Outagamie County’s Property Committee advanced a proposal to transfer the county’s share of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Fox Cities campus in Menasha to Winnebago County for a $1 in exchange for obtaining the Weis Earth Science Museum’s collection, according to the Neenah News.
The move is part of a broader effort to ensure continued community use of the 43-acre campus after its closure when classes end later this year. In addition to the Weis museum, the campus includes the Barlow Planetarium, Communication Arts Center, University Children’s Center and Community Gardens.
With Outagamie poised to exit co-ownership of the campus, Winnebago County will assume full control and take on all expenses, owning it outright after two years. If the property is sold within two years, net roceeds would be split between the counties.
Outagamie County will take ownership of the Weis collection and donate it to Appleton’s History Museum at the Castle.
Dustin Mack, executive director of the History Museum at the Castle, told the Property Committee that the museum has secured the estimated $233,000 cost to relocate the Weis collection and plans to hire two limited-term employees to facilitate the transition.
Weis museum curator Donald Mikulic told the committee that the Weis museum is an independent institution that receives no government funding and he has a petition to keep the museum where it is with more than 1,000 signatures.
Winnebago County Supervisor Walt Ulbricht shared a nine-page museum merger transition proposal dated March 22 that details the History Museum’s plan to obtain the Weis collection and questioned why the document wasn’t made publicly available or shared with Winnebago County supervisors.
Winnebago supervisors already approved the deal. Winnebago County Executive Gordon Hintz, who assumed office the same day the board voted on the measure, acknowledging he had limitedminvolvement in negotiations.
Hintz said the transfer allows Winnebago to manage the site independently, which will simplify future edevelopment and child care negotiations.
Winnebago County corporation counsel Mary Anne Mueller said 25 families have been told their child care services will end by June 20. While child care staff have been reassigned, Mueller said ongoing operations will depend on further board discussions – conversations that won’t happen until Winnebago assumes full ownership.
The plan now heads to the full Outagamie County Board for a final vote at its May 13 meeting.
