By Pat Maurer
Correspondent
Clare is growing again. Thanks to the generosity a couple of years ago from Steve Letherer of Letherer Truss.
At Monday’s meeting the City Commissioners voted to approve a Purchase and Sales Agreement with Scannell Properties, a real estate developer in Indianapolis, Indiana, who is interested in “potentially purchasing and developing 15.5 acres of land in the newly created Industrial Park #3 at the south end of the City.
Scannell Properties is a privately owned, international commercial real estate development firm specializing in build-to-suit and speculative projects for the industrial, office, and multifamily markets.
The Commission’s approval of the agreement will allow Scannell to work with the Industrial Development Corporation to “complete the developer’s due diligence for the project and, then if everything lines up,” City Manager Jeremy Howard said, “they will purchase the land and begin the development process with the City, including Planning Commission site plan approval.”
In 2022, after the last available lot in the North Industrial Park was sold, the Clare Industrial Development Corporation , working with the Environmental Development Administration, Mid-Michigan Development Corporation and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, developed an option to expand Clare’s industrial base by developing a new 3rd industrial park. City Manager Jeremy Howard reported the possibility to the City Commission.” He said that “state and possibly federal dollars might be available to enable the IDC and the City to create an industrial park,” but that “those funds are not available for the purchase of land.”
The City was able to purchase the property, which was priced at $1,060,000, through the generosity of Clare Businessman and Clare IDC member Steve Letherer, who came to the board in the summer of 2022 and proposed to “front” the funds for the purchase, buy the property and deed the 80 acres to the City at closing, with the stipulation that as the new park’s lots are sold “the funds would be used to pay Steve and the Letherer family back over the timeframe that it takes to sell all of the lots.”
Clare’s new Industrial Park #3 consists of the former Russell property, 80 acres which adjoins the 15 landlocked acres the City owns, a total of 95 acres that can be developed.
The purchase price for the 15.5 acres in the park is $25,000 per acre for a total of $387,500, the agenda report said. “Under the terms of the contract between the City of Clare and the Clare IDC, the proceeds of the sale will be relinquished to the IDC, who will use the funds for future industrial development within the City and will use some or all of the funds to begin to extinguish the 0% interest loan that Steve Letherer graciously gave the city to purchase the IP#3 property. If the development occurs, it would likely result in substantial job creation and a significant increase to the City’s tax base, Howard wrote in the agenda report.
In another matter, the City recognized Police Captain John Lake for serving the residents of the City faithfully, honorably and courageously for the past ten years as a member of the Clare Police Department.
City Manager Jeremy Howard’s report included an update on the Lake Shamrock Dredging and Dam Project, which he said is now continuing on a limited and weather permitting basis.
He said reminded the Commission of the Meeting schedules for 2025, saying the first meeting will be January 6th. He said City Hall will be closed on December 24 and 25 for Christmas and on Wednesday January 1st for New Years.
The Commission also heard an audit presentation on the audit of fiscal year 2023 and 24 by Andrews, Hooper & Pavlik of Midland. The firm found “no instances of noncompliance or other matters that are required to be reported under Government Audition Standards. The audit did find some expenditures which were in excess of the amounts appropriated.
Under Corrective Action, the City will strengthen internal controls of financial reporting with the Treasurer reviewing accounting records monthly. In addition, the City will review the day-today procedures to ensure activity is recorded correctly.
The Commission approved the audit findings.
Other business at the City meeting Monday included:
*Approval of the 2025 Poverty Exemption Policy and Guidelines;
*An annual Review of the City Commission By-Laws for 2025;
*Reports from the Treasurer and Department heads;
*Approval of bills totaling $73,930.36.
