MAPLETON – Council here will reconsider the colour of a new water tower currently under construction in Drayton.
In April of 2021, council directed the tower be painted following the colour scheme of the township’s logo. A survey of local residents indicated the most favoured proposed design used the red/orange colour from the Mapleton logo on the underside of the top of the tower.
However, during an update on construction progress at the Jan. 11 council meeting, public works director Sam Mattina noted the project consultant has advised the selected colours “are not the best colours to consider because historically those colours, after time, give the inference of a rust formation.”
Mattina asked council to allow staff reconsider the colour scheme and “work out something more palatable.”
Mayor Gregg Davidson explained that to reconsider an earlier decision council would need to pass a motion requiring a three-quarter majority vote.
“From the consultant’s point of view, if we go with the colours we’ve chosen now, we’d have to repaint that a lot sooner than we want to,” said Davidson.
“We know that painting is costing a lot of money, so instead of 20 years down the line it might need repainted in three to five years.
“We certainly don’t want to have to endure that cost.”
“You certainly don’t want a water tank to look a rust bucket, that’s for sure. It doesn’t look very tasty if you’re drinking out of a rusty bucket,” said councillor Dennis Craven.
“You got that. I don’t drink out of rusty buckets myself,” agreed Davidson.
Mapleton public works director Sam Mattina reports the new water tower in Drayton is progressing well, with with 15, eight-foot vertical concrete lifts in place and the tank expected to be in vertical position by March or April. Advertiser file photo
A motion to reconsider the original resolution from April 27 and direct staff to report back to council with an alternative design colour scheme was unanimously approved by all four council members present: Davidson, Craven and councillors Paul Douglas and Marlene Ottens.
Councillor Michael Martin, who was not present at the Jan. 11 meeting, had raised concerns about the tower colour earlier in the process.
“The only concern I would have is that two of the three colours are different shades of rust and on a water tower it makes it a little awkward,” said Martin at the March 23, 2021 meeting.
‘Progressing well’
In his update, Mattina noted the tower is “progressing well,” with 15 eight-foot vertical concrete lifts now in place.
“We’re getting ready to, once things mobilize again in the next week or so, weather permitting, we’re going to be starting to construct the tank and, with that, the tank gets constructed on the ground, of course, and then gets painted,” said Mattina.
He added it’s expected “the tank will be in vertical position around March or April of 2022.”
