Archives for April 2017

Future business development has the Clarendon City Council rethinking rules regulating the sale of alcohol in the city.

City Administrator David Dockery brought the issue to the council during its regular meeting last Thursday, April 13.

“We have locations that have great potential for development but are restricted by their distance to a school or church,” Dockery said.

Current city rules allows for alcohol sales along US 287 within the city, along State Hwy. 70 from US 287 to the north city limit, and in the Central Business District. Sales are prohibited within 300 feet of the main house of worship of a church, a public or private school, and licensed daycare or child care facilities. Variances may be applied for under the rules.

The problem, Dockery said, is that the city is limited on highway and central business district locations. He also said he doesn’t want the city to have to answer why one variance request might be approved but another might not be.

Dockery said the City of Allen set specific zones that were exempt from its distance regulations, giving a blanket authorization, for example, to sell alcohol for on premise consumption within its central business district to encourage restaurants to locate there.

The administrator also said he recently learned that a property is under contract in town that may lead to a future variance request under current rules.

Alderman Nathan Floyd said he felt that the more businesses Clarendon has the better the town is.

Dockery had previously talked with the city’s legal representation, but the council asked him to visit with the attorney again to get more clarity on the options the city has on this issue.

In other city business, the council repealed Ordinance 307 which prohibited fire arms on public property and in public buildings because portions of the ordinance were in conflict with state law after the passage of open carry rules. The city had also received legal advice that it was better to not have signs posted about firearms.

Aldermen also received updates on code compliance issues, and Dockery gave an updated on the USDA project to improve water infrastructure in the city.

New cost estimates for the project have come in about $530,000 higher than originally anticipated, and Dockery is working with engineers to come with cost savings and ways to make parts of the project optional in order to bring the price tag back down.

The administrator is also working on a three-year plan to bring City Hall into ADA compliance after the cost on that work was estimated at $61,650.

Courthouse windows in need of repair was one of the topics addressed by Donley County Commissioners when they met in regular session Monday, April 17.

County Judge John Howard says several wooden courthouse window sashes are in need of repair, and commissioners reviewed a proposal from Restorhaus of Lubbock to remove and rebuild the five windows needing the most attention.

Restorhaus is the same firm that repaired windows and replicated historic wood finishes in the 1890 courthouse when it was restored in 2003.

Commissioners took no action on the firm’s proposal and are waiting to hear from another firm before moving forward.

Howard said condensation on the single-pane windows is a chief culprit in water damage affecting the windows, but he also says that better environmental controls can help with that moving forward.

“HVAC isn’t just for comfort,” Howard said. “It helps with the preservation of the building also.”

The judge said the county has money set aside for courthouse maintenance in order to stay on top of issues and keep the building in good shape.

In other business, commissioners approved implementing a “Payments Made Easy” system for fine collections in the office of the Precinct 1&2 Justice of the Peace. The system allows for online payments, and the cost is added to the fine.

The court approved a $2,300 proposal from Gowdy Flooring to replace the carpet in the tax assessor’s office and stretch carpet in the clerk’s office.

A request by the child welfare board for $2,119.94 from the jury duty fund was approved to buy presents for local kids in foster care.

Local candidates for office were given an opportunity to speak when Donley Active Voices hosted a Kids’ Press Conference on Monday, April 3, at the Burton Memorial Library.

Several local kids were present and heard from Clarendon school trustee Weldon Sears, Mayor Sandy Skelton, Alderman Nathan Floyd, and city alderman candidates Jacob Fangman and Britton Hall. School trustee candidates Reneé Mott and Zack Robinson were not present for the forum.

Early voting begins Monday, April 24, and runs through May2. Election Day will be May 6.

A summary of the candidates’ statements from the forum is listed below as reported by the young people attending the Kids’ Press Conference.

Weldon Sears by Henry and Haughton Bivens.

Weldon Sears has been a member of the school board for 22 years.  He explained what incumbent meant to us.  He explained the school board hires the superintendent, who is responsible for the day to day workings of the school.  The school board fits education to local needs and is responsible to students, parents, teachers, administration, and tax payers.  Mr. Sears wants to put student’s needs first and feels communication between everyone is important.  He feels he can help students and the community by being on the school board.

Sandy Skelton by Lillie Dale.

