Waterloo approves $163,300 contract to repaint city hall water tower with $15,000 contingency

The Waterloo City Council voted to award a painting and repair contract for the city hall water tower to Industrial Painting for $163,300 and authorized up to $15,000 in contingency funds.

Council members noted the project had been budgeted previously at higher amounts; staff said earlier estimates had ranged around $200,000 and that a past Verizon contract produced $348,000 in related payments to the city. City staff clarified that prorated Verizon payments received earlier had been deposited into the general fund and are not earmarked for the tower work.

Members asked who would monitor the contractor’s work. Staff named Mark Herman as the responsible staff member and said on‑site climbing by city staff was unlikely; monitoring would be performed from the ground (for example, with binoculars) and by coordinated visits. Council discussed service life estimates for the paint, with comments ranging from a 15‑year expected life to notes that the tower had not been painted more than 25 years in the past.

The council discussed paint color and lettering. Staff said the planned color will be white (matching the other tower) and that the same block lettering will be applied; there will be no change to graphics. The contract was presented as the same company that painted a recently completed water tower, and members said they were pleased with that contractor’s prior work.

The contract was approved by roll call following discussion of monitoring and budgetary questions. The council did not attach special stipulations about earmarking prior Verizon receipts for the project; staff indicated those funds had flowed to the general fund.