OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Clovis City Commission Meeting - February 12, 2026

Meeting Portal — Thursday, February 12, 2026
BodyClovis, New Mexico
SessionMeeting Portal
DateThursday, February 12, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:03:45

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

And the GRT dollars to do great things in the community for everyone's benefit.

0:04

Lord, we lift up each person here.

0:06

Thank you for their contribution to making this such an amazing place to live and work and serve.

0:12

I ask these things in the name of Jesus.

0:13

Amen.

0:15

Join me in the pledge to our flag.

0:17

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

0:21

And to the Republic for which it stands.

0:24

One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

0:30

I salute the flag of the state of New Mexico.

0:33

The Z symbol of perfect friendships among United Cultures.

0:42

We are called to order, and I would like to ask Ms.

0:45

Foster if she would do the roll call, please.

0:50

Commissioner Jones.

0:51

Here.

0:52

Commissioner Porter.

0:53

Here.

0:54

Commissioner Zamora.

0:58

Commissioner Garza.

0:59

Here.

1:00

Commissioner Cassaus.

1:01

Here.

1:02

Commissioner Tarsen here.

1:04

Commissioner Paula.

1:05

Here.

1:05

Mayor Pro Tem Bryan.

1:07

Here.

1:07

Mayor Morris.

1:09

Here.

1:10

Thank you, Ms.

1:11

Foster.

1:12

Appreciate that.

1:13

Next, I would have you consider if you object to how the agenda has been published.

1:20

And hearing and seeing no objections, the agenda is adopted.

1:23

We'll record yes votes for each of you.

1:26

Next, I would have you consider are there objections to how the minutes from January 22nd have been prepared.

1:32

And hearing and seeing no objections, the minutes from January 22nd's regular meeting have been adopted, and yes votes will be recorded.

1:41

Next we reserve the space on the agenda to recognize visitors and uh again want to thank each of you for being here this evening.

1:50

We look forward to hearing from you when we reach the point in the agenda uh that that you're here to speak with us on.

1:56

And uh we'll keep moving into presentations and we have some we have two uh exciting uh and important presentations planned.

2:06

The first is presentation of 30-year employee recognition plaques to Sandra Segura with Cats, as well as Mark Boney with Public Works and Mr.

2:21

Howalt, I'll turn it over to you.

2:23

Good evening, Mayor Mayor Pro Tem and Commissioners.

2:25

Uh there's many of things that I enjoy uh doing for the City of Clovis and plus working with the City of Clovis.

2:32

And one of those pleasures is honoring our employees with their uh milestone awards.

2:37

And so it's always a great thing when we have employees that come and work for the City of Clovis.

2:44

It's even better when our employees choose to make a career and stay with the city of Clovis.

2:50

Uh you'll always hear me say that uh I want our employees, I want the city of Clovis to be the employer of choice within our community.

2:58

And I think that when we start looking at some of the longevity in which our employees have been with us, that it shows that we are making progress and getting there.

3:07

And so it's with my honor this evening that I do recognize these two employees for their years of service to us uh with our milestone awards.

3:17

And so, can I have Sandra and Mark?

3:20

Come up, please.

3:36

And so Sandra works with us in our in our CATS department, has been serving over there for I'm gonna leave the year out for several years at this point in time.

3:44

And Mark has been serving with our Publix Works Department and the Sanitation Collection uh for the same number of years as Sandra.

3:51

And so uh like I said, it's a pleasure this evening to recognize both of them for their 30 years of service with the city of Clovis.

3:59

And so uh with that we have these wonderful uh trophies for the lack of a better word uh to present to them.

4:07

Uh we have uh their their certificates that we present to them, and probably the best thing uh that they'll enjoy is an extra day off this coming year, and so after 30 years, hey, why not give an extra day off?

4:19

Uh but no, I just want to say thank you to them uh for continuing to work with us and it's a pleasure.

4:24

I know both, and it's a pleasure to work with them.

4:27

And so uh congratulations and thank you guys very much.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Engagement██████████████████18%
Procedural█████████████████17%
Youth Programs████████████████16%
Personnel Matters███████████████15%
Community Events████████████12%
Economic Development██████6%
Environmental Protection█████5%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████5%
Water And Wastewater Management███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Clovis City Commission Meeting - February 12, 2026

The Clovis City Commission met on February 12, 2026, at 12:30 PM. The meeting included employee recognition, a proclamation, public comment, approval of consent agenda items, an ordinance related to a water project fund loan, new business items including a fee waiver for a ceasefire event, a tire amnesty agreement, and a pay increase for the city manager. Various committee reports were also presented.

Presentations

  • 30-Year Employee Recognition Plaques: City Manager Justin Howalt presented plaques to Sandra Segura (CATS) and Mark Boney (Public Works) for 30 years of service. Directors praised their dedication. Commissioner Cassaus noted Mark Boney is her cousin.
  • Proclamation for FCCLA Week: Mayor Morris proclaimed February 9–13, 2026, as FCCLA Week in Clovis. Joaquin Sanchez, FCCLA state president, and other members spoke about the organization's leadership, community service (over 1,500 hours this year), and competition success (38 Clovis High School students qualified for state competition). The mayor encouraged community support.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Constance Williams: Licensed clinical social worker, invited the commission to an event on February 27, 2026, at Clovis Community College titled "Eastern New Mexico Voices: A Journey from the Civil Rights Era into Modern Times." The event will feature a panel discussion with elders sharing experiences, including a former NAACP youth action group member and a participant in Dr. King's speech. The event is free and open to the public.

