Wichita City Council votes to spend $30K more on public restrooms
Nov 20, 2024
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Wichita City Council voted 4-3 to approve an extra $30,000 for downtown restrooms and hydration stations. The restrooms will be located at Naftzger Park and A. Price Woodard Jr. Park, and a hydration station will be installed at A. Price Woodard Jr. Park.
The projects needed more money because the bids exceeded the engineer's estimate. It brings the total budget to more than $660,000.
Council member Brandon Johnson sees the restrooms as contributing to community growth, but Council member Dalton Glasscock says it is not a good use of taxpayer money.
"I've got one kid who chooses when she wants to go to the bathroom and maybe not always does it before an event. Having a public restroom there will help a lot of parents out and a lot of individuals in general," Johnson said.
"I understand there's a need for public bathrooms, and we have public bathrooms right now that are closed due to vandalism and closed due to nefarious activity. I think that's what we should be addressing. That's the root cause and concern. I think this is a crazy way to spend taxpayer dollars," Glasscock said.
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According to the city, the Portland Loo restrooms will be made of steel, which is easy to clean and replace and will withstand vandalism.
Mayor Lily Wu and City Council members Dalton Glasscock and J.V. Johnston voted no.