The scaffolding that envelopes the water tower behind Surf City Borough Hall is easy enough to see from ground level, but as the eyes move up it becomes slightly more difficult to take the whole image in without taking a step back. And that is the last thing borough officials want to do after a lengthy delay in getting the project started.

Councilman Gerry P. Little, who chairs the borough’s water and sewer committee, said borough officials received three bids for the project before a $655,800 contract was awarded to Allied Painting of Cherry Hill, in…