TITLE
Recommendation to direct City Manager to work with all appropriate departments to report back within 180 days on piloting an innovative citywide Clean Parks restroom facilities initiative to address resident concerns and improve the cleanliness, accessibility, and use standards of our public park restroom facilities.
DISCUSSION
Public bathrooms are necessary, and they are for everyone. However, they fail to serve their purpose if they are not open, clean, and safe, especially in our parks.
Most, but not all, of the bathrooms in our parks now stay open 24/7. While staffing to lock up bathrooms daily has been considered, it would be at the cost of cutting another park priority. Additionally, locking bathrooms also means that those experiencing homelessness don’t have access to facilities and use inappropriate alternatives which cause other Public Health concerns. Unfortunately, unlocked park bathrooms have become a de facto shelter for the homeless to the detriment of other park users.
Exhibit A for the issues surrounding the opening and closing of park bathrooms is the Bixby Park bathrooms. These were recently closed permanently due to ongoing damage and illegal use of the facilities where people would lock themselves in. The city spent an exorbitant amount of time and money on maintenance costs, even after a pilot where staff locked them nightly. The residents in the area agreed to have them closed but are now stating that they need access to bathroom facilities and are concerned with the escalation of incidents of human feces found in the park.
In the 5th District, we have also been getting a lot of reports regarding the bathroom facilities by El Dorado Park West where baseball parents have found homeless people sleeping in the bathroom, needles, and feces while taking their kids in to use the facilities.
We need to find a solution. Research shows other cities are piloting several options for us to consider:
· Workforce Development “Pit Stop” Progra...
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