Consent Agenda

  • Items 2 through 7 were approved unanimously (8 votes) after item 1 was removed due to Commissioner Paula's abstention. Items included:
    • Introduction of ordinance relating to sale of public property at 400 South Norris.
    • Resolution authorizing participation in NM Main Street program for 2027-2028.
    • Appointment of Kathy Elliott to Economic Incentive Board.
    • Appointment of Emily Gibson to Clovis Carver Library Board.
    • 2021 ambulance billing write-off.
    • Appointment of District 4 representative to Parks, Recreation, and Beautification Committee.

Discussion Items

  • Ordinance No. 2-5-4-2026 (Water Project Fund Loan Grant Agreement): Item 1 removed from consent agenda. Approved with 7 votes in favor and 1 abstention (Commissioner Paula). The ordinance authorizes a loan/grant agreement with NM Finance Authority for up to $18,700,000 (loan not to exceed $1,870,000; grant not to exceed $16,830,000) for construction of portions of the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System.
  • Waiver of Fees for Ceasefire Event: Requested by NM MLK Commission for March 14, 2026, at Hillcrest Park. Approved unanimously. The event will include free zoo admission, pool fees, stage/bleacher use, and activities at the senior center.
  • Memorandum of Agreement with Curry County for Tire Amnesty Event: The city will provide tire shredding equipment and roll-off dumpsters; county will provide personnel. Approved unanimously. Tires will be shredded for use at the landfill and for road conditions.
  • Pay Increase for City Manager Justin Howalt: Approved unanimously (8 votes) for a 4.5% increase. Commissioners praised his transparency, responsiveness, and performance. The increase is a cost-of-living adjustment based on informal review.

Reports from Committees and Boards

  • Public Works Committee: Approved placement of 5 street lights in each district; recommended repaving Main Street from 21st to 8th and 14th Street using road bond funds; reconstruction of 21st Street with Transportation Project Fund Award; residential paving list coming soon; ongoing work on Main Street project and drainage on Purdue and Cameo.
  • Municipal Day: Mayor Morris reported on the NM Municipal League meeting held February 5, 2026, emphasizing advocacy with state legislators.
  • Library Board: Reported on policy manual, inventory, first aid/active shooter training, and new student representative Emily Gibson.
  • Economic Incentive Board: Approved a retail incentive application for Shoe Department Encore (expansion at the mall); project participation agreement will come to the commission.
  • Planning and Zoning Commission: Discussed temporary rental units (coming for final approval) and a street name change request (Torton Street to Also Avenue from 24th to Ulano Stagar) which faced opposition and will return to P&Z.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent agenda items 2-7 approved unanimously.
  • Ordinance No. 2-5-4-2026 (water project loan/grant) adopted (7-1).
  • Waiver of fees for ceasefire event approved unanimously.
  • Memorandum of agreement with Curry County for tire amnesty approved unanimously.
  • 4.5% pay increase for City Manager Justin Howalt approved unanimously.
  • Early voting information: at City Hall (Mon-Fri 8-6) and at the mall (Sat 10-6) through February 28, 2026.

Meeting Transcript

And the GRT dollars to do great things in the community for everyone's benefit. Lord, we lift up each person here. Thank you for their contribution to making this such an amazing place to live and work and serve. I ask these things in the name of Jesus. Amen. Join me in the pledge to our flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I salute the flag of the state of New Mexico. The Z symbol of perfect friendships among United Cultures. We are called to order, and I would like to ask Ms. Foster if she would do the roll call, please. Commissioner Jones. Here. Commissioner Porter. Here. Commissioner Zamora. Commissioner Garza. Here. Commissioner Cassaus. Here. Commissioner Tarsen here. Commissioner Paula. Here. Mayor Pro Tem Bryan. Here. Mayor Morris. Here. Thank you, Ms. Foster. Appreciate that. Next, I would have you consider if you object to how the agenda has been published. And hearing and seeing no objections, the agenda is adopted. We'll record yes votes for each of you. Next, I would have you consider are there objections to how the minutes from January 22nd have been prepared. And hearing and seeing no objections, the minutes from January 22nd's regular meeting have been adopted, and yes votes will be recorded. Next we reserve the space on the agenda to recognize visitors and uh again want to thank each of you for being here this evening. We look forward to hearing from you when we reach the point in the agenda uh that that you're here to speak with us on. And uh we'll keep moving into presentations and we have some we have two uh exciting uh and important presentations planned. The first is presentation of 30-year employee recognition plaques to Sandra Segura with Cats, as well as Mark Boney with Public Works and Mr. Howalt, I'll turn it over to you. Good evening, Mayor Mayor Pro Tem and Commissioners. Uh there's many of things that I enjoy uh doing for the City of Clovis and plus working with the City of Clovis. And one of those pleasures is honoring our employees with their uh milestone awards. And so it's always a great thing when we have employees that come and work for the City of Clovis. It's even better when our employees choose to make a career and stay with the city of Clovis. Uh you'll always hear me say that uh I want our employees, I want the city of Clovis to be the employer of choice within our community. And I think that when we start looking at some of the longevity in which our employees have been with us, that it shows that we are making progress and getting there. And so it's with my honor this evening that I do recognize these two employees for their years of service to us uh with our milestone awards.

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