DERBY, Conn. (AP) – Officials and residents of Connecticut’s smallest town are in a lather over a soapy stunt at its historic downtown fountain.

Derby, which has been struggling to polish its image, had just rededicated its 1906 fountain less than a day before a civic booster discovered it overflowing with suds early Sunday.

Now, the search is on for the culprit.

Town leaders and business owners in the working-class municipality north of Bridgeport quickly raised more than $1,000 for a reward for information leading to the prankster’s arrest and conviction.

Town officials also put a rush job on ordering high-resolution surveillance cameras to monitor the area, which has been hit by vandals before.

The 7-foot granite fountain was not damaged, but community leaders say feelings and civic pride in the 12,000-resident town certainly were.

“I thought it was disgusting … It was disrespectful,” said resident John Kowarik, who discovered the sudsy mess shortly after sunrise Sunday.

The chairman of the town’s Board of Aldermen personally flushed out the fountain Sunday with help from his 7-year-old and 5-year-old children.

At 5.3 square miles, Derby is Connecticut’s smallest city by size and has launched several revitalization efforts in recent years to improve its image and appearance.

Last week, it raised the fines under its “pooper scooper” ordinance to $200 for people who fail to clean up after their pets on town property. That level is the maximum allowed under state law.

It also has threatened to ban dogs altogether from town land if the $200 tickets – and the possibility of landing in court for unpaid fines – do not do the trick.

Derby officials say the fountain soap-suds prank was another insult to a town where residents have donated time, money and materials to burnish its image.

“I don’t think you can step on us anymore. There are too many people watching and too many people who care,” said Leo Mosacato, who owns the Studio 275 eatery and culinary school in Derby and was among the first donors to the growing reward fund.

If caught, the prankster or pranksters could be charged with criminal mischief, breach of peace or other offenses, police say.