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City council discusses new trash service

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The Clarendon City Council had a busy agenda June 8, covering topics from waste management to city administration to law enforcement and more.

In addition to the Greenbelt Water Authority contract reported on in last week’s Enterprise, the council discussed its contract with Diversified Waste Management. The city privatized its trash service in 2020 and allowed Diversified to take over that city service. The company has recently sold its solid waste services to Waste Connections.

According to the company’s website, Waste Connections is one of the largest full-service providers of solid waste collection and is the third largest solid waste management company in North America with a network of operations in 41 states and 6 provinces.
The council discussed assigning to the owner Diversified’s lease of the building, land, and equipment at the Clarendon Convenience Center. No action was taken on the request, and Waste Connections is to bring a new franchise agreement to the July council meeting.
The council also discussed the position of city administrator and agreed to extend an offer of employment to Brent Spier with a deadline of July7 for him to respond.
Aldermen met in closed session to conduct the annual evaluation of City Secretary Machiel Covey and then reconvened in open session and extended her contract to 2025.
Alderman Larry Jeffers was elected by the council to serve as Mayor Pro-Tem for the next year.

No action was taken on the Donley County Sheriff’s Department’s contract to provide law enforcement coverage for the city.

The council approved a motion to provide city employees with a family pass for the Clarendon Aquatic Center.

City council questions Greenbelt project

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Greenbelt Water Authority’s planned $18 million project to develop groundwater resources for its member cities hit a snag last Thursday when it came before the Clarendon City Council.

City aldermen were asked to approve a supplemental contract with Greenbelt but instead took no action after meeting behind closed doors with attorneys for more than 40 minutes before discussing issues with water authority representatives and saying the contract was unacceptable to the city.

Attorneys for Greenbelt this week were working on language revisions to address city concerns, according to Greenbelt General Manager Bobbie Kidd, and were confident an agreement could still be reached before a July deadline to issue bonds.

“I think it’s going to work out,” Kidd said Tuesday.

At the meeting last week, Alderman Eulaine McIntosh spoke of her concerns about diminishing water availability over a widespread area, and she, along with Aldermen Tommy Hill and John Lockhart, also voiced thoughts about the fairness of the proposed 30-year contract.

The Texas Water Development Board in April approved more than $18 million for a new water supply project for the Greenbelt Municipal and Industrial Water Authority. The project would develop 2,800 acres of groundwater rights the water authority acquired in northern Donley County in 2017. Greenbelt would construct three water wells, well field piping, electrical distribution equipment, and a 12-mile transmission line to transport water to its existing water treatment plant. (Click here to read more about the project.)

Ten million dollars of the project is fully funded by the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, and $8.11 million would be financed with Clarendon paying about six percent of that cost.

Alderman Larry Jeffers raised questions about the cost of the project over the 30-year term. Kidd said the city will end up paying less for water because the current Greenbelt bonds will be paid off in 2027.

Some aldermen expressed interest in making changes to the original Greenbelt contract, which was signed in the 1960s and reworked in 1975. Under the contract, the member cities of Clarendon, Hedley, Childress, Quanah, and Crowell and other customers of the water authority pay Greenbelt based on how much water they use. Clarendon’s portion of Greenbelt’s budget is about eight percent.

Kidd told the city council that right now Greenbelt has about three years of water in it. That’s not the life-expectancy of the lake, but rather how long the water would last if no more water was accumulated.

“This project is to make sure we don’t run out of water,” Kidd said. “We’ll never get another $10 million gift to do this. Without this project, I don’t know where you get water.”

It was mentioned during the discussion that the city has contracted with OJD Engineering to study groundwater resources in the city limits and the possibility of developing those resources.

In April, the council approved hiring attorney Marvin Jones to review the city’s obligations to Greenbelt.

At last week’s meeting, Kidd said Greenbelt had been working for 12 years on this project. He also said Clarendon could not develop its own water system without being in the state water plan and said the next state water plan won’t be approved until about 2028.

Alderman Jeffers objected to that comment, calling it a threat and saying he was done with the conversation.

“I didn’t threaten you,” Kidd said. “I’m just telling you reality.”

Clarendon is represented on the Greenbelt board of directors by Walt Knorpp.

Kidd said Tuesday that Knorpp doesn’t always make every meeting but that he had been at every meeting where an important vote had been held on this project and had supported it.

