Chamber seeks Route 66 centennial monument; commission discusses city property locations and electricity costs

A representative of the Tucumcari Chamber of Commerce presented a request to include a Route 66 Centennial monument in the city’s grant application and asked for permission to place the piece on city property if the community is awarded funding.

Christine (Chamber representative) told the commission the monuments are part of a Route 66 centennial program coordinated with the state tourism department and a private manufacturer. She said the monument production and installation cost is $35,000 and she had included $5,000 in the grant application to cover electricity to the site. "The cost of the sign is worth $35,000, and that's production and installation," she said.

Commissioners and staff discussed several potential city-property locations: near the Chamber office and mural (serviceable for traveler visibility and existing visitor information materials), the Commission Center (adjacent to an existing Route 66 monument and DAR/America 250 signage) and Wells Park (noting uncertain electrical access). Staff and the Chamber noted the grant submission deadline had been extended to the next Monday at 11:59 p.m.; the Chamber said the manufacturer typically coordinates installation of multiple monuments at once and that timeline for installation will depend on manufacturing schedules.

The commission did not take a formal vote on site selection at the meeting but advised staff and the Chamber to explore locations with attention to electricity access (the Chamber said it budgeted $5,000 for electrical work) and to return with a recommended city location if the grant is awarded. The Chamber said the grant has no local match requirement and that local groups sometimes sponsor or fund monuments in other communities.

Commissioners encouraged the Chamber to examine access, parking and visibility for tourists and to coordinate with staff on required utility and site-preparation work if the project advances.