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Clinton City hears costly options to restore 92-year-old Lover’s Fountain; staff to return with funding alternatives
Summary
Parks and public works briefed council on mechanical, electrical and structural failures at the 92-year-old Lover’s Fountain; staff said full rebuild bids are high (pump ~ $375,000, total project ~ $1.1M) and recommended exploring phased repairs, grants or nonprofit partnerships.
City staff told the Committee of the Whole that restoring the historic Lover’s Fountain will be expensive and will likely require outside funding or community partnership.
Parks Director Josh Yeager and Public Works Director Brian Lemke said prior work assumptions are out of date: a previous bidder, Fountain Technologies, went out of business, and Klingner Associates was the sole bidder on the latest solicitation. Lemke said the fountain’s piping, controls and electrical equipment are deteriorated and currently expose controls to moisture; the system’s original in-fountain controls and pumps are reaching the end of service life.
Staff cited a short-term pump/tank cost estimate in the neighborhood of $375,000 and described full-rebuild numbers that approached roughly $1.1 million. Lemke said some work (sidewalk/concrete) can be completed in-house to lower contractor costs, and staff will investigate targeted short-term repairs that could restore partial function while the council weighs placing the project on a future capital improvement plan (CIP).
Resident Robert Betson addressed the council to stress the fountain’s historical value and offered volunteer support and a missing finial part. Council members and staff discussed whether to replicate the original appearance or preserve as much original material as practical; staff noted the labor required to salvage and reuse old concrete could outweigh savings.
Councilors suggested several interim options — temporarily turning off continuous operation, installing timers, replacing nozzles, or using decorative lighting to maintain public interest if the fountain is offline — and asked staff to solicit additional cost quotes from local contractors and specialty nozzle vendors. Staff said they will return with a range of options, cost estimates and possible funding approaches (grants, nonprofit partnerships or future CIP submission).
No formal action was taken; the council requested follow-up information and potential short-term fixes for staff evaluation.
