Grey Highlands is holding off extending seasonal access to porta potties at 13 parks, boat launches and community areas.
Council approved deferring extending the season of porta potties at current serviced locations during a meeting on April 17 after initially directing staff on March 20 to report back on the feasibility for year-round washroom facilities.
The locations include Burneside Parkette, Eugenia Park, Eugenia Boat Launch, Feversham Park, Flesherton Ball Park, Flesherton Memorial Park, Flesherton Pond, Kimberley Hall, King Edward Park, Priceville Kinsman Park, Rocklyn Ball Diamond, Rotary Park Markdale, and Vandeleur Park.
By extending the duration to year-round, it could cost an additional $9,000 a year.
While Coun. Dan Wickens expressed he was in favour of extending the porta potty season to all year, Mayor Paul McQueen voiced his opposition.
“This is an unbudgeted part. I know that in some places it is a desirable thing, but we had a tough budget. We are coming in at a very high budget, we are going to have a tough budget again next year, and we are going to have to make some choices if we are going to try and keep the budget down,” says McQueen.
Grey Highlands recently adopted its 2024 budget, which came with a 7.62 per cent tax rate increase.
Coun. Joel Loughead says council can take the approach of looking at each site more carefully in how to best serve the community.
“My feeling here is that we should be very careful about how and where we place these porta potties and anywhere that we do have a porta potty, if there is only one porta potty, it should default as wheelchair accessible,” says Loughead.
Coun. Nadia Dubyk adds she believes having year-round porta potties available in strategically located areas is a human right.
“We have heard from the community where we do need year-round facilities in specific parks because it is being used all year-round, and we are just not providing the basic needs,” says Dubyk.
Coun. Paul Allen suggested deferring until the first meeting in August and request more information on porta potty locations and accessibility from staff. It was supported by council.
If any changes are implemented, it is expected to come into effect in 2025.