(Clarinda) -- After multiple residents expressed interest, Clarinda city officials plan to consider the sale of a city-owned parking lot.
Meeting in regular session on Wednesday evening, the Clarinda City Council heard from Trevor Hayden regarding the possibility of purchasing the parking lot located along 17th Street, near the intersection with West Washington Street. Hayden says he would hope to utilize the small lot for a few different purposes.
"It'd be for my apartments and for the parking over there for the public offices that I'm going to have that we're renting out," said Hayden. "Then that's where we would put our trash can out for the tenants so it's off the street and out of the alley."
However, City Manager Gary McClarnon says he has also heard from Jeff Williams about potentially purchasing the lot. Williams purchased the former Page County Engineer's Office building, which is adjacent to the lot, earlier this year. After getting a valuation on the parking lot, McClarnon says the city could then seek proposals for the property.
"Since I've been here, we've never had more than one party interested in something like this," said McClarnon. "But, if (the council) wants to proceed with it, I could put a notice together, publish it in the paper, we can ask for sealed bids, and then go from there."
Councilman Jamie Shore inquired about any other current uses of the public lot. McClarnon says it does get used occasionally by residents during snowstorms as off-street parking. But, he notes, there are a few different public parking lots available if they choose to sell the lot along 17th Street.
"We've got a parking lot actually down by the police station, it's pretty full right now, and then on the other side (of the square) where we sold Seth Hudson a portion of it, we've got that parking there," said McClarnon. "And then actually up here by the Christian church, we have that also available for parking."
Like any other disposal of public property, Clarinda Mayor Craig Hill also noted the council would need to hold a public hearing before finalizing any sale. The council is expected to take formal action on whether to proceed with a potential sale of the lot at its next regular meeting on September 10th.
In other business, the council...
--Approved a request for permission to hold the 14th Annual Cemetery Walk on October 11th and 12th at the Clarinda Cemetery.
--Approved a two-year, 100% tax abatement on a development within the city-wide urban revitalization area at 215 West Nishna Street for JJ Fine Rentals.
--Approved setting new hangar rental fees.
--Approved pay application no. 6 for $50,967.57 to Henningsen Construction for the T-Hangar Project.
--Approved the second reading of an ordinance amendment for the city's fireworks regulations. The amendment reduces the number of days that fireworks can be shot off within city limits around the Independence Day holiday to July 1st through the 3rd from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and until 11 p.m. on July 4th. Under the previous ordinance, residents could shoot off fireworks from June 29th through July 8th.
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