In a split vote, the Wichita City Council has approved additional funding to install new restrooms and hydration stations in the downtown area.
The Council had approved a budget of over $630,000 for the project, but the lowest bid went over the engineer’s estimate. The Council approved an additional $30,000 in funding that had been allocated for hydration stations under the Capital Improvement Program.
Public Works Director Gary Janzen said one restroom will be installed at Naftzger Park downtown, while A. Price Woodard Memorial Park will get a restroom and a hydration station. He said the restrooms have a design known as the Portland Loo, which has a heavy gauge steel construction that allows it to withstand vandalism attempts and weather. It has anti-graffiti features and will have a baby-changing table, an indoor hand sanitizer and an outdoor recessed hand-washing station. It has an open top and bottom to allow sight lines and sounds and it provides enough privacy to use the restroom but not enough to make users want to stay.
The vote was 4-3 to approve funding. Mayor Lily Wu and Council members Dalton Glasscock and J.V. Johnston raised concerns over the cost, and Glasscock cited maintenance issues and other problems with the Portland Loo design that have been reported in some other cities. Council members Brandon Johnson and Mike Hoheisel said the restrooms are basic services that are needed at parks, and Council member Becky Tuttle said she has heard concerns from businesses in the Naftzger Park area that have had people coming in asking to use the restroom.
