At the Clarion City Council meeting on Tuesday, May 17, a public hearing was held for budget amendments. City Administrator Clint Middleton noted that there were increases in the budget in various areas. Budget amendments are common, and the budget must be amended so the city doesn’t overspend.
Middleton noted that the amendments were due to higher operating expenses like insurance plus projects that the city had not planned when the budget was initially approved. These included the early learning center project, work on Aspen Drive and the downtown facade project. Middleton added, “Though funding for these projects will ultimately come from other sources, right now we have to amend the budget to cover initial engineering expenses.” No comments from the public had been received or were made during the meeting. The council approved the amendments.
A resolution for a new utility rebate program was approved. The program offers a $5,000 utility bill rebate for anyone who gets a new water meter and establishes an annual service agreement. According to the resolution, the annual amount rebated cannot exceed $100,000, unless approved by the council. Middleton is still pursuing other housing incentives.
The council signed a resolution approving an International Municipal Cooperation Agreement with Kosovo. This is the sister cityhood agreement that Clarion will be entering into with a city in the southeastern European country. Councilmember Andy Young and Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Superintendent Joe Nelson will be traveling to Kosovo in the next weeks and will take the agreement with them.
In other business, the group talked about the bids for the Aspen Drive project, which is the road being built in the White Fox area. Three bids were received, the lowest from McKiness Excavating, Inc. out of Mason City. The bid was for $885,000, below the engineer’s estimate of $960,000. The bid was deemed responsible by the engineer, and the council noted they were pleased that a bid had actually come in under budget. The awarding of the bid had to be tabled however so the city could acquire an easement to build the road. The council will revisit the matter next month.
