Construction zone
Archives for July 2019
Generous donation
Aldermen deliberate pool project
The Clarendon City Council last week deliberated the fate of a proposed aquatics facility and discussed using city funds to help make up a shortfall between the low bid and money dedicated to the project.
A&S General Contractors had the lowest price of $2,716,838 when bids were opened on July 9. Funds currently dedicated to the project through donations and grants, however, total $2,253,055, leaving a shortfall of $463,783. City officials would also like to have a five percent contingency fund of $126,842 in the event of change orders or cost overruns.
The city has until August 23 to accept or reject the bid submitted by A&S.
“Things have changed dramatically over the last four years,” Mayor Sandy Skelton told the council. “I’m feeling okay about investing city funds into this project.”
Skelton told the council that the cost of building the swimming pool had gone up from $500 per square foot of surface water in 2015 to more than $800 per square foot today. City officials had initially said four years ago that no public funds would be spent on constructing the facility, but he said they had no way of knowing then what was going to happen with the prices of steel and concrete. The mayor also said a strong economy has pool builders busy and not hurting for work, which leads to higher prices.
The project has now been bid three times, coming in over budget each time. The most recent low bid has come the closest to the funds available but only after the size of the project was reduced from about 4,200 square feet of water surface area to 3,160 square feet.
“We highly recommend not bidding again,” Skelton said, noting that he and City Administrator David Dockery have been meeting with A&S to find ways to cut costs.
One proposed way to save about $180,000 would be to use gunite (or sprayed concrete) instead of cast concrete walls for the pool. City officials note that there is a trade-off in using the cheaper method, however, in that it leads to increased maintenance costs down the road and is considered not as strong as traditional building methods.
The city also has about $1.1 million in general and capital reserves and could tap some of those funds to help make up the short fall as well as pursue additional donations.
“We’re going to have to put in some city funds if we want to go forward,” Dockery said.
Clarendon Economic Development Corporation Secretary Roger Estlack and CEDC President Robert Riza both addressed the council about the water recreation project. The CEDC gave $25,000 initially to the project and also financed bonds of $500,000 to help pay for its construction.
Estlack urged the city to accept the current low bid, negotiate as much savings as possible, and use city reserves to make up the difference in order to start construction and open the aquatics center in 2020 rather than further delay the project.
Riza said the time has come to finish the project and that if the city fails to do so, it would never be able to go ask for donations for this kind of project again.
Alderman Larry Jeffers said he was not opposed to using city funds to support building the pool, and Alderman Nathan Floyd agreed.
“I feel good about it,” Floyd said.
Alderman Jacob Fangman asked about other costs associated with opening a pool, such as equipping lifeguards, signage, and other expenses. He said he worries about putting too much of the city’s reserves into the project.
“I think a pool is a great thing, but we need to think about the big picture,” Fangman said.
Skelton warned against considering scrapping the pool project and said the city would be in the hole with design and other costs if the project is not pursued.
“Personally, I think it would be a terrible mistake to scrap this project,” the mayor said. “Donors don’t want their money back. They want a pool.”
The city council took no action on the pool last week but will take up the issue again during its next two meetings in August.
“I was pleased with the thoughtful discussion the City Council had at its July 25th meeting regarding the financial details for the proposed swimming pool,” Mayor Skelton said after the meeting. “Over the next three weeks, we will be working diligently to cut costs and raise additional funds. The Economic Development Corporation and the Donley County Commissioners Court have contributed to the proposed pool, but the City of Clarendon has not done so thus far. However, the City Council has discussed the possibility of contributing in the next two or three weeks.
“In my personal opinion, it would be a huge lost opportunity for the residents of Clarendon and Donley County to not go through with this project,” Skelton continued. “How often does a city receive a large amount of donated funds for any project? If we do not construct the pool, the City would have to return 100 percent of the donated funds to many, many donors. I talked to a gentleman not long ago and he said ‘just use those donated funds to pave our streets.’ I reminded him that the donors gave funds exclusively for the pool and nothing else. Street paving is an entirely different issue. We all want more streets paved but that issue will need to go to the voters after the replacement of the old cast iron water pipes, a project that is currently underway. City Council members want streets paved as much as anyone else, but it doesn’t make sense to pave streets before the water pipe replacement project is complete.”
Editor’s Note: Next week the Enterprise will publish an updated drawing of the pool design as well as list the features currently planned for the facility.
Aldermen vote for lower tax
Clarendon Aldermen proposed dropping the city’s ad valorem tax rate by almost 26 cents per $100 valuation during their regular meeting last Thursday, July 25.
