Morinville councillors are looking to tweak a proposed new fountain that will be unveiled as part of the centennial celebrations later this year.
The fountain is the work of several local volunteers who asked the town for a grant to construct something new for the town’s 100th anniversary. Council gave the group $26,000 during the 2010 budget process and got its first look at what the group has in mind last week.
The plans call for a 16-foot-wide square base for the fountain with a total of four water spray heads, one in each corner. The fountain is proposed for the southeast corner of St. Jean Baptiste Park and would operate from May through September.
In the centre of the bottom pool will be a six-foot-by-six-foot block and on top of that a smaller four-foot-by-four-foot block. The community group is planning to put the town’s coat of arms on the higher blocks and the name of the town’s 15 previous mayor on the lower one, with the possibility of adding the names of previous councillors as well.
The idea of adding past mayors’ names is not sitting well with everyone on council.
Coun. Lisa Holmes was one of several councillors who expressed concern at that part of the idea when it was presented to council last week.
“I wasn’t comfortable bringing up something for the Town of Morinville that was going to only celebrate a certain group and not the community as a whole,” she said. “It is not going to celebrate the people who have worked in the community or lived in it or will live in it in the future.”
During last week’s meeting Coun. Nicole Boutestein said when the idea first came up during the budget discussions, council specifically stated they did not want the fountain to carry that theme.
“I distinctly remember saying that we didn't want a mayors’ fountain. We wanted a centennial fountain.”
Holmes said she doesn’t have any specific ideas on what the fountain should have, but wants council to have its say.
Mayor Lloyd Bertschi said he is less concerned about exactly what ends up being on the fountain.
“It is not a hill that I would die on. If the group that has brought it forward wants to recognize the mayors then fine, but if it is going to upset the community or the council then I don’t really care.”
Lil Boddez, a member of the community group who brought the designs to council, was not available for comment on council’s proposed revisions.
The issue is set to return to council at a later date.
