The new fountain in front of Geneseo City Hall did not begin as a standalone fountain project.
The water feature was one component of a broader redesign of the front of the municipal building that included landscaping improvements, removal of rock fill, plumbing work and a physical security enhancement intended to help protect the building's main entrance.
Completed in August, the project reworked an approximately 500-square-foot area at the front of City Hall that officials had previously identified as difficult to maintain. The finished project includes updated landscaping and an 11-foot-diameter concrete basin fountain equipped with an automatic refill system.
What was the project intended to accomplish?
City documents identify several purposes for the "City Hall Landscaping Updates" project:
Replace plants and shrubs around City Hall.
Address the approximately 500-square-foot grass area in front of the building that was difficult to grow and maintain.
Improve the appearance of the municipal entrance with new landscaping and a water feature.
Provide additional vehicle security by incorporating a substantial physical barrier near the main entrance.
Together, those elements made up the broader City Hall entrance redesign rather than a standalone fountain purchase.
What did the project actually cost?
Additional information provided by the City gives a more complete picture of the project's financing.
The project was funded through the City's Municipal Building Budget, an existing budget line used for building maintenance, repairs and upgrades.
In December 2025, the City accepted a $24,985 proposal from Corn Crib Nursery, along with a $3,500 contingency for plumbing hookups and components associated with the fountain's automatic refill system.
The City paid $12,492.50 in December 2025 from that year's Municipal Building Budget as a down payment to secure pricing for construction planned in 2026.
Rendering provided by the City of Geneseo. Photograph taken by Current staff.
Following completion in August 2026, the remaining $12,492.50 became due, along with $2,000 for final plumbing hookups and automatic refill system components.
That puts the final project cost at $26,985, split between two fiscal years:
FY 2025: $12,492.50
FY 2026: $14,492.50
Total: $26,985
The final plumbing work came in $1,500 below the $3,500 contingency originally established for that portion of the project.
How does the project compare with other City spending?
Because the fountain is one of the most visible pieces of the project, its cost can easily be viewed in isolation. The City's records, however, describe it as part of the larger municipal building landscaping and security project.
The $26,985 City Hall landscaping, fountain and security project represents about one-third of 1% compared with the roughly $8 million the City spends annually on capital projects. Those projects have included hundreds of thousands of dollars for street equipment and reconstruction, as well as major expenditures for sidewalks, utilities and other infrastructure.