Matt Meyer receives the badge of a City of Webster City police officer from his son, Cade, as one of two new police officers installed at Monday night's City Council meeting. Meyer's experience includes city police and school resource officer in Fort Dodge and, recently, as a deputy in Greene County.

Lexie Lane, right, pinned the badge on Mateo Martinez, officially welcoming him as a new City of Webster City police officer. With Martinez’s hiring, the force is again fully-staffed.

Today, the park is home to an upgraded skate park, all-new playground, new outdoor exercise equipment, pickle ball court, soccer mini-pitch, improved basketball courts, a small shelter and an enormously popular splash pad.

In what may be the final piece in park’s transformation, the City Council of Webster City voted Monday to spend $189,612 to buy a prefabricated, ADA-compliant, 20-foot by 36-foot restroom “kit” from ABCreative, De Soto, Kansas. The kit will be erected by city staff and volunteers in much the way as the new shelter in West Twin Park.

Site preparation, concrete work and roughed-in plumbing are expected to cost $67,612. Electrical materials will add a further $5,000 to the project cost.

The park’s present restrooms, built between 1950 and 1952, are not ADA-compliant.

Funding will come from several sources, including: $65,000 allocation in the fiscal year 2025-26 capital improvement plan; $27,000 from the Hotel-Motel fund; $12,885.51 from the East Twin Park fund; $9,100 from the Enhance Hamilton County general park fund; $42,710 redirected from an outdoor pool study; and $25,000 from the Cemetery Asphalt Roads fund.

In other action, the council:

— Passed a second reading of a revised off-street parking requirements ordinance. This requires the use of Portland cement concrete (PCC) for most off-road parking spaces, lots and driveway entrances.

— Passed a second reading of an ordinance amending Chapter 42, article VII, concerning Rules for Access to City Streets. The ordinance deals with driveways, specifically defining what they are, what a driveway extension is, their proscribed width, and maintenance requirements.

— Voted not to exercise its first right-of-refusal in buying the former Bliss Cancer Center and adjacent 1.75 acres of land, once part of a gift of the Bonebright family to the city, but sold in the 1950s for commercial use. Hamilton County owns the building and land and may now proceed to selling it on the commercial market. City Manager John Harrenstein explained the city had no interest in acquiring either the land or building.

— Agreed to acquire an abandoned, derelict home at 914 John Street, Webster City. As in previous cases, utilities have not been provided to the home for months, and the city has pursued acquisition of the property in court. If the city is unable to sell the property, it is expected to be demolished.

City development director Ariel Bertran confirmed proceedings are underway that will see the city acquire six other, similarly abandoned and derelict properties across the city.

— Will again provide matching funds to the Heart of Iowa Regional Housing Trust Fund, an organization assisting owners of single-family homes who are deemed to be earning low or moderate incomes, and who seek to make necessary repairs to their homes, including electrical, plumbing, roof repair or replacement, energy-efficiency improvements, or handicap accessibility. The city has supported the trust fund since it was founded in 2018. Those interested in applying for funding should enquire at City Hall.

Three projects have been completed in Hamilton County this year — two in Webster City — using Heart of Iowa funding. There are currently applications for additional projects that might be completed before years’ end.