Council finalizes agreement with Historical Society

by Marianne Gasaway

The Clear Lake City Council has approved an agreement with the Clear Lake Historical Society to lease the former Parks and Recreation Department building at 800 1st Ave. S.

The City will lease the building to the group for a period of five years, with the society having the option to renew the lease for another five years.

“In recognition of the society’s mission and its financial means, there shall be no rental payments due or owing by the society to the city under this agreement. The full, complete and satisfactory consideration for this agreement shall be and is the promise of the society to operate and maintain a quality presence in Clear Lake that educates and promotes opportunities for citizens and visitors to learn about Clear Lake’s rich and diverse historical past,” City Administrator Scott Flory told the Council at its Monday, Nov. 19 meeting.

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Historical Society president Beth Ann Schumacher said the organization is grateful for the opportunity to share its collection with the public in such a visible location.

“We’ll take that honor very seriously to keep that building very open to the public and a gateway to our community,” she said.

The lease was approved on a 3-0 vote. Councilman Bennett Smith is the vice president of the Historical Society and did not vote due to a potential conflict of interest.

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