City of Clarion

At the October 20 Clarion City Council Meeting, Greg Polzin, Iowa Specialty Hospitals’ Chief Financial Officer, appeared before the council to ask them to set up a public hearing for the hospital to enter into a loan agreement. Polzin said the hospital hopes to borrow an amount not exceeding $4 million to build a clinic in Webster City. ISH is currently renting space but is planning to expand that operation. The hospital operates as a city enterprise so must seek council approval before entering into debt. The hearing was set for November 17.

                The meeting of the Clarion City Council on Tuesday, September 1 was again short with only one agenda item. The council approved the city street finance report. City Administrator Clint Middleton noted in his written report that he viewed a webinar on state COVID relief funds which can be received for Emergency Response costs that went above the normal budgeted money. Middleton said, because the city did not incur such costs, they will not be pursuing the application.

               Residents on the south side of Clarion might have had to take a detour while driving recently or deal with a short water shutoff. However, according to Clarion Director of Public Works Jon DeVries, that will be a small price to pay for the benefits they will receive when the current Water Main Replacement project is completed.

At the Clarion City Council meeting Tuesday, July 21, the council again weighed increasing the speed limit on 2^nd St SW/Co. K in front of Iowa Specialty Hospital (ISH) Clinic. The proposed ordinance would raise the speed limit from 25 mph to 35 mph starting at the Meadows parking lot heading south. Asst. Police Chief Bret Thompson noted that the average speed in that area is around 38 mph, according to a traffic study he conducted a few months ago.