by Amanda Rink, Editor
 September 2, 2025 – The Clarion City Council met in regular session last Tuesday, with Mayor Rod Heiden leading the meeting. All council members, Dave Flurer, Dan Hennigar, Nick McOllough, Mike Ennis, and Elmarie Nel, were present along with City Administrator Clint Middleton, City Attorney Zach Chizek, and Public Works Director Jon DeVries. Many from Clarion’s Volunteer Fire Department were present as well.
The majority of the meeting was spent on a wide-ranging discussion about Clarion’s future capital projects and how to pay for them, mainly a new fire station.
City Administrator Clint Middleton confirmed the city’s debt capacity remains at about $6 million, but warned against using it all at once. He shared that the city needs to keep some debt capacity open in case another project pops up that needs to be paid for.
Council members explored the legal and financial complexities of large infrastructure projects, taking time to explain to those in attendance and even answer questions for clarity.
Middleton noted that equipment purchases, such as a fire truck or ambulance, are treated differently from construction projects. Building projects, like a new fire station, could be challenged through a petition and forced to a public vote, which could stall or stop the project entirely, like the swimming pool project in neighboring Belmond.
Council member Nick McOllough urged caution before committing to large expenses. He said he wants the finance committee to study how each million dollars borrowed would affect both Tax increment financing (TIF) revenues and the general fund.
The council also heard that Clarion receives about $300,000 annually in state sales tax revenue, divided into three allocations, which would not necessarily be reliable to use paying back a project like a new fire station. Mayor Heiden floated the idea of a community fundraiser to help cover costs, though Council member Dan Hennigar expressed concern that potential donors had already contributed heavily to other private projects in town, leaving limited capacity for new giving.
Middleton added that the city should also consider renovating an existing building for the fire station rather than constructing a new one from scratch, suggesting that a construction manager at risk (CMAR)** approach might make remodeling more affordable.
The financial committee will continue to gather information before the council decides how much debt it can use for a new fire station.
In Other Business:
– Council member Dan Hennigar reminded the public that there will be an open house at the CDA spec building this Thursday.
– The council approved a payment of $24,700 to Peterson Construction for continued work on the city’s water treatment plant project.
– Council also voted to renew the Perpetual Care CD with First Citizens Bank for 12 months at a 4.15% interest rate.
The council will meet again on September 16 at 5:00 P.M. in the council chambers.
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* Tax increment financing (TIF) is a public financing method that is used as a subsidy for redevelopment, infrastructure, and other community-improvement projects in the United States.
** A Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) is a project delivery method in which the owner hires a construction manager early in the process to assist with planning, budgeting, and design. The construction manager then acts as the general contractor during construction and agrees to complete the project for a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP), assuming the financial risk if costs exceed that amount.
