Webster County Supervisors set a public hearing date Tuesday for the next step forward in the clockhouse tower and roof restoration project.

The public is invited to give their input at 10 a.m. Dec. 24 as supervisors start to finalize the general obligation loan agreement for the project, whose principal amount will not exceed $6 million.

After hearing from the public on various options available to the county, supervisors proceeded with the project to restore an aging and quickly deteriorating tower — a Fort Dodge icon — with a slightly different look that would maintain the structure’s integrity.

They unanimously approved an option for the project that will cost an estimated $5 million. The option selected includes a partial replacement of the clock tower that will keep the intact pieces of the old green patina sheathing and restore the roof’s skylight.

The other three included taking no action on repairs, removing the clock tower and repairing the skylight for an estimated cost of $2.8 million or replacing the clock tower with a completely new skin at an estimate of $10 million.

The sheathing’s extensive weathering over 117 years contributed to the need for action.

A key part of the restoration will include installation of a plastic membrane to act as a water barrier between the copper and wood, leaving most levels of the tower dry. The top level of the tower is open to the air, so that the bell can ring. The water barrier will be designed so that water can flow back outside, preventing rotting of the wooden structure underneath.