FORT MADISON – The changes at the Old Fort just keep coming.
On Wednesday prior to an 8 a.m. staff meeting, Dr. Eugene Watkins, director of the Old Fort in Fort Madison handed in his resignation to City Parks Director Mark Bousselot.
The resignation comes in the middle of heavy renovations at the Old Fort, which included the demolition of several buildings and other roof and chinking repairs.
In January, city officials moved toward demolishing the replica of the military outpost erected about three decades ago in Riverview Park.
A public outcry derailed those plans as Mayor Matt Mohrfeld and the Fort Madison City Council made a right turn to save the Old Fort contingent upon volunteer work and resources coming to bear.
Fort Madison Building Director Doug Krogmeier and Fire Chief Joey Herren had closed the facility until improvements were made to guarantee the safety of visitors.
When the decision was made to close the Old Fort pending repairs, an announcement was made on the Old Fort Facebook page indicating the city was closing the Old Fort and was going to tear it down.
The Facebook is page is not controlled by the city, so the message came from Old Fort operations. When news of the Old Fort’s future was released, city officials including former City Manager David Varley said initially there was miscommunication in that information, however the city confirmed those plans later that day.
A January City Council meeting turned into a Save the Old Fort event and the city changed direction.
Watkins handed in his keys to Bousselot Wednesday but Bousselot said the letter didn’t indicate why he was leaving. Watkins’ son, a seasonal employee at the Fort also resigned. Bousselot said the letter didn’t even indicate when Watkins was leaving.
Bousselot and Mohrfeld both indicated current plans with the Fort will continue as they are, but long-term plans are now up in the air.
“We had a meeting yesterday and obviously we’re going to do the best we can with what we have,” Bousselot said. “We’re going to continue. We just have to figure out what that looks like.
A Support the Old Fort night is still being held at Central Park starting at 6 p.m. Sunday.
Mohrfeld said he was surprised by the resignation in light of the city’s recent effort to save the Fort.
“In this particular case, Mark was trying to refocus some support for the Fort. We put it under the purview of Parks after David (Varley) left.”
Mohrfeld said prior to putting the Old Fort under the Park Department, Watkins really didn't have a direct supervisor.
“Eugene didn’t have a boss so to speak, so the only thing that made sense in the system was to put in the parks and public works. That was the right move,” Mohrfeld said. “I didn’t get any adversarial feedback from (Watkins).”
Mohrfeld said the city will stick to regular operational hours for the next two weeks while they look for an interpreter for the rest of the summer.
“Operationally, we’re going to extend city staff in for the rest of the summer to keep the process moving forward. From there, we'll have to look at what the next step is for us.
Volunteers at the Fort including Joe Thurman, who used to be the Old Fort Board of Directors Chairman took to Facebook after Watkins' resignation
“Replacing Eugene isn’t something that will happen anytime soon. This seals the fate of the Fort,” Thurman wrote on the Old Fort Facebook page. “This city doesn’t have a clue what they are losing. Good luck to Eugene in his next adventure.”
The city is looking ahead to June 24 when the first American Cruise Line is expected to dock in the city and unload passengers, many of whom visit the Old Fort replica as part of their tour packages.
“I don’t know what tomorrow’s gonna bring yet,” Bousselot said. “Our goal is to do what we can. I’ve changed my plans to be at that city concert. We’re going to continue and we just have to figure out what that looks like.”
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