Parks, Recreation & Beautification Committee Meeting - July 21, 2025
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Parks, Recreation & Beautification Committee Regular Meeting – July 21, 2025
The Parks, Recreation & Beautification Committee met on Monday, July 21, 2025, at 5:30 PM in the North Annex, 701 N. Main, Clovis, NM. The meeting covered one new business item – a recommendation to modify vendor fees for community events – along with departmental updates from Parks, Recreation, and the Zoo, and a report on a Destination Forward grant for the zoo master plan.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the June 23, 2025 meeting were approved unanimously by voice vote. Motion by [unnamed], seconded, all in favor.
Discussion Items
- Vendor Fees for Community Events: Jenny and Stacey (CPD Community Relations Coordinator) and Claire Burroughes (Assistant City Manager) presented a request to lower or waive the current $100 vendor fee for community events, citing difficulty attracting food and business vendors for short-duration events (e.g., National Night Out, which runs 5 PM to dusk). Discussion included concerns about setting a precedent for other events. Committee members considered a tiered fee structure: $50 for events under a certain duration, $100 for longer events. Parks director Russell Hooper suggested using four hours as the cutoff, with $50 for half-day (under 4 hours) and $100 for full-day (4+ hours), and clarified that the fee would apply to all community events, not just one. The committee moved to recommend: vendor fees of $50 for events under four hours and $100 for events four hours or longer. The motion passed by voice vote with no opposition. The committee noted that final approval rests with the city commission.
Reports
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Parks Update (Russell Hooper):
- Mowing and trimming are ongoing; recent afternoon rains have slowed progress but kept grass growing.
- Second round of mosquito vector control is underway due to high mosquito and fly populations.
- Park maintenance is short‑handed but expects two new employees soon.
- Engineering work has begun on the Ned Halk parking lot drainage (with Jackie Fishman).
- The annual shooting range report is nearly complete and will be presented next month.
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Recreation Update (Amy Wyatt):
- Roy Walker Center: AC repair completed; a small copper pipe leak is awaiting a plumbing bid; new doors (ordered nine months ago) are being installed but work is intermittent.
- Clovis Sign is matching lettering on the building’s address sign.
- Artwork from the “Art in Public Places” program has been installed at Roy Walker; future lighting may be added.
- Summer youth program is in its final week with 26‑27 children (highest attendance of the summer). Activities include visits from the base commander, a goat presentation, swimming, and a trip to Cannon Air Force Base for simulators and airplane tours.
- Plans for next year: an Outdoor Equity Fund application for $30,000 and potential certification with Children, Youth and Families to accept vouchers for low‑to‑moderate income children.
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Zoo Update (Stephanie Chavez):
- New arrivals: Quilliam (porcupine, ~4 weeks old) and his mother Rosita (1½ years old). Quilliam is still in quarantine; will join his mother on exhibit in about 15 days.
- Donated birds: Popeye (Amazon parrot, 40 years old, one eye) and Nikki (African Grey, 35 years old, stopped talking after owner passed away) are now in Birdland and adjusting.
- Christmas in July event: July 24‑27, 7‑10 PM, with Snails (a sloth?) exhibit debut on Saturday. Cannon Air Force Base helped install lights and inflatables.
- Snails’ exhibit is nearly ready (painting, AC/heater, humidifier installed; perching remains).
- National Zookeeper Week: mayor issued a proclamation; zoo keepers highlighted on Facebook.
- Thanks to Dion’s, Dickies, Foxy, and McDonald’s for sponsoring dinners during the event.
Key Outcomes
- Vote on Vendor Fees: Motion (by Mr. Frazy) to recommend $50 for events under 4 hours and $100 for events 4+ hours passed unanimously. The recommendation will be forwarded to the city commission.
- Grant Announcements:
- City of Clovis received a $100,000 Destination Forward grant (from NM Department of Tourism) to create a 20‑year master plan for the zoo. A request for proposals will be issued.
- Staff will apply for a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant (up to $1 million) for fencing and trails at Ned Halk Park, with potential matching funds from the state.
- Next Meeting: Monday, August 18, 2025 at 5:30 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening. Welcome to the parks and recreation meeting. Miss Burroughs, can I have a roll call? Chairman Paula. Here. Vice Chair Casos. Here. Commissioner Porter. Commissioner Jones. Here. Mr. Frazy. Here. Mr. Davis. Here. Mr. Kirkendal. Here. Ms. Tipton. Mr. Williamson's his regrets. Saber Sprit. Here. Thank you, Ms. Burrow. Before you, we have the minutes from our June twenty third meeting. I'll take a motion for approval. Second. I have a motion, a second. All those in favor of the June twenty third meeting approving those minutes, say aye. Anyone opposed? Same sign. Next on the agenda, we have new business. Just one item tonight, discussion and recommendation regarding vendor fees for the community events. Um it is my understanding that historically we have struggled to receive any food vendors or even businesses that are able to or willing to pay the current vendor fee of a hundred dollars to come out and participate in our event. And I would like to request that this fee be lowered or waived for community events, especially ones like ours where the predominant focus is on community building, and all of the other booths available are free. So I'm hoping that we could potentially come to an agreement of either 25 or 50 dollars so we could hopefully bring in some of those food and business options. Okay, thank you. Yeah. Chief, do you have anything to add? I mean, no, not really. Um as she said, like in the past, we have had issues trying to get vendors and stuff in. The national night out event usually runs for just a few hours from five o'clock and we run until dusk. So it's not a long period of time. And the hundred dollar fee currently for vendors coming in who are you know, we've had vendors in the past just who sell popcorn or snow cones. It's hard for them to make up the money that they spent paying for their fee, you know, to at least even break even. Uh we've even as a department have pulled our money together because we had a vendor come out, I think it was two years ago, and we paid their hundred dollars for them because we had it wasn't the greatest turnout, and they weren't making the money that they needed to at least break even with their hundred dollar vendor fee. So again, just maybe hoping that we could do something.
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