Greenbelt’s board must meet July 20 to give final approval to the project after bond ratings are set. Clarendon’s next regular city council meeting will be July 13.

Greenbelt representatives were planning meetings with other member city’s councils this week, and Kidd was optimistic the plan would ultimately move forward.

Read More: https://www.clarendonlive.com/2023/04/state-okays-18-million-for-greenbelt-project/

Donley County lifts outdoor burn ban

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Donley County Commissioners lifted the ban on outdoor burning during their regular meeting Monday, June 12.

County Judge John Howard said he had received over nine inches of rain at his house west of Clarendon in recent weeks and recommended lifting the ban.

Commissioners can easily reinstate the ban at a future meeting if dry conditions return, he said.

In other county business, officials discussed rising health care costs for employees as the county works to prepare its 2023-2024 budget. Health insurance will be going up about $1,000 per person on the county payroll, an increase of about 6.5 percent. The county is also expecting an increase in the cost of providing AirMed coverage for county employees in the amount of $10 per month per employee.

Commissioners agreed to adopt a back-up call system for emergency situations. If the county judge is unavailable, a commissioner will be on call to handle emergency situations.

The court approved ordering a new motor grader for Precinct 1 at a cost of about $390,000. Howard said it will take about a year for the new machine to be delivered to the county.

An interlocal agreement with the Department of State Health Services was approved for the county to continue to provide access to vital records such as birth certificates.

A proposal from CTSI was also approved in the amount of $9,863.14 to purchase three new computers for the clerk’s office and one for the treasurers office along with other computer equipment.

State changing funding for Clarendon College

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Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 8 (HB 8) into law last week, codifying an innovative new model to fund Clarendon College and other community colleges in Texas. The new model moves to an outcomes-based approach and rewards colleges for awarding degrees, certificates, and other “credentials of value.”

“The State of Texas continues working to ensure our public community colleges remain competitive and able to fully support the needs of our growing, diverse workforce,” said Gov. Abbott. “House Bill 8 will be an important tool to help enhance the role of public junior colleges in workforce training and preparation for high-demand careers. I thank the Texas Legislature for sending this bill to my desk to reward community colleges based on positive student outcomes and allow students to enroll in dual credit courses at no additional cost. The future of Texas remains bright thanks to the educational opportunities provided by community colleges and the hardworking students who will help build the Texas of tomorrow.”

CC President Tex Buckhaults said it’s too soon to know exactly how the new funding model will impact Clarendon College.

“While the current projections would indicate a significant increase in funding for Clarendon College, the details of negotiated rule-making could quickly lower the final figure,” Buckhaults said. “I anticipate three rounds of negotiations until the final adopted rules governing community college funding are complete.”

Buckhaults said he is one of five college presidents sitting on a committee of about a dozen people who will draw up the new rules, and he will be speaking on behalf of small community colleges. The first round of rule making will be held in July followed by a second round this fall.

The legislation, sponsored and championed by Rep. Gary VanDeaver and Sen. Brandon Creighton, was the culmination of months of work by legislators, community college leaders, and the business community, and expands upon the year-long efforts of the Texas Commission on Community College Finance (TxCCCF).

“I’m incredibly grateful to our legislators and to Governor Abbott for their commitment to advancing higher education in our great state,” said Chairman of the Coordinating Board Dr. Fred Farias. “Texas’s economic competitiveness depends on an educated workforce and our community colleges serve a critical role in giving more Texans the opportunity to earn credentials of value.”
With the passage of HB 8, Texas will reform its community college finance system to align policy and funding incentives with the rapidly changing needs of the workforce. It also puts dual credit students in high schools on pathways toward meaningful credentials and expands opportunities for adult learners.

The passage of HB 8, and the allocation of $683 million in the state budget, positions Texas as a national leader in tying funding for community colleges to measurable student-focused outcomes. These include:

  • The number of credentials of value awarded, including badges, certificates, and degrees, that position graduates for well-paying jobs.
  • Credentials of value awarded in high-demand fields where employers are looking for skilled employees.
  • Successful student transfers from community colleges to four-year universities.
  • Completion of a sequence of dual credit courses, which are offered to high school students and can set them on early pathways to success.

“Texas community colleges are uniquely positioned to play a key role in helping more Texans earn the credentials required for high-demand, well-paying jobs,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Harrison Keller. “By signing HB 8 into law, policymakers have marked a commitment to fund community colleges in ways that align our state’s emerging workforce needs with strategic funding, resources, and postsecondary opportunities that lead to a credential of value.”

