Mundelein water towers may get fresh paint designs

Mundelein officials are looking to splash the village's name and star-shaped logo across three local water towers over the next couple of years.

Two designs are being considered. One features the name and star on a gray bar that wraps around the tank, while the other doesn't have the gray stripe but includes a larger star.

The lettering likely will be 8 to 10 feet tall.

Mayor Steve Lentz called the designs fresh, clean and vibrant.

"Most importantly (they) reflect our village branding," Lentz said.

Although cost estimates weren't available, neither design should cost more to paint than the other, said Adam Boeche, Mundelein's public works and engineering director. Ongoing maintenance costs should be equal, too, he said.

The designs were included in the document packet for this past Monday's village board meeting, which was held remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trustees and administrators briefly discussed the designs but made no decisions.

Water towers need to be repainted every 15 to 20 years because of wear, Boeche said.

Mundelein has four water towers, but only three are being considered for this project because they're due to be repainted, officials said. The three tanks are on Allanson Road east of Walnut Street; Route 83 near Sysmex Way; and Division Street at Seymour Avenue.

A fourth tank on Winchester Road west of Midlothian Road is newer and doesn't yet need a new coat of paint.

None of the three tanks to be painted feature the village's star logo, which Mundelein adopted in 2014. The tanks identify the village but use different designs.

Lentz said he likes the consistency of the current design options.

If the project progresses, the tower on Route 83 would be repainted this year.

Crews would tackle the Division Street tank in 2021 and the Allanson Road tank in 2022.

The three towers last were painted in 1996 or 1997, Boeche said. The paint lasted longer than usual because the towers are cleaned regularly, he added.

"(That) has saved us quite a bit of money over the long haul," Boeche said.

The plan will come back to the board later this spring when cost estimates are available from interested contractors, officials said.

Trustee Ray Semple said he prefers the version without a stripe, calling it "simple."

But Semple also suspects the entire project may have to be delayed. The statewide stay-at-home order is hurting local businesses, which will mean less tax revenue for the village, he explained.

"We may need to defer some or all of these (projects) once we start realizing the financial costs to the village from the pandemic," Semple said.