By GUY PRIEL
Journal Staff Writer
NEW ULM -- A proposal to construct a combined sign and fountain at the water treatment plant became a matter of debate among members of the Public Utilities Commission during a meeting Tuesday.
Commissioners approved adding $25,000 to the PUC 2000 budget to construct a fountain at the plant, which is located in the 300 block of North German Street. The 1999 budget included $5,000 for a sign for the facility, bringing the project to $30,000.
The vote was 3-1, with Commissioner James Hogen voting no.
"I remember mention being made during the budget process last year that we were setting aside funding for a sign," Commissioner William O'Connor said. Despite his reservations, he voted for the project. "I would like to know how that proposal developed into this elaborate fountain."
The current sign was taken from the old water treatment building and relocated when the new building was constructed, City Manager Richard Salvati said.
"A fountain is not a good investment," Hogen said. "It has to be shut down for six months of the year and employees have to keep algae and things out of it. It is a high maintenance effort."
A sign is something important to have on the building so people can identify its purpose, but a fountain is not a necessary expense for the city, Hogen said.
"The building sits on dedicated park land," Salvati said. "I hope everyone realizes that. The building is part of the master plan for German Park and a fountain would be in line with the location of the building."
Fountains are pleasant to look at and can provide a lasting contribution to the area where they are constructed, especially when they are placed in a high visibility area such as the location of the water treatment building, Commissioner Tom Hendel said.
"The park could be beautiful if it is designed as it was originally planned," said City Councilor Denis Warta, speaking as treasurer of the Friends of German Park.
For the city to invest in a project of this type would help businesses draw potential employees and help officials draw potential businesses to New Ulm, Warta said.
"Many people think this is a hick town," he said. "I don't think it is. We need amenities, and this would be beautiful proof that we as a city appreciate our resources."
Adding a fountain will make New Ulm the envy of other communities because of the park's design and because it is a part of public utilities and the plant, Warta said.
"This might give us an unknown source of revenue, because it will be a draw for the community," Warta said.
Barton-Aschman Associates of Minneapolis, the designer of improvements to German Park and the new baseball field, were selected to design a fountain/sign combination.
Three designs were submitted that are built into the existing hill, playing off existing construction materials.
Each of the three designs features a fountain surrounded by turf, incorporation of the salvaged filter plant sign, a concrete plaza adjacent to the sidewalk and inset pavers.
The commissioners voted to leave the final design choice up to Salvati.
During the meeting, the commission also discussed an unlawful discharge that was discovered July 15 at the 20th Street Lift Station at the Waste Water Treatment Plant.
After a fail alarm sounded, plant personnel arrived at the scene and discovered a large amount of grease-like material plugging the bar screens and the six-foot long channels prior to the bar screens.
The quantity of material was sufficient enough to back up the incoming flow to the lift station. It took 12 hours to clean up at a cost in excess of $2,700.
"The material has been analyzed to determine the source," Public Utilities Commission Director Robert Stevenson said. "We determined that the substance was one half animal fat. We have not been able to determine what the other half is."
There is a lot at stake in regards to health problems and environmental concerns, as well as possible code violations if anything gets into the river, Stevenson said.
"We are not ready to make accusations at this time, and there was no adverse affect to the waste treatment plant," he said. "We are still waiting for the lab analysis to be complete before we take any action." 2Ǿ¹ÿÿûöýĿƾ½ŶöǻȾ¿ûýſĿ½û¾ð 2tR 2 styl `