A middle section of the canopy at Towne Square is designated as the potential site of a public washroom, though the construction project has been paused while the city studies how 24-hour security at the transit terminal washrooms several blocks away may address public needs.--News Photo Collin Gallant
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
The city will extend washroom hours and security at the transit terminal in an attempt to ease some public cleanliness issues downtown, but one city councillor says the vagrant population likely won’t use them and business owners aren’t being heard on the issue.
Council approved the item 8-1, adding $150,000 in security costs, but shelving $500,000 for construction of a washroom at the Towne Square until results can be evaluated.
Coun. Shila Sharps registered the lone nay vote, stating logistics won’t work and the promise of a permanent washroom is on hold again.
“I’m incredibly frustrated about the downtown and Towne Square,” she said. “They will not walk two blocks to the transit terminal. They will knock on doors of all our businesses … and not every business owner can open their washroom doors to everybody. It’s not what we signed up for.”
Sharps operates a business in the city centre and says her building is often sullied with human waste, and neighbouring business owners are asking for solutions.
She also called for a washroom to be included in Towne Square after it was was left out when the original budget grew.
This week, she asked for temporary or portable washrooms closer to Towne Square, potentially at Riverside Park, but staff says that is problematic, prone to vandalism and wouldn’t serve the general public.
City manager Ann Mitchell told council that staff is attempting to bolster washroom access in public buildings before greenlighting construction that could prove difficult at the parking lot which doubles as event-hosting space.
“I often hear a question of why we can’t be more innovative as administration,” she said. “It’s a not a permanent solution, but it’s a complex problem. We will come back and look at it. It’s not a fix all, but it could answer some questions about parking as well … if we have more security (at the parkade).”
Sharps replied, “When we decide if this is working, can we include the downtown business owners?”
The city budget already provides about $100,000 per year in 2023 and 2024 to post private security guards at the transit terminal washrooms during standard operating hours of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Another $150,000 will be needed to extend that to 24 hours over the next 18 months.
“Any public bathroom that is unsupervised is where we’re going to have problems, it’s inevitable and it’s sad,” said Coun. Darren Hirsch.
“It’s not an ideal solution,” Coun. Andy McGrogan said. “We have a vulnerable population that we haven’t had to deal with before, and an addicted population that we’re dealing with that frequents downtown.”
Coun. Alison Van Dyke said the problems extends to everyone.
“There are families in our communities who need washrooms,” said Van Dyke. “Some people can’t afford to purchase an item in a store to use the washroom, as is sometimes required. That shows the gaps in our community.”
She said work is progressing in major cities to ensure self-cleaning, or more secure public washrooms.
“I’m confident that administration is looking at long-term solutions, but I’m supporting this as a temporary measure,” she said.
On the issue of portable toilets at Towne Square, as was done on a pilot program basis last year, public services head Brian Stauth said they were badly vandalized and misused. A repeat is not recommended as contractors are expressing concern.
“To get a vendor to put in the equipment, we’ll have to get security (there),” said Stauth, who promised a report on the issue by the end of the year.
The 2023-24 city budget includes $500,000 to add a publicly accessible bathroom at the Towne Square development, but staff recommends increasing access and hours of facilities in a public building.