The proposed tax rate is $0.4999 compared to the current rate of $0.75868, according to City Administrator David Dockery.
“That puts our rate under 50 cents and generates less than $500,000 in revenue, which makes the city a small taxing unit,” Dockery said.
The reduced rate was made possible by the city paying off bonds that were issued in 2012 for street and water line improvements.
Aldermen also conducted a budget workshop, and Dockery said the tentative budget for fiscal year 2020 totals about $2.544 million, which is an increase over usual expenses budgeted for 2019. Dockery said the new budget includes a three percent cost of living adjustment for city employees.
In other city business last week, aldermen approved the city’s quarterly investment report and voted to support Eddy Edwards of Borger to serve on a board with the Texas Municipal League.
In a called meeting Monday, July 29, the city council also approved a bid from Panhandle Striping & Seal Coating to stripe and seal coat the Smiley Johnson Municipal Airport runway and tarmac for $49,999 as part of a state RAMP grant project.
Opinion: The State of the City
City Pool – To be or not to be
At its meeting on July 25, the City Council had a lengthy discussion about the proposed swimming pool. The question before the Council over the next three weeks is whether or not to accept the low bid from A&S General Contractors to construct the pool. The Council must make that decision on or before August 23, the last day for accepting or rejecting bids. Fund raising for the pool over the last four years has been very successful, but the costs for construction continue to rise due to the good economy and the government-imposed tariffs on concrete and steel. If companies are busy, they will bid a job but bump up their profits in the event they are selected. A&S had a reasonable bid at $2,716,838, and City officials are working with them now to reduce costs while continuing to fund raise.
The pool was not designed to compete with area waterparks (Wellington, Pampa, and Canyon) but rather to provide a medium size pool that we could afford and would be enjoyed for many years by citizens of all ages. Donley County Commissioners’ Court and the Clarendons Economic Development Corporation (EDC) have already made substantial contributions, but the City of Clarendon has not at this time. The City has ample reserves to make a significant contribution, but the size of that donation is yet to be determined.
In my opinion, it would be a huge lost opportunity for the residents of Clarendon and Donley County to not go forward with this quality of life project. How often does a small community receive such a large amount of donated funds for any project? And, keep in mind that the donations are for the exclusive purpose of constructing a pool and nothing else. If the City does not go forward with the project, all donations would be returned to the donors. However, none of the donors have asked for their money back; they simply want a pool to be built.
Mulkey Theatre
The City staff and City Council applaud the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) for completing the renovation of the Mulkey Theatre. The grand opening in May was very exciting, and the entertainment for the evening was fabulous. Numerous movies have already been shown and several special events are on the calendar, one of which is a concert by Red Steagall on the evening of Saturday, September 28. Red performed at the very first Chuckwagon Cookoff 25 years ago. If you haven’t been to a movie or special event at the Mulkey, give it a try sometime soon. Keep up the good work, EDC!
US Department of Agriculture Projects
The installation of over 800 electronic water meters was successfully completed several months ago. State of the art equipment now allows city staff to read all city meters within an hour or less compared to several days in the past. Additionally, the new technology produces highly accurate water consumption information per customer which includes when water is being used during a 24-hour daily cycle. This information can be very helpful in determining if a customer has a possible leak and can help in resolving other issues as well.
Construction of a new water standpipe on the east side of town was completed several months ago as well. Clarendon now has two standpipes which work in coordination with each other to produce a more consistent flow of water throughout the city.
Replacing several miles of old cast iron water pipe is in progress but far behind schedule. Only about 22 percent of the project is finished at this time, which means that the completion date will likely extend into late 2020. City officials are not pleased with the progress and are doing everything possible to pressure the Amarillo contractor to accelerate the project.
Street Paving
Once the water pipe replacement project is complete, City officials can then concentrate on the next street paving initiative, which will be decided by registered voters. The debt for the last paving project has been retired, so we look forward to paving more streets if citizens vote to do so. However, we must get those new water pipes in place before any paving can be done. In the meantime, work on potholes will continue to be a high priority. Patience and understanding, please.
Abandoned & Unsightly Properties
The City has a contract with Texas Communities Group, headquartered in Lubbock, to focus on abandoned properties that are tax delinquent for at least five years or for three years of non-payment if the property has a history of code compliance issues. Hopefully owners would pay the taxes owed and bring the property up to code. If not, a foreclosure process will follow. The property could then be sold and brought up to code or demolished by the new owner. If the property is not sold, the City could take ownership and demolish the structure.
