The Clarion City Council meeting on Tuesday, January 21 saw the group holding two different public hearings. The purpose of one hearing was to provide the public information concerning the progress, scope, budget and status of the city’s well development project.
The hearing announcements explained: “The project is funded in part by Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and DNR/SRF Funds. The City was awarded a 2019 CDBG for $399,000. To date, $133,356 of the CDBG allocation has been expended. There is a local obligation of $379,000 committed towards project costs. To date, $126,700 has been expended.” Also noted, “The need for the proposed Well Development Project is due to the need to ensure that the City has an adequate supply of raw water for residents. The City has currently two wells developed in 1905 (Well No. 1) and 1958 (Well No. 3). Well No. 1 has exceeded its useful life and is scheduled to be abandoned. Current demands for water within the City require that a new well be drilled to ensure that the City has an adequate supply of water to serve its residents. The project will result in a citywide benefit.”
The other public hearing was to sell vacant property owned by the City to John R. Hagie. This pertained to property that had been inadvertently left out of a previous similar sale last year. The city eventually approved and authorized the sale.
In two agenda items pertaining to the airport, the council passed a pay request of $44,612 for Wicks Construction for work already completed. They also passed an agreement with DGR Engineering for professional services to rehabilitate the runway, particularly the lighting.
The Clarion Pride and Good Neighbor Association also appeared on the agenda. Group member Denny Bowman shared some of the organization’s goals for this year. Bowman noted that their clean-up day is planned for May 8 and 9. They also are pursuing plans to better share city ordinances and help people clean up their property who may be in violation of ordinances. Clarion Pride hopes to organize the purchase of new picnic tables for some city parks and plant new trees along main thoroughfares.
In individual reports, the Director of Public Works and the Ordinance Enforcement Officer reminded people they need to remove snow, ice and accumulation from their sidewalks within 48 hours of snow falling or the city may do so and bill the property owner. Also, it is illegal to throw, push, or place any ice or snow from private property, sidewalks, or driveways onto the street or alley.
