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City, county debate sheriff’s contract
Clarendon officials have opened a debate regarding the cost of its annual service contract with the Donley County Sheriff’s Office.
The City Council discussed the matter during its November 14 regular meeting with members of the county commissioners’ court in attendance.
The current contract is several months away from expiring, but Mayor Sandy Skelton wanted both sides to get an early start on negotiations.
“Since the current contract expires September 30, 2020, I wanted Council members to begin the conversation early so that the City and County can work together to determine how much the City would contribute to law enforcement (sheriff department and jail) effective October 1, 2020,” Skelton said.
The city has had a contract with the sheriff’s office since 1981. The current agreement calls for a two percent annual increase, and the current price is $158,468.
Sheriff Butch Blackburn says he’s willing to negotiate the annual increase rate, but he says he won’t do the contract for less money.
“It’s been working very well for the city and the county since 1981,” he said. “It won’t be me who messes up what’s worked since 1981.”
Blackburn says the contract gives Clarendon 24-hour law enforcement coverage and that not having the contract would be bad for the city and the county.
Skelton feels like other municipalities should be helping with the cost.
“Howardwick and Hedley could possibly become partners if they chose to do so sometime in the future,” Skelton said. “According to the official 2010 Census, Clarendon makes up 73 percent of the population in the three cities, while Howardwick has 15 percent and Hedley 12 percent.”
The mayor said he has visited with Howardwick Mayor Tony Clemishire and Hedley Mayor Carrie Butler, both of who indicated to him they would discuss these issues with their respective councils.
Blackburn says what Hedley and Howardwick do is not relevant to Clarendon’s contract with the county.
“The contract is just between us… the city and the county,” he said.
The sheriff said the city cannot afford to fund a separate police department and that even if it could, his department would still have to provide 911 dispatching and jail services for the city.
Skelton says the city will continue to discuss the issue of law enforcement funding with the county.
“I feel certain that something can be worked out long before the current contract expires in September,” Skelton said. “It is my belief that law enforcement should be a high priority for any city regardless of its size.”
CC board vote disappointing
The Clarendon College Board of Regents delivered a disappointing vote last week by agreeing to end the contract of President Robert Riza.
What that action will cost the college is not yet known. Lawyers will now get involved, no doubt. The monetary cost may pale in comparison to what the college’s reputation will suffer after its shoddy treatment of a president who has brought growth in enrollment and elevated the college’s standing in the eyes of decision-makers at the state capitol.
No cause was given by the board in their discussion, but it’s been no secret that Riza and certain board members have clashed over the last three years. Despite his successes, certain folks felt they knew better how to run things and made it a point of nit-picking not just Riza’s work but also that of his staff.
Whether it’s something as simple as typing board minutes or as important as a financial report and whoever is doing them, college employees’ don’t seem to be able to get the job done to certain board members’ satisfaction. That was on display again last week.
For more than a year now, Riza has endured the board meetings alone after telling his administrators they no longer had to attend just to suffer monthly abuse. Still the college lost four of its vice presidents in the last two years.
The college also has drawn the attention of its accrediting agency in the last year. One regent even mentioned worrying about putting the college at further risk as a reason for needing to take action on Riza’s contract.
The ironic thing is that the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools – Commission on Colleges is not looking at Clarendon College because of any action taken by Dr. Robert Riza. SACS-COC has its attention on Clarendon because of the past actions of the board.
In fact, the head of the organization has already visited the college last summer to address the board directly on the proper way to behave as board members. The lesson was apparently lost. Furthermore, there has been no action by the board to deal with the specific issues that led to SACS-COC getting involved.
Riza leaving won’t fix that. An interim president won’t fix that. A new president won’t fix that. The culture – and membership – of the board will have to change for things to really improve. As long as two board members know better than any professional how to run the college and a majority of the board listens to those members, it will be hard for any president or administration to flourish and move forward.
The regents are scheduled to meet again this week to talk more about Riza’s contract, the hiring of an interim leader, and the search for a new president. They need to find some time at a future meeting to take a long hard look at the role they themselves have played in things getting where they are today. That may be a tough conversation to have though when those responsible probably don’t believe they’ve done anything wrong and the two regents most likely to tell them otherwise have already resigned.
Whoever follows Robert Riza will have a tough time. How do you keep enrollment at record highs, keep providing amazing opportunities for area students, maintain the college’s reputation for student success, and keep the same level of engagement in Austin to ensure that the voice of one of the smallest colleges in the state isn’t swallowed up by much larger institutions? And can you do it while being micromanaged at home?
Dr. Riza somehow managed to do all that before that board started tearing things apart. He put together an incredibly talented administrative team, and together they did great things. He deserved better than what he got last week. Clarendon College deserved better than what he got.
Trump adviser among those eyeing Thornberry’s seat
There is a growing crowd of candidates – ranging from political unknowns to a trusted adviser of President Donald Trump – who are looking to represent the 13th Congressional District after US Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Clarendon) retires at the end of his current term.
At least nine candidates have either declared their candidacy or are considering a run for the office. The list includes seven Republicans, one Democrat, and one Libertarian.
