Council approves $15,000 from Vision Iowa fund for July 4 festival

The Committee of the Whole voted unanimously to allocate $15,000 from Fund 488 (Vision Iowa) to support Clinton's Fourth of July Festival.

Dave Hellstrom, vice chair and treasurer of the Clinton Fourth of July Festival, gave a rundown of the single-day program: a new 4K run/walk starting near the ballpark at 8 a.m., wiffle ball and volleyball tournaments, food trucks around 11 a.m., a 1 p.m. parade, afternoon music in the bandstand and fireworks following a 6:30 p.m. ballgame, weather permitting. Hellstrom estimated past attendance in the 5,000to7,000 range and stressed reliance on volunteers and city departments for safety and operations.

"You can't do the Fourth of July without fireworks," Hellstrom said, noting the committee expects higher fireworks costs because about "90% of the fireworks are manufactured in China and imported," increasing exposure to tariffs and higher transport fees.

Council members asked about previous city support and volunteered hours from the police and fire departments; one member noted a $6,000 city contribution the prior year and that city personnel time is not charged to the event. Councilmember Kearns urged that future requests follow the finance committee's process so the committee can evaluate available balances and fundraising efforts before committee approval.

After discussion about budget needs and revenue prospects for new activities such as the 4K run, a motion to fund the festival passed on a roll-call vote with all members present voting yes. Organizers said they will follow the finance committee's process for future requests and that the festival will remain a single-day event celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary.

The allocation comes with no changes to the event's policy on alcohol sales; organizers said no alcohol is sold on festival grounds.