News

The recent shutdown of the federal government has negatively impacted the City of Clarendon’s water infrastructure project, costing the city money and delaying work on the project.

City Administrator David Dockery said work on Clarendon’s $3.1 million project stopped January 18 when the contractor pulled employees off the job amid concerns about payments. The project is funded by the US Department of Agriculture with a combination grant and loan to the city.

Both the city and the contractor incurred legal fees before the project was officially “paused” on January 28.

Both parties are scheduled to meet with USDA officials on February 5, and the contractor is expected to have workers back on site February 6.

Dockery said the project will have lost about three weeks of productivity by that time and said the major causes of the delay is that project contract has no provision for what happens if the government shuts down and payment requests for the contractor cannot be processed until they are approved by USDA.

Dockery said the city’s project is now behind schedule, and there is no guarantee that any future shutdown would not cause a similar disuption for the local project.

The federal government shut down for a historic 35-day period as President Donald J. Trump and Congress deadlocked over funding priorities, specifically the president’s border wall proposal. That impasse ended, at least temporarily, January 25 when national leaders came to an agreement to fund government operations until February 15.

The Howardwick City Council voted to renew its franchise agreement with Red River Water Authority for a seven-year period following a lengthy debate last Tuesday, January 15.

The city’s present agreement with Red River is expiring next month after a period of 40 years. Howardwick officials and the water authority had agreed to a draft agreement calling for a 10-year period, but some aldermen felt like that was still too long.

Alderman Brice Hawley was the chief critic of the ten-year term, noting Red River’s failure to read meters effectively and reminding the council that some citizens are cheating the system.

“We have people bypassing the meters or not even having meters, tying right into the system,” Hawley said and further stated that the situation has led to higher water rates.

City attorney Bryan Guymon said the city’s options are limited because it doesn’t own the water system.

“We have no leverage as a city,” Guymon said.

“How do we remedy that?” Hawley asked.

“Build your own [water system] or buy the system [from Red River],” Guymon said. “But we’re talking millions and millions.”

City Secretary Sandra Childress said the best thing for the city was to shorten the agreement length from 40 years to ten years thereby assuring Howardwick has water while giving the city time to explore alternatives.

Alderman Johnny Hubbard said the city should have started earlier on the franchise agreement.

“If we had been doing this instead of playing games the last six months, maybe we could have done something else,” he said.

Hawley pushed for a delay in renewing the franchise agreement or to try to get a shorter term such as five years. Aldermen Debbora Sharpton and Marietta Baird said they didn’t think any alternatives could be found in that short of time, and Childress discussed the costs, just in added payroll, of operating a city water system.

Mayor Greta Byars remained quiet through most of the meeting, saying the decision was up to the council.
Hawley put forth a motion, seconded by Alderman Johnny Floyd, to shorten the term to five years. The motion failed.

Sharpton moved to approve the agreement as presented with the ten-year term. Attorney Guymon mentioned that Red River had proposed another 40-year term and that coming down to ten was huge for the authority. Baird seconded Sharpton’s motion, and that motion also failed to get a majority.

Floyd then moved to agree to seven years, seconded by Hubbard. That motion was approved unanimously.

Red River’s board approved the seven-year proposal the next day, City Hall said later.

Also last Tuesday, the council convened in closed session with the city attorney. Returning to open session, the board voted to have Aldermen Floyd and Sharpton, along with Guymon and Childress, meet with Fire Chief Will Jordan and several members of the volunteer fire department. Hawley abstained from the motion.

Nationally recognized speaker Lyndy Phillips will be the headline entertainment when the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce holds its annual Awards Banquet on Thursday, February 7, at the Bairfield Activity Center.

Awards to be given will be the Saints’ Roost Award for a lifetime of service to the community, the Man and Woman of the Year, and the Business of the Year. The Chamber will also recognize outstanding youth from Clarendon and Hedley.

Lyndy Phillips was raised on a farm in the Texas Panhandle, served 15 years in full-time ministry, worked 12 years in sales and fundraising, and was the Executive Director for a highly popular television show about marriage.

Phillips engages audiences, makes them laugh, amazes their minds, and delivers clean, humorous content to reduce stress immediately and long term. He’s been performing magic since the age of nine and performed his first stage magic show at the age of fifteen. In college, he began combing speaking, comedy, and magic as a way to amaze and amuse people while delivering his message.

This year’s banquet theme is “ShowTime! Clarendon’s Night at the Movies” in honor of the upcoming re-opening of the Mulkey Theatre.

