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They voted to give Tom McMahon until June 1, 2008 to finish selling bricks for the antique clock project and complete the landscaping.

In mid-May the Physical & Economic Development Committee agreed to tell McMahon he is not in charge of the clock that it is on courthouse grounds and he is not to sell any more bricks.

McMahon spearheaded the original clock project, which placed a giant antique-style clock in a parking lot in downtown Sandusky. However, last year the clock was damaged beyond repair in an auto accident, McMahon suggested the new clock be located at the courthouse where more people could see it and the city council relinquished it authority.

The clock arrived shortly before the June Sandusky Thumb Festival and the cement had to go in. McMahon is still selling bricks to raise money for landscaping and complained he was not consulted on the placement of the bricks among other things.

"This is my district. We need to put the project in the hands of Mr. McMahon, it has been his project for years and he had the same arrangement with the city," said Commissioner Norton Schramm. "We are going to have continual conflict over the whole situation."

"I am disturbed that what started out as a very positive cooperative effort by the City of Sandusky and Sanilac County, has taken on negative connotations," Schramm read from his letter to his fellow commissioners.

"As I understand it, the only reason the county wanted to have some control over the project, was to make sure all regulations and grounds requirements were met. We would still expect Mr. McMahon to check with county officials on the location of certain parts of the project to ensure there is no conflict with underground infrastructure" he added.

"There needs to be some kind of written agreement...We can't just let somebody fly loose with it," stated Commissioner Judy Vincent."

"We need some boundaries where the money will be held," noted Finance Chairman James Ruby.

"I agree with Nort, I'd like to get it done...(but) I do not see giving him a free hand. We need an end date, he could plant flowers for the next 20 years" added Commissioner William Walters.

"We need to sit down with him and that has not been done. He was told Mr. Kelke (building and grounds supervisor) was in charge," said Schramm.

"I had to make the call," said Board Chairman John Merriman.

"I wanted to sit down and the next thing I heard was the footings were poured. Did it get out of sequence, absolutely...It could be never ending if we do this. He has already come to move bricks," Merriman added.

"I called him and told him John Males (county administrator) and Steve Kelke were going to coordinate it. If I lead him on, I'm the guy to blame. Why Steve Kelke, because we hired him to coordinate the building and grounds and we can't allow any citizen to come on the grounds and call the shots," Merriman explained.

"It needs to have an ending date. My fear is he will get commitments and people want to do it, but he will not have the money to do it," Vincent added.

"All I ask is that he get some input... I do not agree with the deadline, but I'm in favor (of allowing McMahon some say in the rest of the project)," said Schramm.