The Wilson Brewer Park Foundation Board used its Tuesday meeting to review its first half year in running the campus of six historic buildings in Webster City.

It also voted unanimously to operate the park on a calendar year, rather than the City of Webster City’s fiscal year.

Chairman Doug Bailey reported a year-end fundraising appeal raised $6,962.50. Some donors asked that their gifts be directed to specific projects, while others were earmarked for the general fund.

Among the most immediate projects are several to restore and upgrade the Illinois Central depot, site of the museum’s major collections. The depot will get essential carpentry work, repainting, and perhaps a start on replacing the platforms that once surrounded it.

Rather than providing a means of boarding passengers, mail and freight shipments, as would have been the case when the building was a working depot, the rebuilt platforms will serve as a deck for viewing and relaxing.

They will also play a key role in making the building more accessible to those with disabilities. At this point, it’s unknown whether full ADA (Americans with Disability Act)-accessibility is feasible, but the planned improvements will go a long way toward that objective.

Donations continue to be made to the museum. Volunteer Darlene Dingman asked for board approval to accept three school textbooks published in 1896, 1911 and 1919. These will augment the growing collection of such material at Harmony Center School. Dingman called another gift, a small collection of telephone directories from Blairsburg and Webster City, dating from the 1920s to the 1950s “valuable material for historical research.”

Tamiann Parrot, the board treasurer, mentioned it was time to renew the park’s membership in the Webster City Area Chamber of Commerce at a cost of $225 per year, but otherwise had little to report.

The park’s operating capital has been established by donations of $50,000 from both the City of Webster City and Hamilton County. The donations will continue for a term of five years to put the park on its financial feet. After that, it is expected to be self-sustaining.

Board Secretary Kolleen Taylor described a number of changes in bylaws that will be required by the change from a fiscal to calendar year.

“It’s a lot of detail,” she said, promising to have more to say at next month’s meeting.

The board discussed the matter of a formal lease of the park property, voting unanimously not to pursue it any further.

Bailey and board member Mark Roberts met with City Manager John Harrenstein Monday on the matter. Harrenstein said the board doesn’t require a lease.

In other work, a logo is being developed for use on the park’s stationery, in all print materials, and on the park’s forthcoming website. The website itself remains under development.

The board has stepped up work to secure grants. Board member Ryan Rupiper said a $5,000 grant from Liqui-Care has been confirmed and will likely be used to modernize restrooms in the depot. He also discussed a grant request to Enhance Hamilton County Foundation for $18,000.

Bailey described the process of securing a grant from Black Hills Energy. The gas utility company requires all grant applications be sent first to NCO Connect, a nonprofit database organization which verifies the nonprofit status of applicants. Wilson Brewer Park has full 501(c)3 nonprofit status, so this is seen as a formality.

Roberts, who is the board’s building manager for the first Hamilton County Courthouse, is looking into details of preserving the stone letters from the second county courthouse near the older building. For many years the stones have been stored near the depot.