Table sponsors are encouraged to decorate with a Hollywood or motion picture theme or in the style of a favorite movie. Attendees are encouraged to dress in character or as their favorite actor or actress. Prizes will be given for the best table decoration and the best individual costume.

The event starts at 6 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction followed by the banquet, entertainment, and awards at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person and must be purchased in advance at the Visitor Center.
For more information, contact the Visitor Center at 874-2421.

Clarendon Aldermen killed the personal property tax during their regular meeting last Thursday, January 10.

The unpopular taxation of cars, trucks, recreational vehicles, and other similar property had been in place for decades, but officials believe the city can now afford to end the tax thanks to increasing sales tax revenues.

Mayor Sandy Skelton applauded the City Council’s action.

“I am pleased that the City Council repealed Ordinance 281 in its meeting on January 10 which effectively eliminates the City’s portion of the very unpopular personal property tax on automobiles, trucks, trailers, campers, RV’s, etc.,” Skelton said. “The City of Clarendon is now among the majority of Texas cities that do not impose personal property tax on its citizens. As a result of this action, citizens will realize a tax savings when they pay other city taxes in January 2020.”

Last week’s action does not change the tax levy for 2019, which is already in place. City Hall has said previously that Clarendon’s tax on personal property generated about $50,000 per year for the city.

Donley Appraisal District Chief Appraiser Paula Lowrie said Clarendon is now one of four local entities that do not tax personal property. The other three are Clarendon CISD, the Donley County Hospital District, and the City of Howardwick. The county, Clarendon College, Hedley CISD, the City of Hedley, and the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District do levy taxes on personal property.

In other city business last week, aldermen also approved ballot language for an election this May that would alter the distribution of sales tax collected by the city. Currently, the city collects a two percent sales tax, which is allocated as follows: 1.0 for general revenue, 0.5 percent for economic development, and 0.5 percent for property tax reduction.

If approved by voters, the ballot measure would reallocate that two percent sales tax as follows: 1.25 percent for general revenue, 0.5 percent for economic development, and 0.25 percent for maintenance and repair of municipal streets.

The ballot measure would have no effect on the overall sales tax rate but, if approved, would dedicate a portion that could only be used for maintenance and repair of streets and sidewalks existing on the date of the election. The dedicated funds could not be used to build new streets.

More information about this ballot issue will be printed in a future issue.

Clarendon’s proposed water recreation facility will go back through the bidding process after the first and only bid came in last week at more than $1 million above the funds available for the project.

Plains Builders submitted the bid of $3.162 million, and the City Council rejected that bid during its regular meeting January 10.

Mayor Sandy Skelton said inflation and increased tariffs are largely responsible for the higher than expected bid.

“The original design of the pool was completed approximately two years ago by Waters Edge, a highly reputable pool design company from Kansas City and the estimated cost at that time was $1,655,000,” Skelton said. “While costs have gone up since then due to inflation, a more significant reason for current cost increases is directly related to the government- imposed tariffs on metals, steel, concrete and other materials. Construction officials have told us that costs have risen as much as 25 to 30 percent due to the tariffs as well as the current economic uncertainty throughout the world.”

City officials are confident that rebidding the project will be beneficial, and they believe that more construction firms will put forward proposals when the project is bid again in the next month or so. Skelton also says more funds can be raised for the project as well.

“While we are disappointed with the bid received, the pool Steering Committee, City Council and Waters Edge will be looking at various options over the next couple of weeks,” Skelton said. “We feel confident that additional funds can be raised and that several cost saving changes can be implemented. With continued good leadership, this budgetary dilemma will be resolved, and we will move forward with our plans to construct a nice pool for the citizens of Clarendon and Donley County.”

COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service presented its Superior Service – Agent award to Leonard Haynes, agriculture and natural resources agent in Donley County.
The Superior Service awards are the highest award presented by the agency. The recipients were honored Jan. 8 with a noon luncheon.

“Leonard runs a well-rounded educational program, effectively managing his time to maximize impacts for both youth and adults,” said Brandon Dukes, AgriLife Extension district administrator, in his nomination.

“Serving in a single agent county, he continues to host an annual health fair, as well as many other educational programs that some might consider to be outside the scope of his responsibilities,” Dukes said.
Haynes exemplifies a well-rounded AgriLife Extension professional, Dukes said.

“He is able to not only wear many hats but wear them effectively,” Dukes said. “His programming efforts have had a major impact on ag producers in Donley County.”

