Huron water tower fishing for attention

HURON — Work on quite possibly the region's largest and most artistic fishing bobber starts next week.Monday begins a three-week project to paint a Huron water tower off Ohio 2 near the U.S. 6 exit in the form of a fishing float or bobber.City officials expect a vibrant color scheme to reel in loads of attention for their community."This is an opportunity to provide additional marketing to the city through a large piece of infrastructure," Huron city manager Andy White said. The water theme showcases "the popularity of the Huron River, Lake Erie, various marinas in Huron and the city's public boat launch."Several complications pushed the start date back numerous times.The upcoming project satisfies two ends: upgrading outer aesthetics and protecting inner resources. Crews will also paint the tower's insides, which helps safeguard drinking water so the inner material doesn't rust. Big savingsHuron taxpayers caught a huge financial break.Despite being a $286,000 project, city taxpayers are only responsible for $8,000, or about 3 percent of the total cost:• People representing Lake Erie Shores & Islands fronted $150,000 for this project. In exchange, the tourism bureau's name will be inscribed twice, on opposite sides, of this tower.• A state grant covers the remaining $128,000 expense."This not only helps draw attention to us, but we're also saving money," White said. "For a tiny fraction of the cost, the city is getting all these additional features." Making sense of the dollars and centsPainting a water tower in Huron off Ohio 2 near the U.S. 6 exit should total $286,000, down from a previous estimate of $350,000.How the project is being paid for:• $150,000: funds from Lake Erie Shores & Islands• $128,000: funds from a state grant• $8,000: funds from HuronSource: Huron city manager's officeA three-week project to paint the Huron water tower off Ohio 2 near the U.S. 6 exit in the form of a fishing float or bobber starts Monday.