Ben Estlack

Trash service was front and center again when the Clarendon City Council held its regular meeting last Thursday, November 14.

Representatives from Waste Connections were present to discuss residents’ complaints about trouble with trash pick-up in the city and their company’s efforts to improve the situation.

“We want to know, are we doing better?” Waste Connections District Manager Bobby Fira asked.

City Administrator Brian Barboza said complaints from citizens has slowed down considerably and said most issues now seemed to stem from Dumpsters not being picked up at some rural locations.

Fira said the company had some issues with their driver.

“We trained him and thought he knew what he was doing, but obviously not,” Fira said. “We think we have our hands around the problem now. Our job is to serve you and pick up trash, and we want to continue to serve you.”

Alderman Eulaine McIntosh pushed for improved communications between the city and Waste Connections, and Alderman Mandy Smith said the communications as been a lot like “playing telephone.”

Alderman Ashlee Estlack said she thought the citizens deserved some kind of consideration, especially considering the recent garbage rate increase.

“We have paid for a service we didn’t receive,” Estlack said.

Waste Connections representatives said it could be possible for the company to increase the franchise tax it pays the city as a way to compensate for the service trouble, and city officials discussed being able to then turn around and possibly give a credit on garbage bills.

The council on October 10 had voted to have an attorney send a demand letter to Waste Connections regarding the trash service, but given the improvements since that time, the aldermen voted last week to pause that action for 30 days. The council will revisit the trash service in December to see if service continues to improve.

In other city business, Bill Word addressed the council in public comments regarding changes in when bill payments are considered late. He felt like better notice should have been given and asked the council to consider waving late fees for the last month.

Aldermen voted to accept the depository bid from Donley County State Bank as presented.

The non-functioning storm siren at Fifth and Collinson was discussed. The council voted to spend $9,000 to repair the siren and also to look at options for replacing the city’s entire storming warning system.

The council discussed amending the code of ordinances to include short-term rentals as being subject to the city’s hotel occupancy tax. Alderman Estlack said it appears the way the ordinance is written that it already applies to those businesses. The city attorney will review the ordinance to determine if it needs to be updated.

The council approved closing a portion of Kearney Street and Third Street for the Small Town Christmas event on November 30.

A motion was approved to contract with Texas Communities Group to assist with code enforcement.

Following a brief closed session, the council voted to place a written report in Barboza’s personnel file and took no further action.

Traditional yuletide fun will be the order of the day for Small Town Christmas next Saturday, November 30, in Downtown Clarendon.

After a day of supporting local merchants during Small Business Saturday, the Small Town Christmas festivities will begin at 4 p.m. with the 200 block of Kearney Street being closed off to traffic and vendors and booths being set up in the holiday spirit.

Registration for a Christmas Scavenger Hunt will begin at the Courthouse at 3 p.m. with the hunt beginning at 4:00. The walking hunt will consist of ten teams of four – first come, first serve – with at least one team member being high school age or older. A knowledge of local history will be helpful, and cell phone will be needed for selfies. Chamber Christmas Cash will be awarded to the winning teams.

Santa’s Playhouse will open at 321 Kearney, across from the Aquatic Center, with crafts and games for kids. The playhouse will continue through 8 p.m.

At 5 p.m., Santa Claus will be on the Courthouse Square where there will be live music on the courthouse steps and hot chocolate provided by the Clarendon Lions Club. The courthouse lighting will be held at 6 p.m., and then the fun will shift back to Kearney Street.

Food vendors will be set up on Third Street, and live music and caroling will continue throughout the evening until 9 p.m. Carriage rides will be available, and s’mores stations will be set up on Kearney Street. Merchant booths will be set up on Kearney Street and/or in the Donley County State Bank parking lot between the Masonic Lodge Hall and the Crossties Ministry Center. In the event of bad weather, those booths will be moved inside those buildings.

Small Town Christmas is being organized by a group of volunteer elves and supported with promotional efforts through the Chamber of Commerce and the Clarendon EDC. Volunteers have been busy preparing decorations and cleaning windows. The group cleaned windows on Kearney Street from US 287 to Third Street this past weekend and will continue in the 300 block on Sunday and would welcome any help.

For more information, visit ClarendonTX.com/Christmas.

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 eight years, the DCCF has been able to give $9,000 to local charities while increasing its own fund balance, thanks to support from county-wide residents.

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, and Roger Estlack.

As part of the annual drive, the Mulkey Theatre will host a special screening of Jim Carrey’s “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” on Sunday, December 1, at 6 p.m. Admission for the movie will be a donation to the DCCF.

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.

GivingTuesday is a movement held annually in all 50 states on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to kick off the holiday giving season to demonstrate that every act of generosity counts towards giving back to local communities and the causes they support.

Local merchants and the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce are planning to make shopping at home pay off during Small Business Saturday and throughout the holiday season.

The third annual “Shop Small” promotion from the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce will put a grand total of $550 in Chamber Christmas Cash in the hands of lucky winners who shop with local merchants.

Sign-ups at participating merchants will begin Friday, November 29, for drawings that will be held for $100 each Friday on December 6, 13, and 20. To enter, shoppers will fill out an entry at local participating merchants. The Chamber will gather them up each Friday morning, and hold the drawings live on the Chamber’s Facebook.

Enter as many times as you shop locally, so shop often. Entries stay in the hopper each week, so those who enter will have multiple chances of winning.

The Chamber will also hold a bonus drawing for $250 in Chamber Christmas Cash on December 20. Sign-up for the bonus drawing will be held starting December 2 at the Clarendon Visitor Center. Shoppers can bring their receipts and receive one entry for every $25 spent at the participating merchants.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the participating merchants include Broken Road Liquor, Broiller’s Auto Parts, Cornell’s Country Store, Country Bloomers Flowers & Gifts, Courtney D’Costa Scentsy Consultant, Lowe’s Family Center, Monroe’s Peach Ranch, Mulkey Theatre, Mike’s Pharmacy, the Whistle-Stop, and Wicked Fast Attire. More businesses were signing up this week, and a full list will be updated at ClarendonTX.com/Christmas.

Chamber members wishing to participate can call the Visitor Center at 806-874-2421.

Several downtown merchants are also making plans to stay open for Late Night Shopping on Thursdays, December 5, 12, and 19, until 8 p.m. That list is still being finalized, but merchants do have plans to draw for prizes during those Thursday nights.

For other activities, see the separate Small Town Christmas article in this week’s Enterprise.

Shop at home this holiday season and remember the important role your local merchants play in keeping your community strong.

Visit the Chamber’s Facebook page or ClarendonTX.com/Christmas for details on which businesses will be open.