At the Clarion City Council meeting on Tuesday May 25, a public hearing was held for various amendments to the 2021 fiscal year budget. City Administrator Clint Middleton highlighted some of the amendments including additional engineering service fees for the design of the water plant and removing the building on Central Avenue. He noted that these amount to around $50,000 in extra expenditures. Councilmember Andy Young added that these additions will not affect taxes and said they are basically equivalent to drawing down of the city checking account. The resolution for the amendments passed.
A few additional resolutions were also passed. One was for a $12,464 pay request for Gilman Services related to the housing revitalization project. Another set a hearing to review the loan application for the upcoming water treatment facility. Finally, a resolution passed for support of a workforce housing tax credit that is being applied for by White Fox Property Management. This will allow the city to provide some matching funds for upcoming development projects.
The council passed the first reading of an ordinance amending zoning regulations. This ordinance governs the central commercial district, essentially Main Street buildings. It aims to keep the historic character of buildings and mentions things like exterior paint. The second reading of the ordinance will take place at the next meeting.
Middleton discussed several ideas that were generated during a recent meeting with Susanne Gerlach from PFM Financial Advisors. He said they talked about different options for using TIF money for incentive programs for developers, particularly those who wish to develop multi-family housing. Gerlach is researching the possibilities. There was also discussion of constructing roads in and around the White Fox Landing area, again with the goal of adding housing to town.
Middleton also talked about the possibility of adding a building for the rec department sometime in the future. He noted that it became apparent over the last year that the city cannot just rely on using school facilities for city rec. The rec department would also like to be able to provide more afterschool activities year-round rather than having to wait for school practices to end. The council agreed that something is needed but said they would like to discuss it more and seek public input before any decisions are made.
