Clovis to put new public pool on November ballot; city staff say $4.1M parks grant application submitted

Clovis city staff announced a joint county-city plan to place a ballot question this November to fund a new public swimming pool at Hillcrest Park and said the city has applied for a $4,100,000 Recreation and Quality of Life grant from the state of New Mexico to repair playgrounds, sports lights and irrigation systems.

City staff member Mr. Howalt, speaking during the meeting's "good of the order" segment, said the first phase of the project would add a new public pool north of the current aquatic center while keeping the existing pool and converting it to a therapy pool. "This is the request that we got," Howalt said, adding that the pool was the largest request in two public surveys.

Why it matters: The ballot measure would raise a portion of the city's gross receipts tax to help build and maintain the new facility; Howalt said the city portion of the tax would amount to about 25 cents on a $100 purchase. If approved, the project would expand aquatic access for seniors, families and youth and create indoor space planned for a second phase with multiuse courts for basketball, volleyball and pickleball.

According to Howalt, the county and city voted unanimously in favor of the site's first phase and selected Hillcrest Park so the city would not need to acquire land. "It's gonna be located at Hillcrest Park. It's gonna be adjoined to the current aquatic center, and it's gonna go to the North," Howalt said. He added the adjacency would allow senior-center patrons to walk directly to the new facility.

Howalt also said the city applied to the New Mexico Recreation and Quality of Life program for $4,100,000. The grant request, he said, would fund replacement of playground equipment at Sunset Park, Veterans Park and Pat Sandoval Park; replacement of field lights at Dean Field, Greenacres Field, Guy Leader, Potter Park, Dickinson Field and Highland Field; and replacement of the front nine irrigation system at Colonial Park. "If we are awarded the funds, we have until the June to expend them," Howalt said; the meeting transcript did not specify which year that June refers to.

Howalt encouraged residents to review renderings and to attend public forums planned by the city and county. He also described two possible ballot options for the gross receipts tax to build the facility and said the citys portion of the tax would cover ongoing maintenance.

A commissioner in the meeting asked where the new pool would be located; Howalt answered that it would be attached to the existing aquatic center at Hillcrest Park. The transcript records no formal vote or final decision on placing the measure on the ballot during this meeting.

The meeting also included brief remarks about zoo operations and seasonal events; those remarks focused on internal performance and scheduling and did not include formal actions.

Next steps: The city will hold public forums and publish additional materials about the proposed pool and tax options ahead of the November ballot. The transcript does not specify ballot language, the exact gross-receipts-tax rate options, the year by which grant funds must be expended, or any formal motions taken at this meeting to finalize the ballot measure.