The legislation also transfers the Texas Adult Career Education (ACE) program from Austin Community College to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and creates the Financial Aid for Swift Transfer (FAST) scholarship program for low-income dual credit students.

“The passage of this historic bill is a direct result of the consistent and dedicated effort from our 50 community college districts, our education partners, business and industry, and, of course, our lawmakers who made this a top priority this legislative session,” said Texas Association of Community Colleges President and CEO Ray Martinez III. “Our Texas community colleges look forward to leading the nation in higher education innovation.”

HB 8 was based on recommendations laid out in the TxCCCF report, submitted to state leaders in advance of the 88thlegislative session. The report offered three sets of recommendations for a new model in support of the goals in Building a Talent Strong Texas, the state’s strategic plan for higher education:

  • Reward community colleges for positive student outcomes.
  • Increase affordability and financial aid, including for low-income students.
  • Increase capacity at colleges to meet changing workforce needs.

“Texas’s community colleges enroll and serve almost half of all students pursuing postsecondary education in our state, so they are an important engine that is propelling our future workforce and economy,” said TxCCCF Chair Woody L. Hunt. “This innovative funding will help community colleges make strategic decisions about how they best prepare their students to successfully enter the workforce or successfully transfer to a four-year university after graduation and ensure that all students are set up for success. This will strengthen our state and workforce for generations to come.”
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) was created by the Texas Legislature in 1965 and serves as a resource, partner, and advocate for Texas higher education, resulting in a globally competitive workforce that positions Texas as an international leader.

Kinetic bringing fiber internet to Clarendon, Howardwick this fall

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High-speed fiber broadband internet will be available for most residents of Clarendon and Howardwick this fall, according to Kinetic by Windstream.

Responding to information requests from the Enterprise, Gerry Harrington with Kinetic’s Public Relations confirmed Monday the company will be rolling out the new service starting in Clarendon in August.

“Kinetic is indeed laying optical fiber to provide residential high-speed fiber broadband in Clarendon,” Harrington said.

Kinetic told the Enterprise it is laying more than 200,000 feet of optical fiber in Clarendon and Howardwick to make approximately 1,700 households eligible for high-speed fiber broadband.

Kinetic trucks and employees have been seen around Clarendon for a few weeks stringing the optical cable on existing Windstream telephone poles. Howardwick officials also say they have been seeing activity there by the communications company.

The first area that will be eligible to receive the fiber service will be most of the southwest portion of Clarendon, south of the railroad and west of Sully Street. Kinetic expects to equip more than 600 households in that area by the end of August.

Another 600 households should have fiber available by the end of September in the southeast portion of the city, south of the railroad and east of Sully Street.

By the end of October, Kinetic expects to be able to provide fiber broadband to 500 households in Howardwick on the east side of Carroll Creek.

Internal Kinetic maps provided to the Enterprise do not show fiber availability planned at this time for north of the railroad in Clarendon or west of Carroll Creek in Howardwick. The company said this week there are no plans to expand the fiber service into beyond the initial 1,700 households at this time.

Customers will be eligible to get Kinetic fiber broadband as soon as their homes are equipped for it. They can sign up at windstream.com/fiber-form.

When completed, nearly three-quarters of Clarendon and Howardwick households will be eligible for Kinetic’s fiber broadband.

Kinetic rolled out its fiber internet service in Hedley in November of 2022. According to the company website, Hedley residential customers can get 500 megabit service for $39.99 a month, 1.0 gigabit service for $69.99 a month, and 2.0 gigabit service for $169.99.

Heavy rains boost Greenbelt Lake level

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Carroll Creek was running heavily into Greenbelt Lake after a heavy downpour in the Howardwick area. Photo by Nikki Green

Heavy rains over the last few weeks have saturated the ground and are now having an impact on Lake Greenbelt, especially after about five inches of rain fell on the Howardwick area Sunday.

The deluge had Carroll Creek running fast and strong into the reservoir. It was still running Tuesday, and water was also coming down the Salt Fork Red River into the lake.

Greenbelt had reached a low of 7,064 acre-feet of water stored in the reservoir on April 25. After the general rains over the last month and Sunday’s downpour, the lake was holding 8,121 acre-feet as of Tuesday morning.

