Clarion County takes in $20,000 for vehicles, coolers

Clarion County’s unofficial used car lot will soon be empty.

On Tuesday, county commissioners opened bids on 15 vehicles and three coolers that had been stored at a site on Route 322 west of Clarion. The vehicles ranged from a pick-up with a snowplow, several mini-buses and a Ford Crown Victoria that had been used by the county’s sheriff’s department.

The big ticket items were the mini-buses. Two sold for $3,000 each and two others for $2,500 each. The vans were purchased by a group home facility.

The three coolers had been used in the beer distributor building the county purchased earlier this year, and they sold for a total of $900.

In all, the vehicles and coolers brought in an unofficial $20,458.98. It was the first time the county had held a used vehicle auction in about 10 years.

The sealed bids were examined by an attorney and voted on by the board individually.

“It was a very good response,” said Commissioner Ted Tharan. “We are pleased with the result.”

In another matter at Tuesday’s commissioners meeting, the panel voted unanimously to extend the county’s declaration of disaster emergency for the second time.

The county initially adopted the COVID-19 declaration in March, and the current version will be in force until Sept. 15.

The declaration allows the county to “protect the health, safety and welfare of the affected residents of Clarion County.”

The county formed a leadership committee that includes various department heads. The committee will meet as needed in response to the COVID-19 emergency.