Wilson Brewer Park Commission met today, first meeting since March (meetings are normally held monthly); Hamilton County Board of Supervisors proposing to:

Donate an acre of county-owned land adjacent to WBP to City of WC to expand park;

Give City of Webster City first option on land and building at 1900 Superior St. (former William R. Bliss Cancer Center, now leased to State of Iowa);

Pay for cost of restoration of original (1866) Hamilton County Courthouse, now estimated to cost $180,000.

Also: the Dean Bowden family will establish an endowment for WBP in the amount of $1 million and pay for some of the cost for proposed new Hamilton County Heritage Center.

The Bowdens propose that Amish carpenters be employed to build an 80′ by 140′ replica of a barn, circa 1900, on county-donated land. Bowden will pay “for some of the building,” donors would be encouraged to join the family in this effort. A scale model of the proposed barn was presented at meeting.

And, the new building would have offices for a curator, the salary for which would be paid from an endowment; also, there would be meeting rooms, museum galleries and exhibit space. The second floor would be devoted to artifact storage, which is currently not possible in any of the six historic buildings preserved at the park.

The WBP Commission deferred action on both proposals until it can meet to further discuss details, and cost and legal aspects of project.

Webster City City Manager Daniel Ortiz-Hernandez is studying the proposal; he raised initial concerns about ongoing capital and maintenance costs of the park, which must come from city’s general fund.

Look for even more details in tomorrows DFJ.