Council here has asked staff for more information before making a decision on installing a water filling station in McMillan Park in Erin village.
Mayor Allan Alls raised the motion in March and staff presented its report, including options for a water bottle refilling station, on April 3.
However, Alls said he wanted both a refilling station and a drinking fountain.
“I thought it would also be a water fountain and such (so) you didn’t necessarily need a container,” he said.
“With council’s concurrence, I would like to send this back to you … (to) update for more what was in line of what we thought we were going to do.”
In his report, water superintendent Joe Babin recommended an orange ElKay Bottle Water Station costing more than $8,200. The station is listed as “lead free, freeze resistant and vandal resistant.”
“Why orange?” asked councillor Rob Smith.
Babin said orange would help the unit should stand out.
“I really think things like this have to fit in with the character of the town,” said councillor Matt Sammut.
“As much as it’s going to be a one-off, I’d rather spend an extra few bucks on something that really fits into what we’re looking for, not some orange structure.”
Council requested the report be referred back to staff for more options that include drinking and filling stations.
“What staff would like to do is do a deeper think on this and come back,” said CAO Nathan Hyde.
“In some of the earlier discussions, what was lost was the potential for vandalism with some of the earlier designs. We prefer to go back, bring some comprehensive options to council from a visual perspective, design perspective, colour, everything else and give a list of … the costs.”
