Blue Earth’s Green Giant statue is going to get an ‘extreme makeover’ later this year.

And, the city of Blue Earth has agreed to help foot the bill.

Blue Earth Chamber of Commerce executive director Cindy Lyon was at last Monday’s City Council meeting to explain the proposed makeover in detail, and to ask the council for help in paying the cost.

Lyon said the Giant statue needs quite a bit of work.

“We had some large cracks in his feet fixed last summer,” the chamber director explained. “But there are more cracks and small holes, where water can get in and do more damage. They need to be repaired and filled in.”

Plus, after 35 years of standing outside in the elements, the green color has faded in different areas of the Blue Earth landmark, and the statue needs a whole new paint job.

“We have received two bids to do all the work,” Lyon said. “And our chamber board has proposed taking the higher bid, because it comes with a 25-year guarantee on the painting.”

That bid was from Mike’s Collision and Tire of New Ulm and was for $20,660. It covers all of the Fiberglas repair, crack and hole filling, power washing, two coats of paint and two coats of sealant.

The other bid was from F.A.S.T. Corporation of Sparta, Wis., and was for $16,675.

“We feel confident in having Mike’s Collision do the work,” Lyon told the council. “They are the ones that just recently completed repairing and restoring the ‘Herman the German’ statue in New Ulm.”

The council agreed, and voted unanimously to accept the higher bid from Mike’s Collision.

Then they voted to accept Lyon’s request that the city pay for half the cost, or $10,330. Only Mayor Rick Scholtes suggested that number be rounded up to an even $11,000 and that is what the council did.

Councilman John Huisman’s motion also specified that the money come out of the liquor store fund and not the city’s general fund.

“We have said in the past that we want to use the liquor store profits for community projects,” Huisman said. “So I think it is appropriate to use those funds for this.”

Councilman Glenn Gaylord agreed.

“This is exactly why I voted to build this new liquor store,” he said. “So any profits could be used for bettering the city.”

Lyon said the other half of the cost would be split between the Chamber of Commerce and the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). The CVB receives city lodging tax money that can be used for tourism projects.

The Giant statue repair and painting will be done later this fall, after Labor Day and after the tourist season winds down, Lyon added.

In other business, the council:

Heard an update from city engineer Wes Brown of Bolton and Menk Engineering concerning various projects being done this summer.

Brown said the Smith Drive project is well underway and is staying on schedule despite several ‘rain events.”

The airport project plans have been sent to the Federal Aviation Authority as part of the grant agreement and he expects the project will be completed this summer.

The bids on the 21st Street project will be opened on July 15 and that work is also expected to get underway yet this summer.

The North Business Park work is virtually complete, with just some street striping and light poles yet to be installed.

And, Brown said there are several streets that will be seal coated in a few weeks, after patch work on those streets is completed.

Heard an update report from new Faribault County Development Corporation director Tim Clawson that included some background information on himself as well as information on the progress in hiring a new administrative assistant at FCDC.

Took a first look at a new Social Media policy that has been drafted. It deals with the rules for developing a city of Blue Earth Facebook page, as well as other concerns for employee use of electronic social media.

Discussed some issues with cement cracking around the Blue Earth pool.