Aging equipment causes more fountain closures

Update: On Thursday, the city announced the Children's Fountain has reopened following the most recent repairs.

As the Steigerwaldt-Jockey Children’s Fountain in Bayfront Park grows older, the city has been forced to devote more time and money toward keeping the attraction functional.

On July 10, the city announced that the Children’s Fountain is temporarily closed for repairs following mechanical issues for the third time this year. After opening for the summer May 23 after a faulty part was replaced, the fountain was also closed in June for a day because of a malfunctioning mechanical part.

The closures probably aren’t just a run of bad luck, according to Sue Martin, the city’s golf and recreation general manager. The most recent closure was caused by another faulty piece of equipment that overheated and melted. Although the piece was part of the fountain’s backup sanitation system, the city closed the fountain as a precaution.

The issue affected a nonessential part of the fountain, but the malfunction speaks to a larger issue with its machinery.

“The equipment is old,” Martin said. “We’ve got original equipment in there, and this is the 16th or 17th year of operation. When one thing starts to go, one thing after another goes. That’s what seems to be happening now.”

The budget associated with the Children’s Fountain seems to confirm that maintenance is becoming a larger challenge as the system ages. Budgeted operating expenditures for the fountain have gone up 38% since fiscal year 2013, with $34,445 set aside for the fountain in this year’s preliminary city budget.

The city has prioritized keeping the fountain open as scheduled. Last year, the fountain was closed twice for unexpected repairs. Combined with this year, that number still represents a decline from the eight unscheduled closures in 2012.

Still, Martin said, staff has begun to wonder about the best course of action to keep the fountain open. When the City Commission discusses the Children’s Fountain budget at a workshop next week, Martin said commissioners will need to consider how best to manage the splash park going forward.

“Do we put money into it, or do we just keep peacemealing?” Martin said. “That’s on the table for discussion.”

Contact David Conway at [email protected]