CLINTON — An engineering agreement between the city and Symbiont for water tower and water treatment improvements has caused some apparent misunderstanding with residents. Commissioner John Wise, on Monday, explained the current position of the city with regard to the plan.

Early in October, commissioners approved $121,695 for the Symbiont agreement, but Wise said during Monday’s city council meeting it did not mean the city was immediately ready to replace the old downtown water tower.

Wise said he was approached by a resident who expressed concern the city was preparing to raze the old city water tower, located near Adams and Quincy streets.  Wise said some people consider the old tower a local historical landmark.

Wise said replacing the tower was not imminent, but he said it had largely outlived its usefulness.  Wise said the city needed to plan now to apply for grant funds to one day replace the tower.  In order to do that, the city must have plans for a “shovel-ready” project.

“It’s like every other project we’ve ever done,” Wise said.  “When the state and federal government has money available, you have to have a project that is shovel-ready, that has been engineered and is ready to go.”

• See the complete story in the Friday, Oct. 22, print edition of the Clinton Journal or now in the Journal E-Edition for subscribers.