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May 5, 2010 in City
County finds money to keep park restrooms open
Restrooms will be available at Spokane County parks all this summer despite budget cuts that threatened service at seven parks.
Parks Director Doug Chase told county commissioners this week that it won’t be necessary to close restrooms at the Liberty Lake Off Road Vehicle Park or Gleneden, Brentwood, Sontag and Fish Lake parks.
And portable toilets will be provided at Bear Lake and Pine River parks, where water-flush systems increase vault-pumping costs.
Marshall Farnell, the county’s chief executive officer, said in an interview that he asked Chase to transfer money from his capital budget to keep the restrooms open this summer.
Chase said the estimated cost is $15,500, down from $22,600. The saving is based on reducing the number of portable toilets and cleaning regular restrooms only once a week.
Portable toilets would be cleaned three times a week.
The plan includes a small allowance for extra work if a restroom is too messy to wait a week for maintenance. However, Chase said it may be necessary to keep restrooms open weekends only if too many extra cleanings are required.
Commissioner Mark Richard suggested posting signs to give “kind of an advance notice” of that possibility.
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lewis8457 on May 06 at 10:47 a.m.
Why did we pay to build water flushing sanitary toilets and now it is cheaper to use privately owned chemical toilets?
The septic systems are in place most of the parks have water close by how can a simple pump system be more expensive? Parks with out water use a rain recover system or maybe use a chemical toilet inside the restroom, for use during a drought.
A pump and tank might cost 800 bucks then all the cost is, is power, which they already have for the park lights.
Then it is as simple as asking citizen close to the park to go clean the toilets. Offer to pay for the supplies and mileage. Hell give me mileage and I will do it.
How tough is that? I wonder how much money they have wasted talking about it?