The city of Luverne will spend approximately $400,000 to paint the water tower on Highway 75 next year.
The scheduled maintenance will provide the opportunity to put the city logo “Luverne — Love the Life” on the tower tank.
“We’re excited to get that tower branded,” Call said at the July 21 capital budget meeting.
The north tower by the hospital was painted with the new logo last year. On the northwest side is Luverne — Love the Life, on the southeast side is a logo for Sanford, which shares the cost of painting the tower.
The estimated cost of the project includes encapsulating the structure during painting in order to prevent paint spray from damaging nearby property.
During their July 21 capital budget discussion, City Council members recalled the 1989 tower painting project that was done without the protection of encapsulation.
“The wind came up that day and it was a mess for blocks,” said Councilman Kevin Aaker.
The project was botched when residents in the nearby neighborhoods complained of blue spray paint on their cars and homes.
According to city records, 77 overspray complaints were turned in to the city’s insurance for claims after that March 1989 water tower project.
“You can’t have painting and sandblasting in a neighborhood like that without protection,” Call said at the meeting.
The next time the water tower was painted in August 1998, there were no problems with spray — this time white, because workers used paint rollers.
At that time the project cost $55,000.
For next year’s water tower painting, it’s anticipated that spray paint will be used, prompting the need for encapsulating the tower.