twice that amount in the new contract.

City officials discussed needing better reporting, and Jordan said he’s losing money under the current contract. Former alderman Bob Watson said he was interested in the job. No action was taken on the contract.

Aldermen considered abandoning one block of Fourth Street west of Collinson Street, which has never been opened. Neighbors Larry Gray and Kenny Black asked for the street to be abandoned, and citizen Roger Estlack spoke in open comments against the request, asking the council to think about future development. Gray said his house was for sale and closing the street would benefit future owners. The council approved the request with the property owners to split the legal costs and the city to maintain a 20-foot utility easement and right of access.

In his administrator’s report, Dockery said the permitting process for a demolition landfill was continuing, and he said the Clarendon EDC will be working with Texas Tech University to develop a master plan for downtown development.

 

The City of Howardwick expanded its boundaries with a vote of the Board of Aldermen last Tuesday, August 11.

The Saints Roost Section was annexed by the city, Mayor Mike Rowland said.

The mayor said health and safety were primary concerns in taking this action, and he said residents living in that area will receive benefits from being part of the incorporated area of the city.

“Our concern is the grass out there is four feet tall in some places,” Rowland said. “If there were a fire, it would endanger Howardwick.”

The Saints Roost Section 1 and 2 was originally intended to be part of the city, Rowland said of the area that is bounded by Hwy 70 on the east, Rick Husband Blvd. on the south, and the existing city limits on the west. It encompasses about 0.8 square miles and is already platted with streets and has the same water system as the city.

City Secretary Tammy Jordan said one person – an unregistered voter living in the Saints Roost section – objected to the annexation at last week’s meeting. She said the city has logged two complaints about the action concerning taxation and livestock.

“They can keep their animals; I don’t care,” said Rowland. “And their taxes will go up, but its 25 cents per $100 valuation.”

Rowland said the city will provide road maintenance in the Saints Roost section and will also provide mowing services. All residents of Howardwick are required to keep their lots mowed, or the city will mow the lots and bill the owner.

Rowland said residents in Saints Roost already enjoy some city benefits – the availability of trash disposal, the availability of postal boxes at City Hall, and the protection of the city’s fire department.

Jordan said in addition to addressing safety issues, the officials intend to provide an alternate access road into the city itself from Hwy. 70 through Saints Roost. Currently access is mainly through Rick Husband Blvd.

Rowland said finalizing annexation at this point only requires filing the proper paperwork with the state.

 

State Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo) will be in Clarendon on September 8 as part of his annual tour of Senate District 31, conducting town hall meetings across the Panhandle, South Plains, and Permian Basin to discuss the activities of the 84th Legislature.

“I look forward to reporting to the people in my district because their input was important to the work we did last session,” said Seliger.

Over the next several months, Senator Seliger will make stops in each county in District 31 to talk with constituents about the critical issues facing their communities and our state.

Senator Seliger is Chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee and also serves on the Senate Finance, Education, Natural Resources and Economic Development, and Business and Commerce Committees.

The town hall schedule begins next week and will come through Clarendon on Tuesday, September 8, with a public meeting from 9 to 10 a.m. at the Clarendon College Bairfield Activity Center.

Other area meetings that same day include an 11 a.m. meeting in Memphis and a 2 p.m. meeting in Wellington.

 

The Clarendon City Council learned tonight that an anonymous benefactor has approached the city about contributing to a possible water recreation facility, such as a pool.
City leaders say this is all very preliminary, that much research must still be done, and that no obligations or donations have been made at this time.
City council will be forming an exploratory committee to study the opportunity and move forward.
More details will be available in next week’s Enterprise.

Donley County and Clarendon College are walking away from a security agreement between the two that has been in place for more than ten years.

With both parties in the midst of working on their new budgets, all involved said the decision was mutual to let the contract lapse when it expires this fall.

Donley County Judge John Howard said the sheriff’s department had more reserve deputies on its roster when the county agreed to provide security for the college campus, dorms, and athletic events.

Howard met with Sheriff Butch Blackburn and CC President Robert Riza recently to discuss the contract, which had changed little from when it was first approved in 2002. Clarendon College was paying a little more than $20,000 per year for the service.

Dr. Riza said the county was concerned about its liability under the current contract and the college was wanting to do somethings different with security.

“We’ve changed how we staff our dorms, and we’re exploring options for security during games,” Riza said.

The county and college did enter into a Multi-hazard Emergency Operations Plan this week, a formal agreement to render mutual aid in times of need.

County commissioners continued working on their budget this week, and Howard said the court is looking at several items specifically – salary structures, equipment and vehicle fleet, and improving roads. Howard said a slight increase may be possible in the County Special or road tax to help with those improvements.

The judge said he hopes the court will adopt a five-year plan for these expenditures and really focus on roads.

“We need a concerted effort to use our resources to improve roads,” he said. “People in the country depend on our roads for police, EMS, and fire protection, and they deserve them to be well maintained.”

In other county business, the court approved a contract from Texas Panhandle Cyber Medics for the coming year, accepted a bid on tax delinquent property in Howardwick, and agreed to pay its share of the regional 911 budget.

Judge Howard updated the court on the Salt Fork Wind Farm project in the northwestern part of the county.

Cielo Wind has sold out to EDF Renewable Energy, but the 200 Megawatt project is still scheduled to break ground in 2016 and be operational by December of that year.