The Clarion City Council meeting on Tuesday March 3 was dedicated mostly to discussing the budget before the March 24 public budget hearing.
In addition to that discussion, Iowa’s Ride planning committee members Ali Disney and Jordan Marker attended the meeting to discuss the ride and asked the city to consider budgeting money towards it. Disney noted that the biggest expenses will be extra law enforcement and medical personnel. Sanitation is also a higher cost item. The committee said they are not viewing the ride as a huge revenue maker, but rather hope to promote Clarion and interest visitors in coming back in the future.
The committee asked the council to consider budgeting $20,000 towards the ride. City Administrator Clint Middleton said if they go with that amount, $5,000 would come from the city’s tourism account and the other $15,000 from local option sales tax of the general account.
In other business, the council conducted the final reading of water rate ordinance that changes when bills are due if the 15th falls on a holiday or weekend. They adopted the ordinance. Action was taken on a maturing CD, renewing it for ten months at a rate of 2% with First National Bank.
Andy Young noted there has been some preliminary discussion of raising the speed limit on parts of County K on the south side of town. No decision has been made about it at this time however.
