Fairhope, Alabama
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.
 |
| 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
I love that clock!
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.