City, Hamblin Co. close on sale of three properties

The real estate closing on three North Evans Street properties from The Hamblin Company, which Tecumseh City Council approved to purchase last month, took place on September 2. As part of the agreement, the Tecumseh Downtown Development Authority (DDA) will pay 50 percent of the purchase price. The balance will be loaned to the DDA by the city. In order to cover 50 percent of the purchase price, Tecumseh City Council approved Monday night a DDA budget amendment. All members of council were present. The Property Acquisition and Development Reserve fund was amended from $0 to $126,719 to cover the properties’ purchase. The amount covers the $115,000 for the property plus $11,719 for the due diligence and closing costs associated with the purchase. The DDA funds will come from the DDA's fund balance.The three properties are 213 N. Evans St., 101. E. Logan St. and 100 N. Evans St.In other news:Council voted 6-1, with councilmember Gary Naugle dissenting, to proceed with bidding out the farming agreement for the Tecumseh Business and Technology Park on M-50. The current agreement with Doug Wilkins is set to expire on December 31. A second party had approached the city with interest in farming the property. “I’d like to see him [Wilkins] keep it,” said Naugle. Councilmember Laurence Van Alstine Jr. said in the issue of fairness, the farming agreement should be opened for bids. Tuckey said one downside to opening the agreement to bids is the city could receive less income than it has been previously. In other business, council: • Reappointed Jan Fox, Bob Fox and Kyle DeWitt to the Downtown Development Authority Board with all three terms ending in August 2019• Accepted Richard John-son's resignation from the Adrian/Tecumseh SmartZone Local Finance Development Authority and the City of Tecumseh Economic Development Committee. • Approved the closure of North Pearl Street for the Appleumpkin Festival • Was informed well No. 8 has developed a hole in the casing and was pumping sand. Peerless Midwest is assessing the well and the city is waiting on its assessment • Approved the property division of 406 W. Chicago Blvd. to combine it with another property during the consent agenda• Updated the city's Title VI Non-Discrimination Plan to remove former Tecumseh City Manager Kevin Welch as the Title VI Coordinator and designate the Acting City Manager Joe Tuckey as the new Coordinator along with updating the Mayor from Richard Johnson to Jack Baker