Honesdale's Central Park fountain, off all summer, back on after repairs

Thursday, Aug. 15, at 9 a.m., Honesdale’s historic Central Park fountain was operating again for the first time since June. The refreshing, cool spray filled the air, blowing in the breeze, as park visitors strolled by, some taking pictures.

It was a long, hot summer without it, with only rainwater and leaves collected in the bowl, the stagnant water turning forest green.

"It's a disgrace," one Honesdale resident was heard repeating a week or so earlier, pointing to the fountain as he walked by.

A backflow device was ordered to allow the fountain to resume operating, Interim Community Manager, Kevin Kundratic said by email before the repair was completed. He said that once the fountain was repaired, a maintenance service hired by the borough would clean out the bowl.

Kundratic said that the fountain requires regular cleaning of the pump filter and clearing the bowl of debris several times a week to keep the pump filter from clogging and burning out. He added that this summer aging parts had to be replaced, resulting in the fountain being down.

"I have suggested to several (borough) councilors that the Borough consider updating the fountain apparatus with a more modern, self-sufficient and less labor-intensive equipment," Kundratic said.

"It is things like this that grow your appreciation for all that a DPW staff do for the community without public knowledge or appreciation," Kundratic said. "Appreciating the beauty of the fountain when it is running should be an appreciation of the men that worked to keep it running."

Until recently, the borough has relied on only contracted labor and volunteers since the Department of Public Works (DPW) crew resigned in late April .

"Not having a staffed DPW has absolutely been a hindrance in caring for and maintaining the fountain. Not just the fountain but all Borough properties and responsibilities including streets, parks, trails, buildings, and stormwater,"  Kundratic said.

The borough has recently hired back two DPW workers, and the interview process for a DPW director has been completed, he said. He expressed hope that the council would decide on filling the position soon.

Councilor David Nilsen, who has volunteered labor in DPW's absence, said he and Kundratic transported the fountain's components on May 8 to the park. Nilsen, with a local plumber's assistance, then put it together, and the fountain was activated.

"Once operational, we quickly learned that the fountain's current design is outdated and thus flawed," Nilsen said in his emailed comments. He said it was not functioning normally.

"The detriment of the current design is that it takes an enormous amount of time and money for an individual to monitor the fountain multiple times a day. This is required to ensure it's not clogged or needs cleaning," Nilsen said. One issue is a lack of a filtration system.

"I believe it is imperative that the Parks and Rec[reation] committee conduct an engineering or feasibility study on the fountain," Nilsen said. "This study will allow us to explore various options and opportunities for improving/upgrading the fountain, and bring it into the 21st century, making it more efficient and practical to operate."

"I do enjoy the fountain. It is a Honesdale institution. When it is operational, it is a source of pride in the community. It brings joy to parkgoers and children alike," Nilsen said.

"Disgrace is an understatement," said James Hamill, borough councilor and chairperson of Honesdale Parks & Recreation, commenting on the fountain's appearance most of this summer.

In a phone interview, Hamill said it would have been better for the borough to have hired a professional contractor to set up the fountain and maintain it this season. "We have under-skilled individuals working on it," Hamill said, who have not been able to do anything since an Aqua inspection showed that a new backflow device was needed.

Hamill said, "it fell on the (interim) borough manager and Mr. Nilsen to not let it fill up with debris and turning green." A contractor, Hamill stated, would have prevented the fountain "from becoming an eyesore."

Hamill recommended planning in the 2025 budget to hire a parks manager.

Nilsen said in his email, "I alone wish Parks and Rec would soon acknowledge that the issue is not with the borough employees, our current vendors, or contractors but with the neglect of the park's planners and stewards by failing to upgrade this system over the years. I feel it has been routinely overlooked as it was on display."

Nilsen further said it was a “matter of priorities,” noting that Park & Rec spent or has been awarded significant amounts for the new mobile event stage purchased last year, and the upcoming dog park. "I believe a fraction of these funds would have gone a long way towards the rehabilitation of the fountain," Nilsen said.

Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Honesdale's Central Park fountain, off all summer, back on after repairs