Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The Tucumcari Lodgers Tax Advisory Board last week approved changes in its bylaws that include an alteration to its meeting times.
Future meetings still will be on the first Wednesday of each month, except with a start time of 9 a.m. instead of 10 a.m.
Two members who operate motels requested the change, saying it would be easier for them to attend.
Board members were told during their meeting Wednesday the city’s municipal court convenes on that morning.
However, city manager Paula Chacon said she would talk to court officials about moving hearings to the afternoon, if needed.
The bylaws changes include staggered terms for members.
Board member Michael Carlson’s term would end in December 2024. The others — Chairman Matt Bednorz, Al Patel, Lila Doughty and a fifth vacant seat — would see their terms expire in December 2025.
Doughty insisted on staggered terms for board members.
“We really need to split this up,” she said.
Chacon said she again would advertise for applicants for the board’s open seat, with an emphasis on applicants who are business owners.
Bednorz said he also wanted to include a requirement of monthly financial reports at meetings, noting the board had lacked a few such reports last year.
But Bednorz said state law already requires regular financial reports, so such a bylaw change wasn’t necessary.
In the business:
— The board recommended approval of billboard contracts with Lamar Advertising Co. and Sun Vista Outdoor Advertising.
The Lamar contracts involve three billboards in Texas, west of Amarillo, for $19,305 a year. The Sun Vista pact includes five billboards west of Tucumcari for about $26,800 a year.
— Chacon said the city was looking for other firms to apply for a marketing contract.
Cherry said the city received one bid, but Mayor Mike Cherry, also the board’s liaison, said grades for the applicant were “not sufficient” for consideration.
The city has advertised twice for a request for proposals for the marketing contract. It has failed draw an applicant or to attract a suitable one.
— Chacon said the city recently received equipment from the New Mexico Department of Transportation to repair 64 inoperable street lights.
She said a company from Las Cruces would repair the lights this month. She anticipated all the lights, using LED technology, would be operating by February.
— Chacon said the city’s visitors guides have been updated, but it ran into a problem with program compatibility with its printer.
Other printers have offered to print them between a cost of $5,000 and $10,000. Chacon said she still was exploring options.
— Chacon said she was working on adding a three-day ranch rodeo to the city’s events calendar, possibly the last week in April.
She said she also would seek to organize another Cinco de Mayo celebration because the last one was successful.
She said she would recommend the board request funding applications by March 15, with the board deciding on them in its April meeting.
— Bednorz noted the board is several years overdue for a regular audit of at least one motel that contributes lodgers tax funds.
The city’s current auditing firm would do it for $12,900, and Bednorz questioned the value of that.
“I think that’s a lot of money for an audit,” he said, noting a local certified public accountant might be able to perform it instead.
— Board members noted the Mesalands Dinosaur Museum was due to maintain the dinosaur footprints painted on First Street from Interstate 40 in 2020 that lead to the museum.
The city commission that year approved using $10,400 in lodgers funds to cover the initial cost of the footprints.
Bednorz said the college is in a financial crunch and implied that perhaps the city could assume some maintenance responsibilities.
— The board discussed refurbishing the wooden Tucumcari welcome signs, including swapping one on Highway 104 north of Tucumcari with a badly worn one on Highway 209 south of town. The worn sign would be repaired indoors, then reinstalled on Highway 104 when it’s finished.