Council okays Lighthouse contract changes

PORT CLINTON - The Port Clinton City Council unanimously voted on Tuesday to accept changes to the contract language between the city and the Port Clinton Lighthouse Conservancy to place the 119-year old wooden pier light on the shore of Lake Erie next year.

During its regularly scheduled meetingCentury-old Tuesday evening, Parks and Recreation committee member and councilwoman-at-large Lisa Sarty informed council that Darrell Brand's attorney had made changes and additions to the contract already approved by council earlier in the year.

Darrell Brand currently owns the lighthouse, which is sitting on the Brand Marina (formerly Jeremy's) at the west end of Perry where it has been since it was removed from the shoreline in 1952.

Over the last several years, the Port Clinton Lighthouse Conservancy worked to restore the century-old structure top to bottom, investing more than $30,000 into it. Brand agree to sign ownership of the light over to the conservancy if the city agreed to have it placed along the shoreline.

After consulting with the city's law director George Wilber, Councilwoman Sarty said the changes to the contract were okay and it was recommended they could proceed and it could be approved by council again.

All seven voting members of council approved the motion, and it was accepted.

"I'm relieved," Port Clinton Lighthouse Conservancy president Rich Norgard said. "I'm pleased the changes were approved."

According to Norgard, the city must now request a sub-lease from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Office of Coastal Management, which could be approved in about 45 days or shorter.

After that, the conservancy will take over ownership of the Lighthouse from Brand and then the city and the conservancy will sign the agreement.

"We're hopeful to break ground and start the foundation work before the ground freezes," Norgard said.

In order to move the 25-foot structure, it will be loaded onto a barge and floated down the Portage River before it's placed at its new home north of Derby Pond and along the shores of Lake Erie.

Norgard said they estimate a placement of late-May to early-June, just in time for the light's 120th birthday in July 2016.

jdenton@gannett.com

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Twitter: @jessicadentonNH