According to producer-completed retrospective post surveys, program attendees have incurred an economic benefit totaling $5,551,746, the nomination stated. This equates to $20,715.50 per producer.

“It is obvious with those kinds of numbers that programs under Leonard’s leadership are making a significant impact in Donley County,” Dukes said. “The economic benefit producers are enjoying is directly correlated with the knowledge they are gaining and practices they are being exposed to through Leonard’s programming.”

The programs he conducts are having an impact in other areas as well, the nomination stated.

“Donley County 4-H members know they can count on Leonard to be there whenever they need him, and they know that when he has an activity planned that they will have fun doing it,” Dukes said.

Also, he said, newly hired AgriLife Extension county agents depend on Haynes for guidance in meeting the demands of their clientele on a day to day basis, his nomination stated.

Filing opens next week for six local governments that are scheduled to hold elections this spring.

The cities of Clarendon, Hedley, and Howardwick; the Clarendon and Hedley school districts; and the Donley County Hospital District all have a total of 18 board positions available this year.

In Clarendon, the two-year terms of Mayor Sandy Skelton and Aldermen Nathan Floyd and Jacob Fangman are up as well as the one-year unexpired term now held by Eulaine McIntosh.

Hedley has three aldermen seats up this year. The full two-year terms of the positions held by Aldermen Tonya Metcalf and Alicia Hanes as well as one vacant seat are up.

In Howardwick the terms of Mayor Greta Byars and Aldermen Johnny Floyd and Brice Hawley are expiring. Those are all two-year terms.

Clarendon ISD Trustees serve three years, and the terms of Robin Ellis, Chuck Robertson, and Will Thompson are expiring this year.

Hedley ISD has two full three-year terms up this year. Those seats are held by Michael Metcalf and Billy Hall.
The Donley County Hospital District Board of Directors has four two-year terms up this year. Those are currently held by Wayne Tubbs – Place 1, Jeff Robertson – Place 2, and Melinda McAnear – Place 3.

All local boards are elected at-large, but hospital board candidates must file for a specific place on the ballot.
Filing began Wednesday, January 16, and runs through Friday, February 15. Elections are scheduled to be held Saturday, May 4, 2019.

The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for its annual community awards banquet.
Honorees will be announced during the banquet, which is scheduled for February 7, 2019.

Nominations are being sought for Man of the Year and Woman of the Year – two individuals who have made a significant contribution to the community in the last year, and the Saints’ Roost Award – honoring a lifetime of service to the community.

Written nominations should specify what award the person is being nominated for and a brief paragraph stating the reason for the nomination. The nominations should be no more than one page in length.

Nominations can be mailed to PO Box 986, Clarendon, TX 79226, or delivered to the Visitor Center at 110 S. Kearney, Monday through Friday. If the center is closed, nominations may be left in the mailbox on the light pole in front of the office.

Nominations must be received by noon on Thursday, January 17, 2019.

An old Chuckwagon has found a new home at the Saints’ Roost Museum thanks to the generosity of a Groom resident.

Johnny Brumley donated the 1906 wagon built by the Bain Wagon Co. after it had been in his possession for about 15 years.

“When I got it, it was faded with dried out wood,” he recalled. “I just started from scratch and went to sanding.”

Brumley said he has restored about 25 Chuck wagons and worked on 50 wagons of other types, but this wagon was just for his family’s personal use. He built the Chuckbox for it himself, and never entered it into any competitions.

About four years ago, Brumley said he was approached by a Museum board member at Clarendon’s annual Chuckwagon Cookoff who said the Museum hoped to acquire a wagon for display and asked Brumley to be on the lookout for one that might be available.

“I did look but didn’t find anything,” Brumley said. “Then I got my son and daughter together and asked if they wanted the family wagon. They were not going to use it and agreed that it should go to Clarendon.”
Brumley said he has a soft place in his heart for Donley County.

“Clarendon College was good to me,” he said. “It gave me a scholarship, some books, and two years of education. And also I finished high school at Hedley.”

Saints’ Roost Museum President Derlene Gray said the wagon will be temporarily housed in the 1887 Clarendon Depot on the Museum grounds and said the board has committed to building a new facility to permanently house the wagon.

“We are so thrilled and honored to accept Mr. Brumley’s donation,” Gray said. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and a treasure for our community and all of Donley County. We look forward to planning a permanent home for this wagon, and we are so appreciative for all the support that allows our Museum to continue to grow.”