Roger Estlack

Hicks sworn in as Mayor of Clarendon; Pence new interim administrator

The City of Clarendon is under fresh leadership this week with a new mayor and a new interim administrator.

Larry Hicks was sworn in as the 37th mayor of Clarendon on Monday morning, and the same day Joe Pence of Wichita Falls came onboard to succeed Phyllis Jeffers as interim administrator.

Hicks had served about 1½ years as an alderman and was the city’s mayor pro-tem. Following former mayor Chris Ford’s resignation at last Tuesday’s called meeting, the Board of Aldermen deliberated in closed session and then elected Hicks to serve the remainder of Ford’s term, which expires next May.

As the Enterprise went to press, the board was meeting in another called session to discuss filling the alderman’s position formerly held by Hicks. The board also had on its agenda this week to ratify an agreement with Texas First Group – which employs Pence – to provide administrative services for the city.

Pence has 35 years of experience in municipal management, working in cities in Texas and Kansas and including a 16-year stint in Henrietta. He will be in City Hall on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, overseeing administrative duties as the board goes through the process of selecting a permanent city administrator.

“Finding an administrator for Clarendon may be a challenge,” Pence said. “You need someone who can hit the ground running, but you’re limited by what you can pay.”
Pence this week was familiarizing himself with the city and meeting with various civic leaders. He said he will likely be in his position for two months at the most.

In other city business, aldermen last week held a public hearing on the 2011 budget and fielded questions from the Enterprise about budget details; ratified the budget for the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation for 2011; renewed the tourism service contract with the Chamber of Commerce; and accepted a health insurance bid from First Care, which included a 10 percent decrease in premiums.

A new high voltage transmission line will not come through Donley County after a ruling from the Public Utility Commission of Texas last Wednesday.

The PUC gave the go-ahead for Cross Texas Transmission (CTT) to build its proposed Gray to Tesla 345 kV transmission line. The Gray to Tesla transmission line is part of the Competitive Renewable Energy Zone (CREZ) initiative, which is being developed to integrate additional renewable energy and increase system reliability throughout the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).

CTT began development of the Gray to Tesla transmission line in early 2009 and has worked through an extensive process including community outreach, landowner input, and PUCT review. The final route for the Gray to Tesla transmission line which passes through Gray, Wheeler, Collingsworth, and Childress counties was approved today by the PUCT.

CTT had preferred a route that would have put about 15 miles of transmission line and an estimated investment of $22.5 million in construction costs in Donley County, but landowners and other interested parties protested the plan citing concerns about the habitat of the Lesser Prairie Chicken, the effects on wetlands and other ecologically sensitive features, possible damage to ancient fossil beds, and the visual impact of the lines.

Construction is expected to begin in 2011 with a scheduled completion date of early 2013. The approximately 109-mile Gray to Tesla transmission line is the first of several planned transmission facilities in the Texas Panhandle as part of the CREZ initiative.
CTT’s planned investment of hundreds of millions of dollars will generate tax revenue where the line is built, create significant construction, operation, and maintenance jobs, and enable the connection of new renewable energy resources throughout the region.

With the final route approved, CTT will now begin preconstruction activities for the Gray to Tesla transmission line. This will include acquiring easements, obtaining permits, and completing engineering and surveying. CTT will provide notice to and initiate discussions with landowners along the route in the next several weeks and will continue to work closely with all stakeholders.

CTT is committed to constructing and operating its transmission facilities in a manner consistent with the values of the local communities, and the rules and policies established by the Texas Legislature, the PUCT, and ERCOT.

The 16th annual Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff will be held this weekend on the grounds of the Saints’ Roost Museum.

Activities will begin Friday afternoon with the junior cookoff, which is partially funded by the American Chuckwagon Association and pairs kids, ages 8-17, with mentors on participating wagon teams to learn the ropes of cooking over an open fire.

Junior cooks will be preparing a dish for Friday’s Chuckwagon cooks’ dinner. The recipe will be left to the discretion of the cooks and their mentors, and cash prizes of $30, $20, and $10 will be given to the first, second, and third place winners that night.
The big day for the cookoff will be Saturday when the ten wagons square off to battle for top prizes.

The tradeshow starts at 10 a.m., and museum tours by the CHS Junior Historians will be available throughout the day.

Local and area entertainers will also be performing, and relatives of Col. Charles Goodnight will also gather at the former Adair Hospital for their annual reunion.

The authentic wagons will serve at 1 p.m. with the traditional chicken fried steak dinner, and other activities include raffles for a pair of Kevin Johnson Handmade Spurs and a pair of James Owens Handmade Boots and a hay auction.

Admission to the all-day event is free. Tickets for the authentic Chuckwagon meal are $15 each and can be purchased in advance at Henson’s.

Proceeds from the cookoff benefit the Museum.

The Clarendon College Board of Regents will meet next Thursday to select the finalists to be the school’s next president.

Regents reviewed the applications of eight semi-finalists in closed session when they held their regular meeting September 16. Those finalists were recommended by an appointed presidential search committee.

CC President Bill Auvenshine said regents next week intend to narrow the field to between three and five people, who will be called for interviews. The names of those finalists will be made public at that time.

“We want to be able to name the next president when the board holds its regular meeting on October 21,” Auvenshine said.

In other business last week, Regents renewed the CC’s contract for campus security with the Donley County Sheriff’s Office for $20,000.