Additionally, the City Council has established a Building Standards Commission which focuses on those properties that are unsafe and unsightly. Most are current on taxes but the properties need to be brought up to code, sold or demolished. Property owners are sent certified letters inviting them to appear before the Building Standards Commission with the goal being to improve the property within a certain time frame. In the past several months, approximately 8 – 10 properties have been demolished and that trend should continue in the future. The City appreciates those property owners who have stepped up to improve their properties and, in some cases, have demolished structures without City involvement.
Tax Reduction & Elimination
As a result of recently paying off a 2012 debt for street, water, sewer and drainage improvements, the City Council just approved (July 25) a significantly lower property tax rate for next year. As a result, property owners will realize a savings when they pay their taxes in January 2020.
Additionally, In January 2019 the City Council voted to eliminate the City’s portion of the very unpopular personal property tax on cars, trucks, boats, trailers, RVs, campers, etc. The City of Clarendon is now among the majority of Texas cities that do not impose personal property tax on its citizens.
City Budget
The current City Operating Budget is $2,802,037, and it is projected that we will finish this fiscal year (ending September 30) with a surplus of approximately $220,000. Special thanks goes to City supervisors for closely monitoring their department budgets throughout the year. We have been fortunate to finish the last three fiscal years with revenue over expense by over $200,000 annually. Having ample reserves for unexpected expenses and for special projects is a high priority for the City Council.
Appreciation
The City Council wants to express appreciation to all citizens in our great community for choosing to live here, for shopping locally and for supporting various events throughout the year.
Your city representatives are Mayor Sandy Skelton (806-206-7506), City Administrator David Dockery (806-874-3438), and Aldermen John Lockhart (Mayor Pro-Tem), Larry Jeffers, Eulaine McIntosh, Jacob Fangman and Nathan Floyd.
Freddy “Scooter” Wayne Beal
Freddy “Scooter” Wayne Beal, 47, of Hedley died Sunday, July 28, 2019, in Amarillo.
Graveside Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, August 2, 2019, at Rowe Cemetery in Hedley with Rev. Oliver White Officiating.
Arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Scooter was born on August 14, 1971, in Amarillo to Freddie Wayne Sr. and Mildred Boyd Beal. He graduated from Palo Duro High School in 1993. He moved from Quail to Hedley, where he has been a resident for the past seven years. He was a part of the Choctaw Tribe. He was a member of the New Life Ministries Church in Wellington. He loved cars and collected hundreds of Hot Wheels. He enjoyed airplanes, The Beach Boys, and going to church.
He was preceded in death by his paternal grandmother Vesta Beal; maternal grandparents Charles and Rosa Boyd; and an uncle, Cecil Boyd.
He is survived by his parents Freddie Sr. and Mildred Beal of Hedley; a brother Robert Beal of Hedley; two sisters Memorie Beal of San Antonio and Robbie Beal of Memphis; one niece; six nephews; one great-niece; five great-nephews; numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins; and many loving friends.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be sent to the New Life Ministries Church or Faith City Missions
Sign our online guest book at www.RobertsonFuneral.com
Mable Margaret Tunnell
Mable Margaret Tunnell, 91, of Clarendon died Sunday, July 28, 2019, in Amarillo.
Services were held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 31, 2019, in the First United Methodist Church in Clarendon with Kirk Watson, officiating. Burial will follow in Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon.
Arrangements are by Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Mable was born May 9, 1928, at her grandmother’s in Hedley to William Henry and Myrtle Overta Moore. She lived most of her life at the RO Ranch in Donley county. She married Jay Stone in 1943 and they had one son, Roger “Rod” Stone. She married Richard Tunnell on June 3, 1977, in Amarillo. They owned drug stores in Clarendon, Pampa, Dumas, and Canyon. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Clarendon.
She was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Sis Frazier and Nell Stanton.
She is survived by her husband, Richard Tunnell of Clarendon; a son, Roger “Rod” Stone and wife Pam of Lawrence, Nebraska; a step-son, Kelly Tunnell and wife Vicky of Clarendon; two grandchildren, Jer and Justin Johnson; two great-grandchildren Koen and Kaser Johnson; Nephews, Jimmy Riley of Amarillo and Troy Stanton of Texas.
The family request memorials be sent to Citizens Cemetery Association.
Sign our online guest book at www.RobertsonFuneral.com
Sandra Minatrea
, 70, of Princeton, Texas, passed away July 27, 2019, at 6:25 pm, in the presence of her family.
