Time's up for town clock project

Council cuts funding, hopes to sell ‘abomination'

The town plans to sell the clock in hopes of gaining back about half of the $9,000 spent on the apparatus itself.

Mayor John Tabori said to complete the project, which began in 2005, the town would have to spend a total of $27,000.

"We cannot recover Pepco's cost because they already installed the meter," he said of the device, which is needed whenever a new power source is connected. "We're not going to recover the cost associated with dismantling the base either."

The clock tower project was originated by Tabori's predecessor John Brunner.

In May 2005, the city estimated the clock, which was slated to be put on Queen's Chapel Avenue, would cost the town $9,000 total, including installation, power and maintenance.

Tabori, who was a councilman at the time, said the price only included the actual clock itself.

Northeast Electric installed the base of the 18-foot tower too close to the sidewalk, which would have become an additional cost to the town, had they moved forward, Tabori said.

Councilman Lynn Dudinsky (Ward 4) was the lone dissenting vote.

"I think we need more information before we just write off close to $20,000 on a promise or assumption that we'll be able to recover money," he said.

Councilwoman Peggy Winton (Ward 6) called the clock an "abomination," and Councilwoman Kelly Fischer (Ward 5) said it would have become a "standing target" for vandalism.

Councilman Ed DeSaussure (Ward 7) made the initial motion to terminate the project and was the most outspoken of all the council members in his opposition to the clock.

"It was obvious the budget did not even include half of the cost of the thing," he said. "If we go ahead and erect it, it will be a monument to government folly. I suggest if we are going to install it… we plant it upside down in front of town hall and it can be right twice a day."

In recent months, residents had also voiced opposition to the clock as the estimated price continued to rise.

"Why do we need a town clock?" resident Brian Bailey said. "That would be $27,000 for a clock that hasn't even been put up yet."

Resident Shelton Nickens said the excess spending could have been avoided had the public been notified and been able to communicate with the council sooner.

"None of this was publicly known," he said. "The larger issue is communication from the town to the people that pay the taxes. Shouldn't we put some procedures in place to make sure this doesn't happen again?"