City told of desire for new show barn

Clarendon Aldermen were solicited to help build a new show barn for the youth of Donley County during their regular meeting last Tuesday, but they took no action on the request.

Speaking for the Donley County Junior Livestock Association, Larry Gray said the group would like to have a new building either 50’ x 100’ or 60’ x 120’ to house the annual stock show and sale as well as other events throughout the year.

Gray said the association had hoped to use Clarendon College’s Livestock and Equine Center but said that building, which has only two walls, is unsuitable for a stock show in January. He also said the LEC lacks bathrooms and does not have enough electrical outlets to accommodate the show.

Currently, the show is held at the Clarendon Community Center, but Gray said that facility is too small to hold the show. He also said people are having to eat in shifts at the barbecue before the sale each year because the facility cannot accommodate the large crowd.

County Agent Leonard Haynes agreed with Gray.

“We do not have any where near the facilities that other counties do for their youth,” Haynes said.

Gray said the association was looking at acquiring a piece of property on SH 70 South and said they were planning to explore the possibility of getting a grant to pay for the facility, which would also be designed to include offices for the county Extension service.

Alderman Michael Tibbets encouraged Gray to pursue grants and said the association could count on the city’s support. He also thought the city should take the lead on the project.

“We should just build a new city hall in conjunction with the livestock association,” he said.

But Mayor Tex Selvidge disagreed and said, “I think City Hall needs to stay more in the center of town.”

In other city business, Roger Estlack spoke on behalf of the Clarendon Economic Development Board and reported that Chris Clifford and Theresa Shelton were willing to donate the design services of their business, A Fine Feathered Nest, to put together a proposal to refurbish City Hall.

The project would concentrate on sealing the building where it is leaking, replacing the now closed windows on the second floor with either operational or non-operational windows, and painting the building. The goal is to enhance the appearance of the building and make downtown more appealing.

“The city and the EDC can’t really expect other people to fix up their properties when City Hall looks like it does,” Estlack said.

As project manager, Clifford and Shelton would put together a bid package for the work; and once a cost is determined, CEDC funds could be used to pay for the refurbishing.

Estlack said the economic development board has also talked about using the City Hall project as a springboard to launch other downtown revitalization work that might be partially paid for with small grants from the CEDC.

The board approved allowing A Fine Feathered Nest to proceed with the pro bono preparations to prepare estimates for repairs to City Hall.

The board discussed nominating a member to the Appraisal Board and voted to nominate Alderman Bobbie Kidd.

City Secretary Linda Smith spoke about creating a pooled cash account, which had been recommended by the city’s auditing firm. The board decided to implement this at the beginning of the next fiscal year.

City Administrator Sean Pate reported that the city’s CDBG grant application will go to Austin for final consideration soon. He said final word should be received by May 19.

Alderman Tibbets said he felt the city would not be getting any more grants until they found an individual to work those applications instead of the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission.

“My perception was that some of the council went with [PRPC] because we liked Colby [Waters],” Tibbets said referring to the city’s former board advisor. “Politically we don’t have much power in the Panhandle, and I don’t think we’re going to get any thing with the [PRPC]. We need an individual.”

Alderman Mark White disagreed and said he was “through” with the individual who had previously written grants for the city and thought PRPC could do a better job.

“How can an individual do more than 15 people who do this for a living?” White asked.