Dateline: September 9, 2004

City aldermen divide on grant consulting

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

A split Board of Aldermen ended the City of Clarendon’s relationship with its longtime grant consultant last Tuesday in the wake of a disaster grant that cost the city $30,000 more than expected.

With two divisive votes during a called meeting, the board rescinded its agreement with Kay Howard of Lubbock for her to prepare the city’s upcoming Texas Community Development Project grant application and took action to have the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission (PRPC) provide future grant consulting.

“I like Kay, but I think she made an error on the last grant, and I think we need to make a change,” Alderman Bobbie Kidd said.

Howard had provided grant consulting services to the city since at least 1985, according to Kidd; and replacing her with PRPC upset Alderman Michael Tibbets.

“I don’t remember Kay ever calling a member of this council a criminal, and PRPC did,” Tibbets said. “I haven’t received an apology.”

Tibbets was referring to a November 6, 2003, article in The Clarendon Enterprise, in which a PRPC employee and former Clarendon board consultant was cited in classifying an October 28, 2003, action by the board of aldermen as spot zoning, which is illegal under state law.

“Pending an apology by them [PRPC] for a public assault by them, I can’t imagine that this is occurring,” Tibbets said.

His comments drew sharp criticism from Alderman Janice Knorpp, who said, “It’s time to get over it and do something good for the city.”

Mayor Tex Selvidge said he had not read the November 6 article the same way Tibbets had.

“There was not even an attempt to obtain an apology,” Tibbets said, “and now we have more bad blood on this council.”

“No, you do not,” Knorpp retorted. “You get over it.”

In both votes regarding grant consulting, Aldermen Knorpp and Kidd voted for the measure, Aldermen Tibbets and Tommy Hill voted against, and Mayor Selvidge broke the tie, voting in the affirmative.

In other city business last week, the board rejected all bids for the 2004 street paving project since all of them came in higher than expected.

Aldermen also discussed the 2004-2005 municipal budget, which will be considered for approval at the board’s regular meeting on September 14.