Sandra came into this world on January 22, 1949, in Tipton, Oklahoma. She was the first of three daughters born to J.D. and Dorene. She was nineteen years old when she married Kenneth on September 15, 1968, twenty-one when Kameron was born in February of 1970, and twenty-four when Keenan arrived in January of 1973.
Sandra was a woman of strong Faith, deeply thankful in all situations, and always able to find Joy. She was her family’s Great Intercessor; constantly praying for God’s will in their lives.
She had an unfailing ability to encourage. She saw the best in everyone and could draw it out. She was kind, loyal and funny.
Sandra Gail (Young) Minatrea was proceeded in death by her father, J.D. Young, her mother, Edith Dorene (Null) Young, her sister, Peggie Ann (Young) Hawley, and her daughter-in-law, Judith Anne (Lawrence) Minatrea.
She is survived by her husband, Marvin Kenneth Minatrea, her sister, Patricia Dale (Young) Wright, her son and his wife, Miles Kameron Minatrea and Angela Ruth (Lasher) Minatrea, and her son Matthew Keenan Minatrea. She adored her grandchildren, be they biological, by marriage or “adopted”, and was a proud aunt and great-aunt. She deeply loved her friends, and tolerated Dad’s dog.
Sandra’s Celebration of Life service will be on Saturday, August 10, at 1:00 pm. The service will be held at North Dallas Funeral Home, located at 2710 Valley View Ln, Dallas, TX 75234. www.northdallasfuneralhome.com
If you plan on attending, please send RSVP via text at 214-310-3495. It’s not a requirement. It will just help with logistics. All are welcome. If you’d like to send flowers, please send them to the funeral home.
She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. ~ Proverbs 31:26
Little girl makes big donation
A hardworking little girl made a big impact at the Burton Memorial Library last week.
Seven-year-old Kassie Askew donated $925 to the library for new books after working several weeks at a lemonade stand. Her motivation was simple enough.
“I like to read,” Kassie told the Enterprise, “and I wanted them to buy some more books.”
Askew’s mother said Kassie originally planned to have a lemonade stand just for herself but then decided to help the library out.
“Her goal was $700,” Amanda Askew said, “but it went way over that.”
Kassie, who visits the library more than once a week, said her parents were support of her idea. Her dad, Dale Askew, helped her build the lemonade stand, which she set up in front of the family business – Saye’s Tack Store – next door to the library.
She also said her mom helped her bake brownies.
“I sold lemonade, limeade, and brownies,” Kassie said of her stand, which was open for two hours a day Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday in June and part of July.
Amanda said Kassie used her own money to buy the ingredients for products and said that Dale encouraged their daughter to work to earn her own money. She did have to have help in the kitchen this year, but Amanda thinks that may change next summer.
“Hopefully next year she will be able to hold the bowl herself and reach the oven,” she said.
The library staff was impressed by Kassie’s devotion and willingness to help, and the Friends of the Library made Kassie an honorary member following her donation last Thursday.
“I think it’s wonderful,” Librarian Jerri Ann Shields said. “She is such a sweet girl, so intelligent and such a worker!”
Clarendon Mayor Sandy Skelton gave Kassie a double high five after the membership was bestowed on her and said, “Thank you, Kassie, on behalf of the city council, for all your hard work for the library.”
Clarendon firemen battle Greenbelt fire
A grassfire at Greenbelt Lake kept Clarendon volunteer firemen busy for three days this past weekend, and Fire Chief Jeremy Powell is urging everyone to be cautious about outdoor burning.
The Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched shortly after 11 p.m. on Friday, July 19, to a fire on the west side of the lake. Powell said the fire was burning between homes and the shoreline of the lake and consumed 25 acres before being brought under control.
The department worked with Greenbelt Water Authority, the Donley County Sheriff’s Department, Texas DPS, and the Associated Ambulance Authority.
No structures were lost, and units remained on scene until after 4 a.m. and returned after 8 a.m. on Saturday to make sure the fire was still within containment lines.
The fire continued to burn within the containment area, and then on Sunday afternoon, the fire jumped a guard line, bringing the total acres burned to at least 35.
Powell reminds the public that after the recent 100 degree days, grasses and weeds have cured or dried to the point that they will burn from just a spark.
“We need to be very cautious,” Powell said and reminded folks to be careful with any activities that could result in a grass fire.
Powell said Clarendon volunteer firemen were also called out Sunday morning at about 6 o’clock to extinguish a locomotive fire on the BNSF tracks near County Road 6A and US 287.
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