The lake level itself has risen about 2.25 feet in the last 45 days, according to Greenbelt Municipal & Industrial Water Authority. The lake depth Tuesday was 40.02 feet.

Greenbelt’s greatest depth was in June 1975 when it was 75.71 feet.

An acre-foot is the amount of water it takes to cover one acre of land one foot deep or 325,851 gallons.

The lake is still down significantly. A year ago, Greenbelt was holding more than 9,500 acre-feet, and even that was well below the level six years ago when it held 17,260 acre-feet.

Change can come quickly at Greenbelt, however. In April 2015, the lake was also at about 8000 acre-feet when a very wet May added about 5,750 acre-feet to the reservoir.

The area still has a chance of more rain this week, and it could well benefit Greenbelt if it falls in the right place.

Local man uninjured in tractor v. truck wreck

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Riley Wade had a close encounter with semi-truck last week when it ran into the John Deere tractor he was driving.

Emergency personnel look over the aftermath of a tractor versus semi accident east of Clarendon about 1.5 miles last Wednesday, May 31.

DPS Trooper Lynn Mays said 17-year-old Riley Wade of Clarendon was driving a John Deere tractor eastbound on US 287 partially on the shoulder when he was struck by a semi-tractor trailer rig driven by Roberto Lowrie, 45, of Harlingen. Mays said driver inattention on the part of the trucker for is to blame for the accident.

Mays said the truck tried to turn to the left as it struck the tractor in the left rear tire, sending the tractor into the south ditch. The truck turned on its side as plowed down two trees in the center median before coming to rest.

Wade was uninjured, and Lowrie was transported to Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo where he was treated and released.

Lowrie will receive a citation for failure to control speed, Mays said.

Emergency personnel respond to an overturned semi-truck that wrecked after colliding with a John Deere tractor last week near Clarendon.

Enterprise wins sweepstakes award from Texas Press

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Ben and Ella Estlack display the state awards won by the Enterprise last week. The plaques arrived following the state press convention with the local paper taking the Sweepstakes award for small weekly newspapers. Enterprise Photo / Roger Estlack

For the second year in a row, The Clarendon Enterprise was recognized as the best small paper in the state by the Texas Press Association Saturday, June 3, during the TPA Summer Convention in Round Rock.

The Enterprise earned the Sweepstakes Award in Division 10 of the 2022 Better Newspaper Contest, winning four first place plaques and placing in ten other categories to gather enough points to win the overall division.

“We are honored to be recognized again by our peers for the work we put into our newspaper and are proud to bring this recognition to our community,” publisher Roger Estlack said. “This is truly a group effort, and we are very blessed to have a super talented team and equally fortunate to have great support from our readers and advertisers.”

The Enterprise won first place in the Weekly Division for Best Website in a competition that differed from the other contest categories.

“In most other categories, we compete against newspapers of similar size and circulation,” Estlack said, “but the Best Website award is among all weeklies in the contest. That includes newspaper websites that are covering bigger communities and with more resources than what we have.”

ClarendonLive.com is managed and updated by Roger and Ben Estlack.

The Enterprise also placed second among all weeklies in the category of Best Online Live Coverage for its coverage of the Broncos second trip to the state basketball tournament last year with Ashlee Estlack heading up the livestream of those events.

The Enterprise received fourth place among all weeklies for its coverage highlighting information in Public Notices last fall.

In Division 10, the sports photos by Elaina Estlack won first place, Editorials by Roger Estlack on city progress and the state of the newspaper business won first place, and the Enterprise was also first in General Excellence.

The Enterprise received second place honors for Feature Photos by Elaina and Roger Estlack, News Photos by Roger Estlack and Page Design by Tara Allred and Roger Estlack.

Columns by Ben and Roger Estlack placed third in the division as did the Enterprise’s New Writing and Feature Writing entries.
Sports Coverage by Sandy Anderberg was fourth, and Enterprise Headlines also finished fourth.

The Enterprise was first in the Sweepstakes count among weeklies of similar circulation with 725 points followed by the Caprock Courier and the Archer County News with 400 points each, and the Flatonia Argus with 350 points. The Enterprise placed in 14 out of 18 categories.

Ninety-nine newspapers submitted 920 entries in the contest. Fifty-three weekly newspapers competed in Divisions Six through Ten. Entries were judged by the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association.

