By Moses Leos III
Kyle will fund a second opinion to assess the structural integrity of its iconic downtown water tower using Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) dollars.
On a 5-0 vote Tuesday, the Kyle Council approved a $4,600 contract with Sparks Engineering to complete a second structural assessment on the tower.
Kyle council’s move comes a little more than a week after city staff unveiled a possible $800,000 price tag to either refurbish or replace the tower. The figure was compiled after an initial analysis in November 2014 found metal fatigue within the interior and exterior portions of the tank.
According to City Manager Scott Sellers, a second opinion would not only reassess the tower’s structural integrity, but also find a “cost effective” option to preserve it.
“We want to ensure we look at all possiblities for restoration,” Sellers said. “Those range from painting, to spot repairs, to full blown rebuilds to tear down and constructing a new water tower.”
The city’s goal, according to Sellers, is to find a definitive cost for all options.
Funds for the contract with Sparks will be allocatd from the city’s Hotel Occupancy Tax fund. After consulting with the Texas Hotel Lodging Association, Sellers said the use of HOT funds was appropriate for the tower.
HOT funds are generated by the collection of a tax on hotel and motel rooms over $2. According to the Texas Tax Code, HOT funds must directly enhance and promote tourism and the hotel and motel industry. However, HOT funds can also be used other ways, including historical preservation projects, provided the project promotes tourims and the hotel industry.
Sellers said the city’s use of the tower in promotional literature justified the use of HOT funds. The interpretation is there can be an “ancillary benefit that doesn’t directly put a head into a bed.”
He cited the tower’s ability to draw outside traffic into Kyle.
“As we have our promotional material that brings people to the city, we’re promoting the tower as part of our heritage and our character,” Sellers said. “The law doesn’t say ‘put a head into a bed. It just says benefit the Hotel Lodging Association.”
The second analysis would shift focus toward restoring the tower as an icon. Sellers said the first analysis centered on rebuilding the tower in place or gettng a new tower that is functional.
The new opinion could clarify the state of metal fatigue in the tower. “Fair” was the term used by the first analysis to describe the state of the structure.
“When you’re talking $800,000, we want a better idea of what the exising condition of the tower is,” Seller said.
The city also awaits a water model in the fall. According to Sellers, it would show whether a functional water tower is needed for water pressure in old town Kyle.
Ultimately, the importance of maintaining the existing tower is a priority for the city.
“It’s a historic structure that needs to be mainained,” Sellers said. “The water tower is an icon not just for downtown, but for Kyle.”