Greg Sagan is the declared Democrat running for the seat. He lives in Amarillo and previously ran for the seat in 2018.
Jack B. Westbook has been reported as a Libertarian candidate for Thornberry’s seat. He challenged State Sen. Kel Seliger for that office last year.
The crowded Republican field of declared candidates includes Jamie Cully; Chris Ekstrom of Dallas; Elaine Hayes of Amarillo; Vance Snider II of Amarillo; Josh Winegarner of Amarillo; and Monique Worthy of Wichita Falls.
Another candidate that sources have told the Enterprise is running is Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson, a US Navy officer who currently serves as Assistant to the President and Chief Medical Adviser in the Trump administration.
Although Jackson has not announced his candidates, a top member of the president’s political team in the White House told the Enterprise Tuesday afternoon that Jackson is definitely considering a run for the 13th Congressional District in Texas. Jackson is a Levelland native.
Rep. Thornberry, meanwhile, released a statement Tuesday afternoon that said in part:
“When I announced that I would not seek reelection to Congress, I expected that there would be a number of candidates in the race. I did not expect, however, that there would be candidates for the 13th District who do not live in the District, did not grow up in the District, or have any meaningful ties to the people they wish to represent.”
The Enterprise will have more on these candidates in the future.
Slow progress
CC chair answers questions about committee
An audit committee of the Clarendon College Board of Regents did not follow the Texas Open Meetings Act when it met last month, according to college officials.
Board Chairman Tommy Waldrop said the committee, which was appointed at the September 19 board meeting and consisted of Jerry Woodard and Edwin Campbell, did not follow the law’s requirement to post an agenda of its meeting 72 hours ahead of time or keep minutes of its meeting because it was formed just to present items they wanted investigated to the college auditor and report back to the board.
As reported by Mr. Woodard at the October 17 meeting of the board, the committee did meet with the auditor on October 10, 2019, and presented a list of things to be addressed for the board.
However, on October 25, 2018, the same regents were appointed as an audit committee for similar purpose and were directed at the time of their appointment that they would have to follow the Open Meetings Act, including posting an agenda and meeting in public. Waldrop said during that 2018 meeting the college’s attorney had made that determination and also said that college policy required the committees of the board to follow the Open Meetings Act as well, and CC President Robert Riza reiterated that as well.
“That was what we were told by Dr. Riza on behalf of the attorney,” Waldrop said this week.
Mr. Woodard questioned that determination at the time of the 2018 appointment, and Regent Darlene Spier looked up the matter in the college policy manual and read aloud in the meeting the requirement that committees of the board must follow the open meetings act.
Waldrop said following that, the 2018 audit committee never met.
This year, Waldrop said no one brought up the open meetings requirement at the time of the appointment, and plans were then later made for the committee to meet.
“The [committee] meeting was set up,” Waldrop said. “It was going to meet in about 24 hours when I was informed by Dr. Riza that it would be in violation.”
Waldrop said he let the committee know of the problem and then he called the attorney.
“I don’t know for sure that we got advice from an attorney last year,” Waldrop said. “This year I called the attorney. I was told they could meet and report to the board and that afterward the committee existed no more.”
Waldrop said the advice he received came from the same law firm that represented the college in 2018, but he did not know whether it was the same attorney who had advised the president in 2018. Asked if the attorney he talked to was Chase Hales, who had conducted Open Meetings training for the board in 2018, he said no. He talked to attorney Christine Vizcaino, he said.
Ms. Vizcaino specializes in labor and employment law, according to the Sprouse Shrader Smith law firm’s website.
Asked about the college policy requiring board committees to follow the open meetings law, Waldrop admitted that the policy could set a higher standard for committees than the law does, but he said he felt like the committee’s action was within the law.
The college board has previously had issues with a committee in terms of policy and following the open meetings act. In 2017, a motion creating a committee to oversee the remodeling of the college president’s house was rescinded at a subsequent board of regents meeting after it was determined the committee had not followed the open meetings act.
Asked why, if the following the requirements of the law was a known issue, the committee did not simply post an agenda and wait 72 hours to meet, Mr. Waldrop responded, “I don’t know.”
Inman running for re-election as DA
WELLINGTON – Luke Inman last week announced his candidacy for re-election for the 100th Judicial District Attorney, which he has held since April 2008.
For the last 11 years, Inman has prosecuted felony cases in Carson, Childress, Collingsworth, Donley and Hall Counties. In addition to the massive felony docket moved by his office, he litigates numerous civil forfeiture cases stemming from felony arrests.
Per capita, more felonies are prosecuted by Iman’s team than most other jurisdictions across the state. Inman prides this success on a great team, who works with fantastic law enforcement and probation officers.
“Our success is a direct result of hard work, selflessness and determination to see justice be done in every case,” said Inman, who graduated from Childress High School in 1998. “We are so fortunate to be able to live and work and raise a family close to where we grew up here in the 100th Judicial District.”
A Wellington resident, Inman graduated from West Texas A&M University in 2001, where he played football and met his wife Amy (Chauveaux) Inman.
