Clarion City Admin seeks to clarify lifting of emergency proclamation

             Last Thursday, when the City of Clarion posted Proclamation 2020-3 on their website and Facebook page, it caused a bit of a stir. This proclamation signed by Mayor Duane Asbe referred to previous proclamations that were signed at the begin of April and May and at the end stated the new proclamation “hereby terminat[ed] both previously executed Proclamations of Emergency.”

            Shortly after, the social media comments began to roll in. People were confused what this new proclamation was saying, with several asking, “So what does this mean?” Many assumed that it meant that the city was declaring that the COVID-19 situation is no longer an emergency. In the backdrop of this, the county was still seeing rising cases and news was circulating that the Centers for Disease Control had declared Wright County an “area of concern.” Residents were understandably concerned.

            On Friday, Clarion City Administrator Clint Middleton sought to clarify the meaning of the proclamation in the context of the previous two proclamations. He said, “I feel people just look at the titles and see that the ‘EMERGENCY Proclamation’ is being lifted which means we do not feel there is an emergency anymore. That is not the case.” Instead, Middleton noted that the previous proclamation mandated things like holding electronic council meetings, setting a curfew for minors, discouraged gatherings of more than 10 people, and suspended city rec programs and closed playgrounds.

            Now, Middleton explained, some of those activities have been allowed by the governor, such as gatherings, rec programs and use of playgrounds. He said, “the Governor has changed those things, so they needed to be lifted in Clarion as well.” Middleton added that the curfew had been in place due to some vandalism that is no longer a problem. Council meetings are now being held in person so the electronic meeting stipulation was also no longer valid.

             Middleton still advised that Clarion residents should be cautious. “Never has the Governor stated that you shouldn’t practice social distancing,” he stressed. “Nor that people with conditions that would make them more at risk should be going out in public. That has never changed anywhere in Iowa. Clarion is no different.”

            Mayor Asbe said something similar. “We are really following the governor’s protocol on this one. We do of course still urge caution.” City councilmember Jim Williams, added, “We want our residents to be safe, but we also want them to be able to live. It will take a long time to get back to what was normal, and even then, things will likely be different. A cautious approach to opening restrictions is necessary for our economy, our lives and our mental health.”