New street pole banners in works

By Chris Schmaedeke

QCS managing editor

A small sampling of the new street pole banners for Tucumcari were presented at the City Commission meeting on Thursday.

The Chamber of Commerce and the Lodgers’ Tax Board have worked together to produce banners which were on display at City Hall. The banner showed attractions in Tucumcari including the golf course, the historical museum, the airport and lakes near town

“When tourists come through and say there is nothing to do in Tucumcari hopefully they will see the signs and see that there is,” Lodgers’ Tax Board member Tom Even said during Thursday’s meeting.

Even said the next step in the process in getting directional signs put on the banners pointing to where the attraction is. There is not timetable on when the signs will be put up on the street poles.

City commissioners also approved a contract to begin negotiations with Guadalupe County over the price of hauling the trash to the landfill in Tucumcari. Guadalupe County has been asking City Manager Bobbye Rose to move quickly on this matter but the amount of money caused a slowdown.

“The city would like the price to be $35 a ton,” Rose said during the meeting. “Santa Rosa wants to keep it a $27 like it is now.”

The commissioners agreed to keep in at $27 for now but have the contract state that the price will be negotiated in January 2010.

The city commissioners also approved a $2,500 grant for the Tucumcari Police Department to continue working with Team Builders to stop underage drinking. The grant requires the police to conduct a minimum of two compliance check operations at licensed liquor establishments and conduct a minimum of two shoulder tap operations. A shoulder tap operation is where the police will ask a minor to go in to try and buy liquor from an establishment.