Flower Clock Has Mechanical Problems

Fairhope, Alabama


Fairhope flower clock broken

NORTH SECTION STREET AT HWY 104

The city's flower clock is out of commission due to a bad (seized) bearing and stripped gear, according to public works director Johnson.

The mechanism has been sent back to its manufacturer, Elderhorst Bells of Palm Pennsylvania,  for repair.

Update: The flower clock is an Eastern Shore Art Association 'public art' project mostly-funded through its Committee on Public Art's $17K donation in 2013.  Total cost was about $25K.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Don't listen to the haters, save our flowerclock!
Anonymous said…
We don't need a clock there........everyone know what time it is. Just fill in with flowers. Nothing our City Council does ever works for long and we certainly don't need to re-create the library problems. Just make it a large flower bed. Our current city employees knock it 'out of the park' with their designs! Please don't ever let the past city employees/mayor return!
Publisher said…
The flower clock is actually a "public art" project, mostly-funded by the Eastern Shore Art Association's 'Committee on Public Art' via a $17K donation in 2013.
Anonymous said…
Does anything structural in Fairhope NOT end up having a problem? #thefairhopeway #moneypit
Tip said…

I love that clock!
Anonymous said…
What is the annual cost of maintenance & repair? Does the Committee on Public Art pay those costs or are the taxpayers now burdened with those operating expenses?
Anonymous said…
Gee I guess no other cities have buildings or infrastructure that needs maintenance, theirs all last forever. Must be the toxic air coming from all the blowhards.
Anonymous said…
"Gee I guess no other cities have buildings or infrastructure that needs maintenance, theirs all last forever. Must be the toxic air coming from all the blowhards."

Don't think it is about that. Obviously cities are going to incur expenses. Some related to needed items like the upkeep of infrastructure, buildings, automobile fleets, etc. Some purely related to aesthetics or making a place better with no plan of getting any return other than it being a good thing for the city. This may be one of those that fall into the latter column, but I still expect our leaders using good judgment and foresight and balance the value against the cost.
If I were to say, "I'm going to give you an item that you didn't need, didn't want and weren't looking to purchase until I offered to give it to you; it's valued at $10,000 and I'll give it to you for free, but the maintenance is going to cost $30,000 a year for the rest of you life" I think you would weigh the decision to take it carefully.
In this case, perhaps a flower clock (that I've never used to check the time) is a great investment in the beautification of the city, but maybe the flowers without the clock would have been just as nice when balanced against the long term maintenance costs. Not saying one is right or wrong, but I've seen the hands of time come to a halt on the clock quite often and I wonder what that costs taxpayers each time it happens. Might be $100, who knows.
Anonymous said…
And the wind continues to blow.
Anonymous said…
make it digital so it will work better.