Inman attended graduate school at Texas A&M University – Kingsville and finished his football eligibility winning the Lone Star Conference Championship. The next year, he attended Texas Tech School of Law and graduated in 2005.
After a brief stint in Pago Pago, American Samoa as a civil attorney focusing on maritime law, the Inmans moved back to Amy’s hometown of Wellington in 2006, where the couple are raising their three children. Inman practiced in Wellington and Childress before becoming District Attorney after his predecessor Stuart Messer became the 100th Judicial District Judge.
Inman was the sole felony prosecutor until June 2017, when Harley Caudle from Clarendon became the district’s first full-time assistant.
“By gaining an additional prosecutor, our focus on the criminal contingent increased,” Inman said. “We have amassed larger and stronger sentences with this increased manpower, which keeps us safer for years to come. We’ve created an awesome team.”
Office Administrator Natasha Mixon and Crime Victims’ Coordinator Hattie Sanderson, both from Wellington, have worked with Inman since the beginning. In 2010, Danny Dawson came on board as Chief Investigator of the Traffic Enforcement Division and long-time DPS Sergeant from Clarendon Richard Gribble became Investigator and the liaison with law enforcement agencies.
In 2011, Nandy Chandler from Wellington became an assistant administrator. Coy Teichelman from Childress recently joined the team as Traffic Enforcement Investigator, cracking down on drugs and US currency derived from the illegal narcotics trade.
Inman said his team is considered small, even though their caseload surpasses most districts across the Panhandle.
“The most impressive part of this team is our reputation for obtaining large sentences against offenders,” Inman explained. “Our goal is being able to rid the local communities of evil wrongdoers and protect everyone, especially our younger generation.”
Inman said he likes using drug traffickers’ property and money to support local needs, taking that tax burden away from citizens. Each year, Inman uses hundreds of thousands of forfeited property and money from drug dealers to protect law enforcement and better equip them.
He is also known for assessing staunch fines against the criminal contingent, which brings in millions of dollars each year. Inman’s office stays busy moving a myriad of cases from jury trials to revocations to civil forfeiture actions.
“There is so much behind the scenes our office does that is never known,” Inman said. “But the benefits are immense – our success rate in the courtroom and the war on crime we’re fighting. We are pro law enforcement and pro seizure of criminals’ assets. At the end of the day, we’re known for our reputation of getting tough sentences against wrongdoers.”
Community Fund participating in Giving Tuesday
As part of a national day known as GivingTuesday, the local Donley County Community Fund (DCCF) is participating in The Panhandle Gives campaign.
For nine days from November 25 through December 3, all funds raised locally will be increased through a match from the Amarillo Area Foundation.
“Participating in this campaign is an opportunity for our local fund balance to grow,” DCCF chair Jacob Fangman said.
The DCCF is a local board whose purpose is to raise money for a perpetuating fund while contributing a portion of the money to local organizations.
Over the past three years, the DCCF has been able to give $4,000 to local charities while increasing its own fund balance, thanks to support from county-wide residents.
So that the local DCCF can benefit from the match, anyone wishing to participate will need to give their donation by Monday, December 2, so that the final deposit can be made on GivingTuesday.
Contributions can be mailed to Donley County Community Fund, c/o Jacob Fangman, Box 906, Clarendon, TX 79226. Checks should be made out to The Panhandle Gives, with DonleyCCF written on the memo line.
Other board members are Shauna Herbert, Sherol Johnston, Diane Skelton, and Roger Estlack.
Children’s benefit hunt planned for November
The Big Country Children’s Benefit Hunt, a program of BCFS Health and Human Services, will bring to Donley County an outdoor expedition to provide an opportunity for youth to learn about the responsibilities of hunting safety, the basics of outdoor survival training, and the necessity of teamwork on November 23 and 24, 2019.
Last year, the organization added the Texas Panhandle to its list of outdoor adventures, headed by Randy Bond. Randy and his wife, Sis, have adopted three children from foster care and are currently waiting to foster others. Given his background in Law Enforcement, Randy has an intimate knowledge of the foster care system and values the importance of programs like the Big Country Children’s Benefit Hunt.
To be selected for this expedition, youth are nominated by Child Protective Services (CPS) staff based on records from their case file and consultation with each youth’s case manager and foster family. After a rigorous vetting process, the selected youth from foster care attend a day-long hunting certification and training program held in October, approved by the Texas Parks and Wildlife, administered by a certified instructor. For the two-day hunt, held in November, each youth will be paired with an experienced hunting guide to provide for them throughout their journey.
Marshall Davidson, Special Investigations Program Administrator for Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, and also one of the founders, serves as the hunting certification and training instructor. Marshall is but one of the many BCFS volunteers who will fill the roles necessary to make a hunt such as this one a safe and successful adventure. An experienced outdoorsman who lives by the values, ethics, and ideals of hunting, Marshall believes teens can learn a great deal from the lessons the wilderness has to offer.
There is still a need monetary donations to pay for food, hunting equipment and essentials, for the hunt weekend to be a success. This program is completely funded by sponsors, volunteers, and donations.
Contact Tessie Robinson at 806-220-6222 or Randy Bond at 806-223-9247 for more information.
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