Sandy Skelton is running unopposed for reelection as mayor. The mayor conducts all city meetings and hires a city administrator. The city administrator does the hiring for the rest of the city jobs which cover water, roads, and everyday administration of the city. Mayor Skelton wants to address the infrastructure needs in clarendon. He spoke about a project to fix the roads, but he also told us how expensive those kinds of projects are. He wants to fix the waterlines and how the government is giving the town money to fix them up. He spoke about how the pipes were old and rusted and produced red water in some parts of the town. He was asked by one of the kids about the new water park. He replied by saying it was more of a pool than a water park and they still haven’t raised enough money for the project, but he was sure that they would complete it before the deadline.

Nathan Floyd by Rosie Dale.

Nathan Floyd is currently a city alderman. He thinks for the job of alderman that you have to work on city projects, city businesses, and as well as making Clarendon grow in the right direction. His goals if elected are to start a new project in town about our roads and our waterlines. Nathan was originally asked to fill an open position as city alderman.  He wants to appeal to the youth in this town.

Jacob Fangman by Nathan Matthews.

Jacob Fangman is a Clarendon City Alderman candidate. He believes that the role of an Alderman is to represent the tax payers and constructively implement their wishes with available funds. He plans to listen carefully to citizens and the more experienced board members in order to help Clarendon to be a sustainable community. Jacob ran for the position of City Alderman in order to make a difference. He is ready to take on this responsibility.

Britton Hall by Ben and Ella Estlack.

Britton Hall grew up in Fort Worth and came to Clarendon in 2008. Mr. Hall is running for city council. What he sees in an alderman is the voice of the people. His main goals are to represent the citizens of Clarendon, listen to the citizens of clarendon with an open mind, and to bridge the gap between young and old people. He would also like to see more young people get involved. He decided to run for alderman so he could give back to the city Clarendon for welcoming him with open arms when he moved to town.

CHILDRESS – The Texas Department of Transportation began a project on Tuesday, April 18, to increase the life of its existing pavement structures in the Childress District.

More than 151 miles of state roadways in the district will see $3.8 million worth of preventive maintenance seal coat work.

In addition to US 287 through Donley County, the following counties and roadways are slated to be affected: Childress (FM 94); Collingsworth (US 83, SH 203, FM 3143); Dickens (US 82); Foard (US 70); Hall (FM 1041, FM 2472, FM 3517, FM 94); Hardeman (FM 1166); Knox (SH 222, FM 2701); and Wheeler (SH 152, FM 592, FM 277).

Weather permitting, contractor CDM Holdings LLC, expects to complete work by mid-May 2017.

“Maintenance and system preservation is our largest expenditure, and seal coating provides a variety of benefits to the roadway,” said Chris Reed, P.E., Childress District Director of Construction, “including a waterproof surface that prevents moisture from entering and weakening the roadbed.  Seal coating also reduces deterioration and cracking of the asphalt surface, which will prolong the life of the pavement.”

“Safety is the top priority at TxDOT and the basis for planning, building, and maintaining our transportation system.  The system that allows all of that requires constant maintenance and preservation,” said TxDOT’s Darwin Lankford.

Motorists can expect lane closures and a pilot car to guide traffic, and are asked to drive with caution, be on the lookout for workers, and avoid distractions.

The Clarendon College Theatre Department invites everyone to the new original play “Red Tape” on Thursday, April 27, at 7 p.m. in the Harned Sisters Fine Arts Center.

The play is suitable for audience members of every age, according to CC drama instructor Rodney Donahue.

“We are creating a G-rated environment and have included some hallmarks of Clarendon, including Highway 287, the college, and the Enterprise,” Dr. Donahue said.

“Red Tape” is an original comedy about the absurdities inherent in the corporate world. In the play, Marcus wants to date a coworker, but instead he runs into a rules and regulations that stop him at every turn. When he is prevented from dating her, Marcus decides to take her on the date anyway.

“Red Tape” questions professional and personal boundaries in the workplace and how far employers and employees go to cross those boundaries. The play is suitable for audience members of every age.

Faculty and students involved in the performance are Dr. Donahue (playwright and director), Kc Martin (stage manager), Haley Rodriguez (stage manager), Dillon Lowery, Mikaila Walker, Jenna Perez, Sam Long, MK Greenlee, Daniel Fiedler, Michael Murdock, Zack LaRoe, and additional students from Introduction to Theatre courses.