Williams Lake city council will wait until 2021 budget discussions to decide whether to replace the cow boss statue that used to overlook the Stampede Grounds.
In June of this year, the 15-year-old carved statue was removed because it had fallen over. It was rotting and beyond repair.
During the regular meeting Tuesday, Sept. 15 council received a report noting the original carver Ken Sheen estimated it would cost about $14,500 to carve a replacement one out of solid cedar.
In a previous interview Sheen told the Tribune when he was commissioned to make the original cow boss statue along with the bull rider statue — near the A&W parking lot — the City wanted them made out of local lumber.
“It was bug-kill pine laminated together,” Shen said at the time, adding if it was made out of cedar it would last 40 to 50 years longer.
Read more: Williams Lake cow boss statue replacement options explored
Initially Scott Nelson made a motion that council pre-approve the $14,500 out of the 2021 budget so that Sheen could start carving it for installment in 2021, but it was not passed.
Coun. Marnie Brenner asked if the money is there and said she didn’t want to pre-approve too many items.
Coun. Ivan Bonnell said he was in support of deferring it to 2021 budget discussions, while Coun. Jason Ryll said the City also has an opportunity to replace the cow boss statue with something else.
Chief administrative officer Gary Muraca said replacing the existing cow boss statue is an affordable option because its original design is already there.
All of council voted in favour of deferring the decision to 2021 budget discussions.
Read more: Williams Lake city council to determine future of collapsed cow boss statue
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