A possible new design for Perham’s south side water tower is making a splash around town.
The design, while not final, has been shared at public meetings over the last couple weeks, to widely positive reviews.
Ryan Stigman, who last summer came up with the logo design for Tuffy Stadium, has drafted a Yellowjackets-themed design for the tower.
There may still be one or two other student-designed alternative concepts for the city to consider, as well.
At press time, city councilors were planning to review the designs at a meeting on Wednesday, and were expected to continue moving forward with the process of obtaining bids for the painting project.
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Stigman’s design calls for a mostly black tower, with a thick yellow band encircling the globe. Inside that band, the name “Perham” is painted in black. Two circular Yellowjackets logos, with the words, “Home of the Yellowjackets” break up that band. This is repeated on both sides of the tower, so that both the Perham name and the Yellowjacket logo are visible from different directions. In addition, two smaller bands encircle the uppermost part of the trunk, where it meets the globe.
City Manager Kelcey Klemm said the public reception to the design has been mostly positive.
There have been some concerns from people about potential fading (because of the dark black color), Klemm said, but city engineer Jade Berube has said fading shouldn’t be any worse than it is with other paints.
City leaders have been discussing a possible redesign of the tower since February, after agreeing that it was time for the tower to be cleaned and repainted (the exterior was last coated in 2003, and the interior in 1995).
Councilors have said they like the idea of a Yellowjackets design, since the tower is located close to the schools and Highway 10, where it could serve as both a symbol and a promotional tool.
If the cost of a redesign is too high, however, councilors could opt to simply repaint the tower as-is.