Enterprise completes Google tech lab training

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The Clarendon Enterprise successfully completed an exclusive training program leading up to its 145th anniversary last week with the purpose of positioning the Texas Panhandle’s oldest newspaper to continue to serve Donley County into the future.

The Google News Initiative Foundations Lab, which began in October 2022 and wrapped up on May 23, 2023, was designed to build digital capabilities and technology infrastructure within small to medium-sized news organizations. The program was launched in English in the United States and Canada and was conducted in Spanish in Latin America.

The Enterprise was one of only two newspapers in Texas selected to participate in the program, and there were only 14 publishers selected in the United States and just 34 organizations in all of North, Central, and South America.

“This was a rare opportunity for us to have access to world-class training and technical expertise,” said Enterprise publisher Roger Estlack. “By collaborating with leaders in digital publishing and sharing ideas with publishers in the US and Canada, we were able to learn about best practices for reaching our readers while also developing strategies to insure the sustainability of our historic publication.”

Throughout the program, participants received customized coaching and hands-on support, learned from industry experts, and collaborated with other cohort members.

Participating organizations first set up technology building blocks (e.g., Google Analytics, optimizing core web vitals), developed operational muscle and discipline to support sustainable growth, and established digital-first workflows that nurture readers down the audience funnel from awareness to engagement and, ultimately, to financial support.

Each news organization then transitioned to an intensive phase, where these new capabilities are implemented in pursuit of either reader revenue or advertising/sponsorship revenue goals.

Among the results for the North American cohort: Participating teams collectively grew newsletter and known audiences by 44 percent, active users by 14 percent, increased page speeds by 27 percent, and improved average search position by 17 percent during the nine-month Lab.

The Lab is delivered in partnership with Blue Engine Collaborative, a consortium of mission-driven consultants, coaches and advisors focused on driving digital audience growth, revenue, and long-term sustainability.

“The Google News Initiative has been a great partner with the Enterprise over the last three years,” Estlack said. “We received a GNI grant during the first year of the pandemic that was very helpful; and since then, we have participated in several smaller GNI workshops prior to applying for the GNI Foundations Lab. We are extremely grateful for the support Google has provided us in particular and local journalism in general.”

Selected participants in the GNI Lab were:

In Canada, Shootin’ the Breeze in Alberta, Chek News, Daily Hive, Energetic City and Times Colonist in British Columbia, La Liberté in Manitoba, and Chesterville Record, Fort Frances Times, Rabble and The Review in Ontario were selected.

In the United States, El Latino, India Currents, San Francisco Examiner and Santa Monica Daily Press in California, The Atlanta Voice in Georgia, Honolulu Star-Advertiser in Hawaii, The Current in Louisiana, Native News Online in Michigan, Adirondack Explorer and New York Amsterdam News in New York, The Charlotte Post in North Carolina, Dallas Free Press and The Clarendon Enterprise in Texas, and The Washington Informer in Washington, D.C. were selected.

In Latin America, El Eco, El Litoral, La Gaceta and La Nueva Provincia in Argentina, Diario La Tribuna in Chile, Crónica del Quindío, La Silla Vacía and Noticias Uno in Colombia, el Periódico de Guatemala in Guatemala, La Prensa in Honduras, El Imparcial de Oaxaca, Noroeste and Prowell Media in Mexico, La Prensa in Nicaragua, and Panamá América were selected.

The Google News Initiative is Google’s effort to partner with news publishers around the world to build a long-lasting, diverse, and innovative news ecosystem. GNI does this by offering training, programs, funding, and products to journalists and newsrooms to help strengthen their work in the digital age.

Garage sale event includes 22 entries

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Bargain shoppers will be in for a treat during the 18th annual “Trash to Treasures” garage sale event that will be held in Clarendon and Howardwick this Saturday, June 3.

A total of 23 individual garage sales are scheduled to be held. A complete description of each sale is printed on the official Treasure Maps located on the last page of this week’s Clarendon Enterprise.

From furniture to antiques, this weekend’s sales will feature hundreds of treasures just waiting to be uncovered at bargain prices. Sales generally start at 8 a.m. and run throughout the day.

“Trash to Treasures” is being promoted with advertising dollars in area communities thanks to the support of the official sales depicted on the maps. It is those official sales that make the Trash to Treasures event possible.

Thanks to the marketing paid for by those sales, many people from neighboring counties are expected attend this year’s event.

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