Floyd County spent more than $4,500 on the Town Green and fountain during the last three months of the year.

The play-in fountain with three ponds — representing the Etowah, Oostanaula and Coosa rivers — must be treated to swimming-pool standards. It opened Sept. 3 as part of the green next to The Forum but is now shut down for the winter.

Since taking over maintenance of the facility on Sept. 26, the Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority has spent $1,312.61 on pool chemicals, fountain system parts and other materials.

Labor costs of $3,200, totaling 160 hours at $20 an hour, also have been charged to the county. The RFPRA’s certified pool operators test the water and machinery daily in addition to handling specialized tasks.

Assistant County Manager Blaine Williams said money is budgeted for the ongoing operational costs.

The project was funded through the 2006 special purpose, local option sales tax, and members of the SPLOST Citizens Advisory Committee considered the expense before including it in their proposed package.

“Obviously our budget’s tight, but it’s something we’ve planned for,” Williams said.

RFPRA staffers also have been working with the contractor on mechanical issues. The Coosa and Etowah basins leak and the timer for the bromine feeder must be continually reset, according to a memo from Parks Supervisor Todd Wofford to Executive Director Richard Garland.

Williams said he and representatives for the contractor, R.J. Griffin & Co., were on site Wednesday to examine the system, which is under warranty.

“It’s not really a leak, it’s more of a caulking issue,” Williams said. “But all that should come under the warranty. The contractor is going to take care of it. He’s very easy to work with.”

The fountain was reactivated last week for the NAIA Championship, although it meant temporarily reversing the “winterization” mode.

Williams said county and recreation staffers are reviewing ways to streamline the process. Currently, the RFPRA needs at least three days notice to bring the water up to health department standards.

“It would be great to turn it on if we have five days of great weather or an economic development prospect in town,” he said. “We’re trying to see if we can do a hybrid, so we can have the flexibility to turn it on and off during the season.”

The emphasis, however, is ensuring the longevity of the fountain.

“We don’t want to do anything risky to cause breakage,” Williams said.

Garland said he expects it to be March before the weather warms up enough for a full-time reactivation of the fountain.

Click to see a video and photo slideshow of the Sept. 3 opening festivities.