Board approves new ADA-compliant bubbler design; city to pursue patent

The Board of Public Works voted to adopt a newly re-created, ADA-compliant version of the city’s historic street bubblers and to pursue a patent so the city will own the tooling and design. The water superintendent presented the approach, saying creating the bubblers from a tooling kit and producing the arm in ductile iron is less costly than buying new units on the market. “The first one is 1,300, and then there are $10.66 thereafter,” the superintendent said when explaining how the initial tooling cost reduces subsequent per-piece costs.

Council members asked about preservation and maintenance: staff said the existing ornate cast-iron bubblers will remain in place unless they are moved as part of a street project because cast iron is brittle and difficult to repair. The new ductile-iron pieces are designed to be repairable and replaceable by component. Staff also said the tooling kit would be purchased from Torrance Foundry and stored at Myrick as City of La Crosse property. The Board’s motion to adopt the design and pursue patenting carried with a recorded vote of 4 yes and 1 abstention.