[dropcap]H[/dropcap]aving grown up in liberal arts, something as technical as engineering and construction wasn’t, and still isn’t, my forte.

Heck, I have problems to this day figuring out how much tip I should give servers when I go to a restaurant (Pro-tip: move the decimal over one number to the left and double that amount. Brilliant.)

For all of the mathematical deficiencies I’ve got, I still like to think I’ve got a handle on some things. Not an expert, but close enough to offer an opinion. At least I think so.

All this brings me to something I see when I peer out of the Hays Free Press window on a daily basis.

When I look out, I see the Historic Kyle City Hall with all of its brick masonry glory.

Less than 20-feet or so in front is something that could’ve used some construction tips from the olden days.

Let’s be perfectly frank – I’m not going to say Kyle’s recently installed water fountain is ugly.

Oh, no, siree. I personally love the aesthetic. It provides something that’s been missing to the Kyle square since J.D. Scott built the first water fountain many years ago.

It also adds something that goes beyond that big ol’ hole in the ground that was there before.

But it bugs me, and maybe a few others, that the water fountain just isn’t quite right.

It’s not the look, or the feel. Or even the birds that like to play in the cool water.

All of that is fine. It’s just the water seems to flow only on one side.

For some reason (which goes beyond my expertise as a desk jockey journalist), water is unable to flow on all sides of the feature.

Perhaps the fountain is lopsided? Maybe the second tier – which experiences the glut of the problem – is too large for water to drop down on all sides?

To the city’s credit, they’ve had crews assess the problem.

Whatever the problem may be, however, it’s lingered for quite some time.

It would be folly of me to say this is the city’s biggest problem. There are plenty of things the city should be tackling at the moment.

Managing growth, property taxes, the state of infrastructure are things the city should be more focused on.

But I also think a prominent feature that came at the expense of taxpayer dollars should also be held to the best construction standards out there.

I commend the city and whatever contractors they used for trying. It’s an amazing feature and it’s something that gives the downtown sector something to be proud of.

But if we’re going to do it, let’s make sure we do everything – from the fountain, to new roads and infrastructure – right.

After all, no one likes anything that’s one-sided, am I right?