Dateline: September 21, 2006

Clarendon aldermen deny two requests

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

The Clarendon Board of Aldermen turned down a request last Tuesday to put two modular homes in the R1 residential zone but told the person making the request to bring more information back to the city.

Loy Davis wanted to place two modular homes on lots he owns on the northeast corner of Eighth and Leroy. Davis said he would remove the old trailer house on that property to make room for the new structures.

Board members expressed concern about what the homes would look like and noted that Davis did not provide any drawings or pictures of the exteriors of proposed structures.

Davis said he would place the houses on slabs if he had to and said they would look like permanent homes, but Alderman Janice Knorpp said two other modular homes Davis has at Eighth and Johns look like trailer houses.

Alderman Tommy Hill made a motion to allow Davis to put the new modular homes on the property, but the motion died for lack of a second.

The board asked Davis to bring pictures of what the outside of his proposed modular homes would look like when finished to the next meeting.

Davis also asked the board to consider closing the alleyway that runs from Seventh to Eighth streets between Leroy and Johns. The alley has never been opened, but the city maintains an easement to do so in the future. The board felt there was no compelling reason to give up that easement and took no action.

In other city business, Roger Estlack addressed the board on behalf of the Saints’ Roost Museum and requested funds from the Motel Bed Tax to help promote and sponsor the 12th annual Chuckwagon cookoff. The board approved allocating $4,500 from the fund for this event.

Aldermen approved the first reading of Ordinance 364 creating the reinvestment zone for the Sonic Drive-In tax abatement.

Daisy Palmer of the Texas Municipal League presented a bid for the city’s workers’ compensation, liability, and property insurance. This was the only bid received, and the board approved the proposal subject to revisions that were discussed.

Depository bids were presented by Walt Knorpp of the Donley County State Bank and Janan Koontz of the Herring Bank. Alderman Michael Tibbets asked how many local taxing entities were with each bank and said he felt the city should move its accounts from Herring to Donley since the majority were with Herring.

“The business should be spread around,” Tibbets said.

The board approved moving the accounts by a vote of 2-1-1 with Aldermen Tibbets and Bobbie Kidd in favor, Alderman Hill against, and Alderman Knorpp abstaining.

Greg Cook presented FirstCare’s bid for the city’s health insurance. The board selected an option that creates a $750 deductible for some procedures but keeps the premiums virtually the same as last year.